Former Miami Ford building is coming down in Miami, Okla.

MIAMI, Okla. — The former Miami Ford building, 521 North Main, is being demolished to make way for a new dealership.

Melinda Bowman-Stotts of the Miami Chamber of Commerce tells us it will become the, “New Vance Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram!

GOOGLE STREET VIEW FORMER MIAMI FORD BUILDING. USE TWO FINGERS TO ZOOM AND PAN MAP.

The building was erected by Charles Burtrum, “Home of Fine Automobiles” in 1948 and built in an Art Deco Style. Burtrum’s family also owned dealerships in the region.  According to family history in his early years, he and his brother, Joe, owned and operated the Burtrum Brothers Motor Company in Granby, Mo. He later owned the Chevrolet dealership in Paris, Texas. He owned and operated the Burtrum Lincoln-Mercury and the Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Dodge GMC dealerships. Burtrum passed away in April of 2005 at the age of 91 in Arizona.

A small crowd braved the rain Tuesday, October 11 for a ceremonial ground-breaking and tearing down walls.

Appropriately a 2023 Dodge pickup pulled down a section of wall as VIPs, including John Vance, used golden hammers to do some demo work of their own.

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming today. This is a momentous day for Main Street in Miami. We are excited about taking this building down,” John Vance of Vance Auto Group said to the crowd.

When questioned the opening of the new location on the site he said, “Sometime in 2023!”

Click 👉🏼 here to visit Vance Auto Group on social media. 

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN MIAMI?

December 8: Grammy nominated songwriter and piano sensation Jim Brickman returns with his annual holiday tour “A Very Merry Christmas!” at historic Coleman Theater.

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