A 9.4-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Highway 135 and Skyway Drive that houses Airport Auto Center and Community Volkswagen of Santa Maria has been sold, the real estate agent representing both seller and buyer reported Tuesday.

Airport Auto Center includes the Lincoln-Mercury, Mazda and Nissan dealerships of Eloy Renfrow. The three will be moving in September to a new facility on Bradley Road, next to Santa Maria Ford, said Randy Renfrow, co-owner of the dealership with his father.

Community Volkswagen will be moving Aug. 31 to a new location in the Crossroads Auto Mall, off of Betteravia Road, said Mark Bachman of the VW dealership.

"The new owner is buying for future development. He is open to looking at all different opportunities for the property 7 automotive, office, medical, retail," said Tom Ross of Ross Realty.

"It is prime land … near the airport. The property is zoned C2, general commercial, and is in the city of Santa Maria. There was a lot of interest from various parties."

Ross declined to identify the seller, buyer or the price, other than to say that the seller of the property is the former owner of the dealerships at Airport Auto Center. That is Bob Stephens.

The dealerships were purchased from Stephens in the spring of 2001.

The property being sold is the 5.35-acre developed parcel that houses the dealerships, the more than 40,000 square feet of buildings and a vacant 4.04-acre parcel behind the dealerships that runs north to Mercury Drive, Ross said.

The property is in escrow and it will be closing soon, he said.

July 9, 2003