Around Town

Sterling Auto relocating Kia dealership south of mall

by Christiaan Mader

New South City Parkway dealership, situated on 8.5-acre site, features 40,000-square-foot, two-story gallery facility.

Sterling Automotive Group has begun construction on a new 8.5-acre Kia dealership and service center at 125 South City Parkway in Lafayette. The site, located next to the South Regional Library on Johnston Street, will feature a 40,000-square-foot, two-story "Gallery" facility designed by architect James Broussard & Associates and built by JB Mouton, as well as an onsite quick lube center.

The Gallery design is one of Kia’s largest available dealership models, of which only 12 have been built nationwide.

According to JB Mouton project manager Anthony DuPont, the South City Parkway dealership will replace and double the size of the current Sterling Kia at 1111 N. University Ave. A representative of Sterling Automotive said the auto group will retain ownership of the North University building and site for now. It may be repurposed as a used car dealership or, eventually, sold.

Situated near Giles Nissan and Giles Volvo, the South City Parkway site is the latest in new automotive sales and service construction moving southward in Lafayette. Set to open in May 2016, the updated Sterling Kia will join the auto group’s fleet of seven dealership and service centers scattered around Lafayette, Opelousas and Crowley.