During a casual party conversation, Beverly Hills BMW general manager Seth Waskow expressed to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that the dealership couldn’t expand in its Beverly Hills location. Villaraigosa suggested the dealership move to the City of Los Angeles, and Monday, Beverly Hills BMW opened its doors at on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile at one of the former Lou Ehlers Cadillac lots.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa helped celebrate the grand opening of the BMW showroom on the Miracle Mile. (photo by Jose Martinez)

“This is the first time in twenty five years that a dealership has moved to the city of Los Angeles and not from the city of Los Angeles,” Villaraigosa said.

Thanks in part to the Business Tax Holiday that First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner and the Office of Economic and Business Policy implemented, exempting any new business from gross tax receipts tax by the City of Los Angeles for three years when they open or locate in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills BMW made the move down Wilshire Boulevard. Monday morning it made its first sale, selling a BMW X3 compact crossover SUV.

As the mayor walked around the showroom during a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday, salesman assured him he could negotiate a good deal.

“I don’t think my take-home pay could afford this,” Villaraigosa joked.

Employing seven hundred construction workers and designers to create the showroom and the service center down the street that should be open in June, the dealership represents a $40 million investment in the City of Los Angeles.

“The city expects $145 million this year,” Villaraigosa said. “BMW projects a modest twenty five to thirty five percent increase in revenue in the next few years.”

Also present at the opening ceremony was Councilmember Tom LaBonge, 4th District, who was instrumental in luring Beverly Hills BMW to Los Angeles.

“I love the City of Beverly Hills,” LaBonge said. “You can fit it in a corner of Griffith Park. BMW makes quite a car. They’re known for quality, they’re the standard and that’s key.”

The dealership has already made its presence known in the community having donated $25,000 to Wilshire Crest Elementary School, along with its involvement in the city’s community college auto dealership paid internship program.

Although the dealership plans to be in the neighborhood for years to come, don’t look for it to change its moniker any time soon, Waskow said.

“That’s our name, we’ve owned it for twenty five years and we’re going to keep it,” Waskow said. “We’re going to have to be here for a very, very long time to pay off this new facility.”