The Autobarn Nissan dealership in Evanston has closed.
The dealership, owned by Richard Fisher, had relocated from its longtime home on Chicago Avenue to 2201 Autobarn Place, behind the Target shopping center on Howard Street, two years ago.
Evanston Now was unable to reach Fisher for comment Monday.
But Paul Zalmezak, the city’s economic development director, says Fisher told him Nissan corporate prefers to focus on fewer and larger locations for its dealerships.
Zalmezak says Fisher sold his parts and stock to Berman Nissan in Chicago.
That dealership and the co-owned Berman Star Nissan in Niles have taken over sales and service functions for Autobarn Nissan’s former customers, promoting the change in a video recently posted to YouTube.
Zalmezak says Fisher plans to maintain his Mazda operations on Chicago Avenue and his service facilities on Autobarn Place.
Roughly a decade ago Fisher had transformed the long-vacant former Shure microphone plant into an auto shopping center, at a cost he estimated then of $8.5 million, with significant financial assistance from the city.