Crews break ground on new Lexus dealership in Temecula

A ground-breaking ceremony was held Tuesday, Nov. 10, at a planned Temecula Valley Lexus dealership, a Temecula official said Nov. 19.

Grading began for the approximately 54,000-square-foot dealership, according to Christine Damko, economic development manager for Temecula.

The dealership will sit on nearly 5 acres at DLR Drive, near Ynez Road, and will be part of the Temecula Valley Toyota ownership family.

"We are thrilled to bring Lexus to the Temecula Valley," Tom Rudnai, president of Temecula Valley Toyota, said in a news release from Damko's office. "This has been a long process but we thank the city and community for the ongoing support. We look forward to opening our doors with a brand-new, state of the art facility in the fourth quarter of 2021."

In the news release, Mayor Pro Tem Maryann Edwards said the city is "ecstatic to welcome Temecula Valley Lexus to the community and proud that a local dealership is maintaining ownership."

The Lexus dealership has been planned for nearly two years – the city first announced it had received initial plans for the dealership in April 2019. City staff told the Temecula City Council in December 2019 that the dealership at that time was expected to be completed by October 2020. According to Damko's news release, with construction having just begun, the dealership is expected to be complete in about 11 months.

Will Fritz can be reached by email at [email protected].