Anderson Motors Moving VW Dealership to Former Conlon-Collins Site

Anderson Motors is planning to relocate its Volkswagen dealership to the vacant Route 14 property once occupied by Conlon-Collins Ford.

Plans for a new dealership building - along with a variance request for landscaping and lighting - will be voted upon by the Crystal Lake City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday.

The city's Planning and Zoning Commission recently gave its nod of approval to the finalized plans, city officials said.

Anderson Motors will move the VW flag from its present location at 360 Route 31 in Crystal Lake to the former Conlon-Collins site at 5213 Route 14. The lot is 4.7 acres in size and surrounded by a used car dealership, tire store, auto store and Three Oaks Recreation Area, according to city documents.

The company plans to demolish the existing building - which has stood vacant since 2007 - and build a new 30,494 square foot showroom. The facility will be built according to VW's modern, sleek dealership design.

If the city council approves the plans, demolition of the old Conlon-Collins building would occur sometime in the next couple weeks, said Michelle Rentzsch, director of planning and economic development for Crystal Lake.

Construction of the new store would begin shortly afterwards, she said.

In building the new dealership, Anderson Motors will add "substantial" improvements to the site including landscaping in the islands amongst the car inventory lot.