A rendering of the proposed electric car showroom and service center planned for Mishawaka. Image provided by City of Mishawaka
MISHAWAKA — While both the Common Council and the developer danced around the question Monday night of whether it's Tesla that hopes to open a showroom and service center in the former JC Penney Home Store at Grape and Cleveland roads, one thing was certain: Both sides want the other.
The council voted for the zoning change to allow automotive use in the current strip mall after Chris Sotos, a representative of Key Development Partners, detailed the discussions he had with neighbors who questioned the development's lighting, traffic patterns and the impact on their homes to the north and west.
Sotos has said Key Development has a contract in place to buy the site from its local owner and lease it to the “high-end electric automobile, solar power and renewable energy” company.
Key Development has not disclosed the tenant to the city, thought residents and officials alike have speculated that the incoming company is Tesla.
Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood even joined in the speculation, calling the auto company's identity "the worst kept secret" in a post on social media after the council vote.
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