Pollard Jeep moves locations later this year

Pollard Jeep in Boulder, located at 2360 30th St., will be moving later this year to 5075 Pearl Parkway, a mile east of its current location. The local Jeep dealership is currently building a new 28,000-square-foot facility. Construction began in February 2016 and the new site is expected to open in late November to mid-December of this year.

The dealership, started in 1969 by the late James Pollard, has served the Boulder community for over 45 years as one of the only single-brand Jeep dealerships in the nation. The dealership sells new and pre-owned vehicles, and provides parts and service.

In February 2015, Pollard Jeep closed on a $2.43 million deal with the City of Boulder when it purchased the four-acre plot at 5075 Pearl Parkway.

The move was necessitated by the City of Boulder’s decision in the early 2000s to develop the 160-acre Boulder Junction at the intersection of Pearl Parkway and 30th Street, a transit-oriented development with affordable housing and RTD connections.

“Around 14 years ago, the City of Boulder let us know that they were wanting to use our location, where the railroad tracks [are], to be a transportation hub for future light rail transit connecting Boulder, Denver and Longmont,” Doug Pollard, owner of Pollard Jeep and longtime Niwot resident, explained.

Pollard Jeep was given the option to sell the property to the city or have it taken by eminent domain. In 2004, Pollard Friendly Motor Company sold 11.2 acres of land, at the northeast corner of Pearl Parkway and 30th Street, to the city of Boulder for $9.5 million.

Pollard Friendly Motor Company agreed to lease back a portion of that land, Pollard Jeep’s current location, for 10 years. In 2014, Pollard extended its lease for an additional two years.

As part of the agreement, Pollard Jeep was given the option to purchase a potential relocation spot one mile to the east, which it did in 2015 as its 10-year lease came to a close.

The city, in partnership with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), has since developed the former Pollard Friendly Motor Company land as part of the Boulder Junction. Development at the intersection of Pearl and 30th has flourished in recent years.

Depot Square, built on a portion of the Pollard’s former land, provides housing and RTD connections. On the southwest corner of the intersection, Google is building a new campus designed to accommodate up to 1,500 workers while Solana 3100 Pearl Apartments provide housing options on the southeast corner.

Pollard was optimistic that Pollard Jeep’s move in location, though compulsory, will benefit the dealership’s business.

“We’re expecting our business to spike since [the building] is going to be a new, state-of-the-art facility,” Pollard said.

James Pollard Jr. and Doug Pollard have run Pollard Jeep since their father’s death in 1998. At the end of 2015, James Pollard Jr. retired in order to spend more time on his farm in Hygiene and to pursue fishing in Texas. Doug Pollard bought his brother out of the business and is now the sole owner of Pollard Jeep.