Friends, my time in the auto industry has taught me quite a few things; perhaps most important among them, however, is that a good dealership (if such a thing exists) is one with real roots in the community. I’ve seen no few auto lots that grind through cars like fine hamburger and do everything possible to make a sale before picking up and going somewhere else. Such a Ram dealer near Covington would have no roots; it wouldn’t care about its customers or the products it sells, and all that matters to such a dealer is money.
A good dealership, however, is one that cares about the community it’s in. Recently, I heard about one such dealership in the Covington area of Kentucky, and I was truly blown away. While other dealerships out there are just looking to make a buck and give nothing back, one brave Ram dealer near Covington has committed itself to help with the renovation of an old government building and city jail. Truly, there are still heroes that walk among us.
The Kenton County Government Building
The development in question is related to a building in Covington, Kentucky, that was the former Kenton County Government building, located at the southern end of the Roebling Suspension Bridge. This old building has been empty for a while now, but it has stood for decades and is a fine piece of architecture waiting for good use. Recently, the Covington city commission and Kenton County have come to an agreement on how development should proceed.
Most of the building will be renovated for use as apartment housing for Covington residents, while the bottom floor will be used for commercial space. It’s this bottom-floor space that has one Ram dealer near Covington quite interested in what’s going on, and they’ve already announced plans to lease a great deal of it. That’s not entirely surprising to me; what’s surprising to me is why they want the space.
Big Plans from a Ram Dealership
Initially, I expected the Ram dealership near Covington simply planned on moving its showroom into the ground floor or that they would set up offices there. The plans, however, are much more elaborate and innovative: they intend to create a practice track there for customers. That’s right; the ground floor is being converted into a massive test track and off-road practice area for Ram truck buyers.
With the latest Ram 1500 model, there are a number of bold off-road features available. The problem, however, is that it’s often difficult for customers to try these out at a dealership or even during a test drive – but for one Ram dealership near Covington: not anymore. The ground floor of the old Kenton County Government building will be retrofitted into an impressive test area for going off-road, complete with hills, large rocks and boulders, mud pits, a man-made swamp, several acres of forest, and sheer cliffs with drops of more than 40 feet.
Luxury Apartments for Everyone
I reached out to the Ram dealership near Covington (at this time, they wish to remain unnamed) for comment about how the future residents of the building might feel about that. The response I received was short and sweet: “who?” When I pressed further, it was clear they didn’t particularly care about the residents, and after considering the matter for several minutes, I realized that I don’t either.
Still, living 10 feet above a massive off-road test track shouldn’t be a problem. Apartments are estimated to start at [checks notes] $1,111 per month… so, that should just be another nice luxury feature for the residents. Good for them!
Editor’s Note: Early analysis of this plan has drawn a great deal of excitement from the auto industry. We’ve received word that at least two dozen other dealerships from throughout the US are watching this project with ideas of their own. With so many empty bookstores and houses on the brink of foreclosure, there’s never been a better time to be a company looking to greedily gobble up land and property. Thank you.
