Bruno Silikowski is once again finding no shortage of buyers for his AutoMotorPlex condos, which is a combination of a place
where people keep their cars and a country club for motor enthusiasts.
He’s roughly 25 percent finished with building his second AutoMotorPlex, this one in Medina on 20 acres. He’s completed three buildings over the past year-and-a-half and will begin construction again in April on the next phases of what will be a five-year project with 12 buildings.
All told, the Medina AutoMotorPlex will have approximately 180 private garage condos where people keep cars, RVs, boats and other motorized toys. The condos also have lofts where owners build out man caves or urban cabins. Some have bars, lounges, big-screen TVs, exercise equipment and outdoor patios.
Silikowski finished the first AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen in 2013 and sold out all 146 private garages. Several, following extensive buildouts, have already re-sold for more than twice what the owner paid in
the early 2010s.
“The reason people join us is because they want to have fun. This is their urban getaway. It’s a place to enjoy your passion,” he said.
Nearly all of the buyers have built out some kind of space where they can hang out, Silikowski said. The idea is that car enthusiasts want more than just a slab of concrete, heat and four walls that they might have at home.
“You run out of space and realize it’s not safe to store things at home,” he said. “Even if you have a nice garage, you are all alone. We are selling them a place that is designed for an enthusiast by enthusiasts.” AutoMotorPlex holds regular social events and charity fundraisers at the facility.
Silikowski retired 12 years ago after a 30-year career as a consultant, advising underperforming business. He largely taught himself how to develop car condos after touring other facilities across the country. Some were as basic as a dirt floor, metal walls and hanging light bulbs. Others, on the higher end, offered valet service and poured champagne.
AutoMotorPlex is somewhere in between dirt floors and champagne — aimed more at wine and beer crowds, Silikowski said. But a look through Carver County property records reveals that car-condo owners include several high-profile business executives, including former U.S. Bancorp CEO Richard Davis, who sold his when he moved to Arizona for a new job.
That doesn’t mean everyone is a millionaire.
“It’s an inclusive place for people of all walks of life,” Silikowski said.
In Medina, AutoMotorPlex’s smallest offerings are 1,000 square feet of floor space with a 500-square- foot loft. Those are listed for $199,000 and can fit four cars generously. The largest to sell is 6,500 square feet.
Silikowski also consults other prospective car condo developers around the country, and his clients are developing four projects. In Medina, Silikowski estimated that the AutoMotorPlex will cost $50 million to $60 million, a figure that includes individual condo buildouts.
Nick Halter
Senior Reporter/Broadcaster
Leave a Reply