MARIUS St is set for a major facelift with a $2.6 million development to bring a “metropolitan feel” to the main road.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Woodley’s Motor Group has undergone massive growth in the last 17 years and it’s been a major conduit for the changing street-front on the one of the main entrances to the city.
Even in recent months, Woodley’s has taken over the Peel Valley Motors site on Gunnedah Rd and since 2000, its staff has ballooned from 35 to 105.
Council recently approved a development by the car group which will see a new Mercedes Benz, Hyundai and Subaru showroom and workshop built on the corner of Marius and Hill streets.
“We’re definitely aiming to give people a very metropolitan feel in the city, in our city,” owner Mark Woodley told The Leader.
“In fact some of our facilities are better than some of the metro and provincial areas.
“It’s a great sign of how strong Tamworth is and how committed we are in the area.”
While Tamworth is a regional hub for a number of rural communities, Mr Woodley said the development would be the right fit for the city.
“I think it is a nice look coming in,” he said.
“I think it’s important when we do build places on the major roads in Tamworth that we do them in a very modern way that sets us apart and shows we are a progressive town.”
As the city’s car yards change the face of the city, trends in car purchases have developing too.
“We’re seeing the shrinking of the large sedan, like the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon, that market is shrinking dramatically,” he said.
“When I was a child, everyone had a sedan or a wagon, well, there’s virtually hardly any wagons left on the market anymore.
“It’s the SUV range of vehicles across the board in all makes and models is growing rapidly.”
The Marius St development will feature Mercedes Benz heavily and Mr Woodley believed there would be a market for luxury cars in Tamworth.
“I think luxury car sales have picked up in the Tamworth region in the last five or 10 years,” he said. “A lot of these luxury marks have entry level cars that are fairly competitively priced.”