Jeff Smith, owner of Jeff Smith Chrysler Dodge Jeep Kia in Perry, bought the former Eddie Wiggins dealership property at 741 Russell Parkway in Warner Robins, and the deal closed last week. Smith declined to disclose the purchase price.

"It will be more of a high-end used car facility," Smith said. "We’ll be doing everything from Acuras and BMWs to F150s and Dodge Rams." Only used vehicles will be sold from the Warner Robins satellite store, and it will include a service department, he said. Anyone who buys a new or used vehicle from the 100 Iffie Road dealership in Perry or at the Warner Robins store will be able to have it serviced at either location, he said.

The existing 20,600-square-foot building will undergo a complete renovation, and Warner Robins-based International City Builders is the contractor, Smith said.

"It will take them about four months to do the demolition on the inside, remodel and update the interior to a 2010 look," he said.

The $600,000 renovation includes remodeling the interior, painting the exterior, and recoating and restriping the parking lot.

A temporary modular sales office installed Wednesday will be used at the Russell Parkway site while the existing building is renovated. Smith plans to be "operating and selling" vehicles off the new lot by Friday.

"During the remodel, we plan on having 100 to 125 cars (at the new facility)," he said. "After the remodel, we will probably go up to 250 to 300 used cars." Once the satellite lot is in full operation, Smith said he expects to add a total of 25 people to his current employment of about 55.

Smith said he bought the property through a foreclosure sale from State Bank & Trust Co., which acquired the loan when State Bank bought Security Bank last year.

Eddie Wiggins, former owner of the Buick Pontiac GMC dealership, filed for bankruptcy in late 2008 and shut down the dealership in early 2009.