World's largest Kia dealership to open in Sunrise

Rick Case Automotive Group hosts topping out ceremony on Thursday

SUNRISE, Fla. – Thursday marks a big day for one of South Florida's biggest auto dealers, as the Rick Case Automotive Group hosts a topping out ceremony for its new Kia dealership in Sunrise.

At five stories high, the 260,000-square-foot facility will be the world's largest Kia dealership, and it is set to open next year.

"Kia is the fastest growing car company in the United States," said Rick Case. "They have a factory in the United States and they are building another factory in North America."

This is Case's first dealership near Sawgrass Mills Mall. He said he could only acquire five acres for the facility so he built up, and that inconvenience quickly became a convenience for his customers.

"All the cars are inside under showroom lights -- out of the rain, out of the sun," said Case.

The new dealership will house over 600 new and used cars. Ironically, the total indoor style showroom has reshaped the automotive industry in South Florida.

"If they had had another 65 acres and just put down gravel and parked cars, it would be an eyesore," said Mike Ryan, mayor of Sunrise. "What they have done instead is built in customer convenience, a unique architectural design and really have driven the community to say we need to rethink how we build when we come into a community."

Rick Case Kia is located right off the Sawgrass Expressway on Sunrise Boulevard, and when it is completed in early 2015, it will open with 100 new jobs and eventually grow to 150 jobs for the South Florida economy.

City of Sunrise dignitaries were on hand for Thursday's topping out ceremony, a tradition in big construction projects.

"The whole exterior of the building is totally done," said Case. "Now we just work on the inside, and the next event we will be doing out here will be inside for our grand opening."

Follow Todd Tongen on Twitter @toddtongen

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