Merriam considering another car dealership along Interstate 35

Merriam, the king of suburban automobile dealerships, is set to get another.

The city entered into a funding agreement with Merriam Luxury Imports last week to begin discussions about another car dealership along West Frontage Road where several dealerships have been built parallel to Interstate 35.

Richard Webb, general manager of Merriam Luxury Imports, could not be reached for comment and it’s not yet known which make of automobiles the possible dealership will sell.

Merriam Luxury Imports plans to ask for $6 million in tax increment financing from the city to help with development costs for building on a vacant drainage parcel that the company owns. That parcel is next to the Infiniti dealership in Merriam.

Tax increment financing redirects incremental growth in taxes generated by a project to reimburse developers for certain costs.

The funding agreement does not commit Merriam to the TIF request, but merely repays the city for the costs it will incur to study the necessity for the development tool.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Merriam considering another car dealership along Interstate 35."