JM Lexus Dealership

Owner: JM Lexus (JM Family Enterprises).
Location: Margate, Fla.
Cost: $30.5 million
Contractor: Dana B. Kenyon Co., Jacksonville, Fla.
Architect: Pavlik Design Team

JM Lexus is the world's largest Lexus dealership, in volume, selling an average of 600 cars per month and servicing nearly 150 cars per day.

The JM Lexus project consisted of four major project segments: additions and renovation to the existing showroom; new construction of parking vaults over water-retention areas; new construction of a service center; and major site improvements.

Dana B. Kenyon Co. started the project with an addition and renovations to the existing showroom. The new 17,000-sq.-ft. addition joined two existing buildings - a 9,000-sq.-ft. new car showroom and an 8,000-sq.-ft. used car showroom - bringing the completed showroom to 34,000 sq. ft.

The goal for the final showroom building was to seamlessly blend the new and old buildings together so that it was imperceptible where the pre-existing structures had been located.

This posed some interesting challenges, since the two existing building were not parallel or even the same elevation. The new floor had to be poured 6 in. out of level in order to match the two existing floors.

After the new addition was completed, the existing buildings were gutted and the interiors were completely refurbished. The showroom featured a semicircular bistro bar, custom-curved display units and custom workstations, with all custom pieces finished in cherry.

The largest part of the project was the construction of a mixed-use, three-story, 120,000-sq.-ft. service center/office building. The primary structure is built of steel, with structural precast concrete panels at the stairwells and a cast-in-place shear wall in the center of the building.

One half of this building was constructed as office space with similar finishes to the new showroom - circular drywall ceilings, fabric wall coverings, porcelain tile floors and custom millwork. The remaining half is dedicated to servicing cars and includes 47 bays totaling 30,000 sq. ft. on the second floor for extended repairs.