Local Harley Davidson Dealership Closes Shop

The Los Angeles Harley Davidson dealership that was located on 13300 Paramount Boulevard moved, to Orangethorpe Avenue near the Anaheim and Fullerton border, early last week. City officials said that this decision was related to the weak economic market.

“Business has been down in the vehicle industry for a longtime, and Harley Davidson was no exception,” said Steven Lefever, Director of Community Development for the city of South Gate, who added that the weak economy was to blame for this. “An opportunity came up with another dealership, they decided the economics and the locale was an advantage.”

The owners of the former South Gate dealership have merged it with the showroom that they purchased in the Anaheim-Fullerton area, said Lefever. 

South Gate Mayor Bill De Witt expressed his regret about the move. Stating concerns over the economic cost that this will have on the city.

“It is a definite loss for South Gate,” said De Witt. “We will look for another dealership that will help provide us with sales tax and jobs.”

Councilmember Jorge Morales also said that he was also, “troubled,” over the economic loss created by this move, but also from practical point of view, being himself a Harley Davidson owner.

“I purchased my first Harley there,” said Morales. “I enjoyed going there to buy gear.”

It is not known what the now vacant dealership will be used for. However, the owners of the former Harley David dealership still own the land, and have told the city that they are interested in redeveloping it.

“We have talked about it, but not in detail,” said Lefever. “We have agreed to talk at a later date. ”

The now empty Harley Davidson showroom is expected to affect the adjacent businesses as a result of less people in the area.

“If you remove people from an area, there will be less economic participation, in that area,” said Lefever. “Other businesses will begin to suffer as well.”

Despite the existing concerns over the economic impact, Bryan Cook, the city’s Finance Director, says that the overall effect will be minimal.

“This is a loss in tax revenue,” said Cook. “But it is not a crippling loss.”

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