Gator Golf Cars plans an expansion into North Naples with a new showroom and a separate service center nearby after making a multimillion-dollar investment with the recent purchase of a former funeral home and auto service center.
Target opening dates for the new businesses are not available yet but renovation work is expected to begin soon on the service center, followed by a mid-October start for the showroom, said Craig Wilbrett of Naples-based Wilbrett Construction.
The new local showroom for Gator Golf Cars is planned at 2011 Pine Ridge Road, the former location of Muller-Thompson Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services. The new golf cart business will be between O’Reilly Auto Parts store and the Pet Paradise resort, just west of the Yahl Street intersection.
Gator Golf Cars founder David J. Parker purchased the 0.6-acre property in May for $2.6 million. A demolition permit was issued in late June for the complete demolition of the single-story former funeral home built in 1980 as well as the asphalt parking lot on the property, but then a site improvement plan application in early July details that only the front half of the 7,000-square-foot building will be demolished, leaving a 3,500-square-foot building for the new business, Collier County Growth Management Department records show. No addition will be made to the building, which is non-conforming because of setbacks, pre-application notes show. Parker could not be reached for comment.
On June 30, Parker purchased 7,200 square feet of commercial space on 0.46 acres at nearby 5385 Yahl St. for $1.8 million from Joseph and Angela L. Aline, property records show. On July 1, Joe Aline retired at the age of 71 and permanently closed Regal Tire & Auto, which he had operated on that industrial park property for 25 years. The former auto center will be used by Gator Golf Cars as a shop where technicians will maintain and service its luxury golf carts.
“That building over the years I completely rebuilt. It’s a better building than when I bought it 25 years ago,” said Aline, who had not planned to sell his business and property until convinced to do so this spring by representatives of Naples-based Investment Properties Corp.
Parker established his family owned Gator Golf Cars in LaBelle in 2005. He since has expanded beyond Hendry County with locations in Lee and Collier counties. Gator showrooms specializing in sales, service, parts, accessories and rentals of custom golf carts now operate in East Naples, Fort Myers and LaBelle.
The factory-authorized golf cart dealership joined the Club Car family in 2008 and has earned several honors for dealer of the year. The business features Club Car customized solutions for both private consumers and commercial users by offering traditional golf cars as well as multi-passenger private transportation vehicles and low-speed, street–legal golf cars.
Gator Golf Cars offers two-, four- and six-passenger new and refurbished golf cars as well as Carryall commercial utility vehicles and transporter options for resorts, schools, municipalities, security, property management, grounds maintenance and other uses.
