LA GRANDE — A quick drive past Legacy Ford dealership on Island Avenue and you may see more than the usual inventory — construction equipment, trailers and contractors in hard hats. And although it’s business-as-usual, big changes are in the works.

The dealership, which began its renovation project at the beginning of March 2022, is hoping to bring its showroom, lot and shop into the 21st century. Greg Colozzi, the dealership’s owner and general manager, said it’s been a long time coming.

“It was just something we just couldn’t prolong anymore,” he said. “I decided to just go for it and do it.”

Colozzi and General Sales Manager Chris Huxoll both began as salesmen more than 20 years ago. They both noted that the talks of renovations have floated around for years. When Colozzi bought the dealership five years ago, revamping the space was one of his top priorities.

“He’s never afraid to take chances,” Huxoll said of Colozzi.

From the outdated aesthetics to the space’s functionality, the old building was a far cry from what the new blueprints have in store. According to Colozzi, the old building had slow internet, dated fixtures and suboptimal heating and cooling.

The first phase of the project — a renovated facade, bright new showroom, landscaping and a newly asphalted lot — is projected to be done at the end of September.

The building itself, built in 1970, has always been an auto dealership. It’s changed hands and names throughout the years, from Tamarack Ford to Roberts Ford.

Legacy Ford’s 50-member team may not be operating out of the showroom this summer, but they’ve stayed close by. Four trailers are stationed in front of the construction site, each as temporary housing for various departments. Aside from typical hiccups, Colozzi said the transition was fairly smooth.

“If anything, it’s helped us streamline a few processes of things that we had maybe gotten too cumbersome,” he said.

With more than 40 years of clutter purged from the space, Colozzi said the dealership is poised to be more efficient and streamlined upon the showroom’s completion.

For him, the renovation is as much about bringing the dealership into the 21st century as it is about the people behind the company’s success. Colozzi credited the staff — especially those with decades of service under their belt — for toughing out the quirks of the old building, and is looking forward to giving them a new space.

“It’s gonna be nice to kind of give back to the staff,” he said.

John Bowling, the dealership’s longest-tenured employee, has served multiple generations of customers in over 35 years at Legacy Ford. Bowling noted that although many of his original customers have passed, he’s now selling to their children and grandchildren.

“Everybody likes to know their car salesman,” he said with a laugh. “They need to know a lawyer, they need to know a doctor and they need to know the car salesman.”

The second phase of the renovation — adding approximately 20,000 square feet of shop space — is projected to be complete in spring 2023. In addition to doubling the bays in the service department, Huxoll and Colozzi said they expect to hire more mechanics.

“I feel like we have some of the best mechanics in the state of Oregon,” Colozzi said. “So it’s also gonna be an opportunity to grow and give them more space to work.”

In another nod to 21st-century innovation, Colozzi said that customers can expect to see a bank of electric chargers out in front of the dealership. Although only a small percentage of their inventory consists of electric vehicles, Colozzi expects to see the Ford fleet grow in that direction in the coming years.

“Maybe a customer that used to come in and get their oil changed now comes in and charges their vehicle on a regular basis,” he said.

The dealership is working with Derek Howard and the CB Construction team, as well as Luke Hines’ LJH Construction, to complete the renovation. With a team of local contractors and subcontractors on the job, even the renovation is a community effort. Some are even past customers and arrive at the construction site each day in Legacy Ford vehicles.

“Now they’re pulling in here to work on our project,” Huxoll said. “That’s been a really cool part.”

Colozzi assured that he wasn’t phased by recent inventory shortages, and is confident in the success of the renovation. Once the work is done, Colozzi hopes to celebrate the new facade with a grand reveal similar to the “move that bus” moments on Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition.

“I’m happiest for the employees,” he said. “Secondly, I’m happy for just the public getting to kind of jump into the 21st century in La Grande, Oregon, and get a nice Ford store to come to have parts, service and sales.”