The Power Nissan dealership in Torrance will relocate to Hawthorne, filling the spot vacated last month by another car lot.

On July 31, Power Chevrolet, at 14610 Hindry Ave. near a Costco, shuttered after nearly a decade in operation.

The Hawthorne dealership apparently was on a General Motors Corp. closure list sent to dealers in May, according to a Hawthorne city official and a receptionist answering calls at the closed car lot.

In May, General Motors had notified 1,100 dealerships that they would lose their franchise as the troubled carmaker desperately set about to reduce costs.

A spokesman for AutoNation, the nationwide vehicle retailer that owns both Power Chevrolet and Power Nissan, could not be reached Tuesday.

A call Tuesday to Power Nissan was not returned.

On Tuesday, Power Chevrolet's large sign was covered except for the word "Power."

"It's unfortunate whenever a business leaves the city, but it's even more painful when a top tax producer leaves," Hawthorne City Manager Jag Pathirana said. "They're certainly in the top 10, if not in the top five."

Pathirana added that Nissan's expected move to Hawthorne is a "silver lining," with the opening planned within the next two months. He said the freeway visibility adds to the location's draw for AutoNation.

Until Nissan moves in, Hawthorne is left with only two other dealerships, South Bay Ford and Pacific Volkswagen.

Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto also confirmed the Nissan dealership's plan to move to Hawthorne from its current location at 20710 Hawthorne Blvd.

The Nissan lot is moving because AutoNation owns the Hawthorne land where Power Chevrolet had operated, whereas the company was leasing the Torrance property, Scotto said.

"The lease is coming up, so they feel it would be better to move to a piece of property they own," Scotto said. "As a city, we're sad to see it go. We're doing everything we can to attract other businesses to replace them. We already have other dealerships saying they want to move to Torrance and that would be an ideal location."

Scotto pointed to a measure to be voted on at next week's Torrance City Council meeting as an example of how another dealership can be drawn to the soon-to-be-vacant lot.

On Tuesday, the council will decide whether to give $250,000 to Torrance Auto Center, which gave up its Saturn franchise in April as GM considered whether to sell or discontinue the brand.

The money - a $50,000 grant and $200,000 loan - would help the business reopen as a dealership with another car brand.

"That's the same thing we'll be looking at to replace the Nissan dealership," Scotto said. "It's a good way to retain and encourage another business to locate here."

Scotto noted that as the auto retail market continues to consolidate, more dealerships may move out of the city or close. That will require further City Council action to prevent blighted areas from popping up around the city and maintaining the tax base, he said.

The South Bay has seen a number of dealerships close in recent years, depriving cities of precious sales tax revenue.

In February, Superior Nissan of Carson closed. And this was after the loss of Carson's Don Kott Ford and Don Kott Lincoln Mercury in December 2007 after decades in business.

In March of last year, Peninsula Pontiac GMC Buick, a longtime presence along Pacific Coast Highway in Torrance, shuttered its doors.

muhammed.el-hasan@dailybreeze.com

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