Historic Harley-Davidson of Topeka moving next year

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A visit from Harley-Davidson corporate and discussions with Shawnee County has prompted Historic Harley-Davidson to move to west Topeka.

Historic Harley-Davidson of Topeka announced on Facebook that it will be moving to an area on the west side of Topeka near I-70. The move is expected to happen in late 2024 alongside the 75th anniversary of the Patterson family owning the business.

Last year, Harley-Davidson corporate introduced new guidelines for the interior and exterior standards. The new guidelines prompted Historic Harley-Davidson to consider relocating.

"Our historical dealership building posed a significant challenge in adhering to the new modern guidelines outlined by Harley-Davidson corporate," a press release from Historic Harley Davidson said.

Historic Harley-Davidson discovered that Shawnee County was looking to purchase a building of similar size.

"Ironically, our building already bears the name 'ShawneeCounty' on the front (as they are the original owner of the building), adding to that the County owns all the adjacent properties (Stormont Vail Events Center)," the press release said.

Documents from the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners show there are discussions taking place to purchase the property located at 2047 SW Topeka Boulevard. This area is currently the home of Topeka’s Evel Knievel Museum.

The documents show the total purchase price of the property is marked at nearly $3 million. Further discussion of the purchase of the property is earmarked for further discussion on Thursday, Dec. 21 by the board.

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