For years the Harley Davidson Panama City Beach sign has waited quietly for it’s purpose. And after 5 Thunderbeach rally’s since it’s gone up, today was what many called an historic groundbreaking event. With a fairly large crowd, tons of shiny bikes and a huge open field, Harley Davidson of Panama City Beach is officially under construction.

Development timetable.

With the groundbreaking today, technically construction has started, but the entire dealership site has already been cleared, graded and prepped for development. The 5 acre site will be home to a 38,000 square foot Harley Davidson dealership that will sell hundreds of bikes a year and even have their own training course and course track.

In the next couple weeks expect to begin to see a foundation take shape and walls go up with a projected (weather permitting) completion mid to late spring 2013. Their goal is to be open and ready for business by the spring Thunderbeach Rally.

About the dealership [Press Release].

This dealership is going to be huge, tipping the scales at over 38,000 square feet. A large showroom floor will feature the newest Harley-Davidsons as well as a large selection of used bikes including Harleys and all other makes and of motorcycles. The Motorclothes department will feature a wide variety of clothing for all from fashionable t-shirts to functional riding gear including helmets, gloves, and leather jackets. Other items will also be available such as jewelry, glassware, HD home decor and plenty of other Harley-Davidson themed items.

For those riders who want to add a little something extra to their motorcycle, the full service Parts and Accessories department will be standing by to help. Chrome Consultants can help add a little or a lot of shine while the Fit Shop will help guests choose the right handlebars, seats and other accessories to ensure their bike is the perfect fit for them. From taillight to LED Head Lights and everything in between, Genuine Harley-Davidson Parts and Accessories will be available to keep your Harley looking good and running smooth.

If your bike needs some major repair work or just an oil change, the full service department will take care of you. With 6 service bays and a complete detail area, the factory-trained technicians treat your bike just as the would their own. Expertise in their field and a passion for riding means the techs will have you and your Harley roaring down the road in no time at all.

If you don’t know how to ride, no problem. The dealership will offer motorcycle-riding lessons through Harley-Davidson’s Rider’s Edge Course. The motorcycles are provided for the course and a training room and certified riding range s on site. Our coaches are experienced, knowledgable and patient and will teach all the skills needed to become a safe rider. When you pass the course, you will be able to pick up your motorcycle endorsement from the DMV. If you need to brush up on your skills, classes for the experienced rider will also be available.

The fishing village themed building ties into the coastal community and is an inviting place for guests to buy a Harley, shop for MOtorclothes, have their bike serviced or just hang out. The motorcycle dealership features a guest lounge complete with complementary soft drinks, popcorn and cookies. Guests will be encouraged to relax, shoot a game of pool or play some darts.

Location

The dealership is located on the 5 acre parcel immediately to the east of the Palmetto Trace subdivision, at the intersection of Panama City Beach Parkway (US 98 or Back Beach Road) and N Gulf Blvd on the northwest corner. The dealership entrance will be off of Gulf Blvd.

Map link

Pictures, site plans and renderings.

One of the coolest media kits I’ve received came in the form of a nifty usb thumb drive silicon bracelet with Harley-Davidson branding on it. They provided the site plan, rendering and the building floorplan.