Quirk buys former Berlin City dealership off Hogan Road in Bangor

BANGOR – Quirk Auto this week completed its purchase of the former Berlin City used-car dealership for an undisclosed price.

The building and land just off Interstate 95 on Haskell Road near Sam’s Club were listed at $2.5 million. Jack Quirk Jr., president of Quirk Auto, said he “paid less than that.”

Berlin City built the 22,000-square-foot facility for about $2 million and operated it for almost two years before closing the doors last April because of poor sales.

Quirk said he needs the space because auto sales have exceeded expectations at the nearby Quirk Auto Park on Hogan Road, which was built almost three years ago. That site, plus adjacent buildings, houses nine of Quirk’s 10 dealerships and a used-car division.

“We’ve definitely outgrown where we are,” said Quirk, who estimates that his dealerships sell a combined 6,000 vehicles a year. “We’ve met all our expectations, and land on the Hogan Road is hard to come by.”

Ideally, Quirk said, he would have liked to purchase land closer to the auto park for expansion, but none was available.

“It wasn’t something we really wanted to do, but we had to do it,” Quirk said. “We wanted to keep it all in the park.”

Quirk said it’s too soon to say which auto franchises on Hogan Road will be moved to the new site. Quirk’s Jeep franchise, which is the only one of the 10 not on Hogan Road, will be moved from Union Street to either the Haskell Road or the Hogan Road buildings, he said.

Quirk said before moving any of the franchises, he needs to discuss the plans with the automobile manufacturers to ensure that they are comfortable with moving or staying put. That could take a couple months.

“We’re just trying to get all our ducks lined up in a row here,” Quirk said.

Quirk Auto has a lease with Jerry Conn, former owner of Beacon Cadillac Jeep and Oldsmobile, who owns the Union Street building, and another lease with the city of Bangor, which owns the land where that facility is located. Quirk said he would honor those leases and probably use the building for reconditioning work.

Quirk said the company currently is not purchasing any new franchises.

“We’re always looking for that, but right now there isn’t anything available,” he said.