San Gabriel Valley : Auto Dealer Leaves City in Costly Deal

A major auto dealership has left Azusa for West Covina, leaving an empty building and lot that cost the spurned city $2.1 million.

Mission Chrysler Jeep is expected to open on West Covina’ Azusa Avenue today. .

Tim Connor, who owned the dealership when it was located in West Covina, had sold it to a new owner, who moved it to Azusa. But when the new owner defaulted on a loan, Connor took back control of the business and last week agreed to move it back to West Covina as part of a deal to repay a $365,000 redevelopment loan to the city, said West Covina City Manager Jim Starbird.