High-end used car dealer approved for Joliet

Rehan Motors will take over Pottery Barn outlet store and parking lot

A car dealer that plans to sell cars up to $1 million in price will take over the Pottery Barn outlet store site after receiving approval from the Joliet City Council.

Rehan Motors now has had a dealership in Springfield since 2015 but has said it wants to be closer to the Chicago market to sell its high-end vehicles.

The family owned dealership plans to sell cars priced between $30,000 and $1 million, according to plans submitted the city.

The City Council last week approved a special-use permit for the dealership with conditions aimed at assuring that cars will be in the higher price range. The conditions limit the number of cars priced at below $25,000 to no more than 10% of its inventory.

The vote on Rehan Motors was tabled for two weeks after Councilman Larry Hug called for conditions, saying they had been discussed when the company approached the city to assure it would not become an ordinary used-car lot.

Ray Rehan, one of the family owners, told The Herald-News in July wanted the Joliet location to be close to the Chicago market and its airports. He said out-of-state customers often fly in to do business, and the Joliet site has the advantage of being located near hotels and restaurants.

Rehan Motors plans to have between 300 and 400 vehicles in stock at the dealership at 3301 Essington Road, according to the city staff report on the project.

The dealership is in the Chicagoland Center Subdivision in the northeast corner of Interstate 55 and Route 30, an area that includes a the Honda of Joliet dealership and Outback Steakhouse restaurant.

Rehan Motors will occupy a seven-acre parcel originally developed for a Gander Mountain outdoors superstore, which closed in 2017 when that chain ran into financial problems. Pottery Barn opened an outlet store there in late 2019 but only leases the property.

The property was recently acquired by the Rehan family.

It includes a 65,000-square-foot building and a parking lot with 325 parking spaces.

According to the city, Rehan Motors plans to display most vehicles inside the building.

Rehan has told the city it estimated $16 million in annual revenue, which would provide the city with $1.3 million in annual sales taxes. The dealership is expected to eventually have 50 employees.

The company plans a $6 million investment into the property, which includes new landscaping, an exterior repainting, and new signage, according to the city. The interior will get new flooring, paint and lighting with certain features added, including a game room.