CHD selects local General Contractor to completely retrofit new building



Click and Diane Baldwin, owners and operators of Carolina Harley Davidson, selected Southside Constructors, Inc. as General Contractor for the complete retrofit of their new location, the former Hannaford building (top right) located off Franklin Blvd. in Gastonia, NC. Working with The Kubala Washatko Architects, a Harley Davidson approved architectural firm based in Wisconsin, Southside began converting the former big box grocery store into the largest Harley Davidson Dealership on the East Coast (middle right).  Per plans, one fourth of the new automotive dealership was devoted solely to servicing top-of-the-line Harley and Buell motorcycles. The remaining seventy-five percent constitutes the showroom and retail areas where a variety of motorcycles, motor accessories, and MotorClothes are displayed (bottom right). Not all of the 200+ bikes that fill the 58,000 SF facility are for sale however. Some are for rent. The rental area was designed specifically to entice potential customers who may need a test ride prior to making the ultimate commitment. The sales pitch is furthered in the larger-than-life photo displays of Harley Davidson’s of the past including one 60” x 60” picture of Click’s mother and father taken more than 40 years ago.

In the end, demolition and retro-fit activities included:

• Removal of more than 50,000 SF of VCT and replacement with a more durable rubber flooring.
• An orange-tinted epoxy floor coating in the service department accented with roadway striping.
• New employee offices and a conference room contained within a 10,000 SF overhead mezzanine.
• Exterior features included utilizing the characteristic orange and black color scheme complemented with signature bars and shields of both Harley and Buell.
• Stamped concrete near the front entrance depicting gears and other motorcycle parts.
  
  All modifications were incorporated  into Southside’s characteristic fast-track scheduling to allow for store opening by the 2002 Christmas shopping season.