Freedom Kia Clarksburg

Freedom Kia, Clarksburg

Freedom Kia has been open in Westover, West Virginia for several years in a former facility of a natural gas company.  This past year, Freedom Kia had expanded by locating a new facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia in a former Circuit City location that had closed in 2009.  The building had been empty in the interim and was available for lease/sale.  Early in 2011, Freedom Kia had posted employment advertisements in the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram for employees to work in a new Clarksburg dealership in the spring.  I didn't see any new building being built in the area that would suit a car dealership but I had noticed that the solid block building that had been Circuit City was being retrofitted with large windows, a garage door, and a large 70/30 split glass door.  So that location was evidently was going to be the future location of Freedom Kia Clarksburg.

They had done very little renovation of the facility other than what was previously mentioned on the inside or outside.  The outside of the building was still painted in Circuit City red and white and the old Circuit City sign was still in plain sight behind the building and banners proclaiming "Freedom Kia" was hung onto the building.  So automobiles, new and used, were parked at the site and I wondered if the vehicles were to be serviced in Westover, about 30 miles away.

Service Bays

I took a test drive of a Sorento later in the spring, so I had the opportunity to visit and see the facility.  I saw they had placed a service department into what was the storeroom of the old Circuit City.  It seemed kind of tight, so I assumed it worked sufficiently for them.

Circuit City signs finally replaced by Kia

In November, the building was finally painted in white and black, I presume in Kia signature colors, and permanent signage finally replaced the Circuit City signs.  They also paved over a section of gravel they placed on the northern edge of the property near the service department.  There is very little land for future expansion.  Considering the popularity of Kia automobiles in recent memory, this location is seen to be a successful move for Freedom Kia.  I have seen other Kia dealerships that were placed in buildings that were either previously used in another industry or another car brand and this dealership continues the trend for Kia.