Fayetteville auto dealer buys College Avenue property

Fayetteville auto dealer Blake Harris recently completed a 1.9-acre commercial real estate purchase and is planning a business expansion.

Harris, who owns B&B Auto Sales at 2555 N. College Ave., paid $2.1 million for an 18,100-square-foot building at 3311 N. College Ave. The building is part of the 11.2-acre Lewis Ford auto dealership. Lewis Ford sold the property to a Texas-based real estate investment firm for $9 million in December. The new owner, City Center North LLC, has plans to redevelop the property with multiple uses, but those plans are not imminent.

Zach Hocker with Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners brokered both deals. He said Harris would continue to operate B&B Auto at its current location until the Lewis Ford lease expires in the summer of 2023 and then relocate after that.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to participate as an integral part of this new development that City Center North LLC has presented for Northwest Arkansas,” Harris said in a statement. “The increased square footage will allow our family-owned automotive enterprise to grow not only our sales department but also add a full-service department. This location gives our business a bigger and brighter future in the heart of the community we love. We have served Northwest Arkansas for the past 11 years and are looking forward to continuing to do so at our new location for many generations to come.”