The entrance to the service department at Lee Plymouth Dodge Ram Jeep at 765 Center St. in Auburn will undergo a facelift starting in April. Christopher Wheelock/Sun Journal

AUBURN — It was a risky move in the 1960s, when Shep Lee moved his father’s DeSoto-Plymouth dealership to Center Street, which was then just a two-lane road. There was no mall, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge wasn’t built and it was surrounded by farms.

The original building for Lee Auto Mall was built in 1959, and while executive partner Bill Menke said it’s been a highly productive building, it’s time for a facelift.

What is now the Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep dealership will be getting a new look for the service center entrance, to include a state-of-the-art customer lounge and drive-in service center entrance. Think lots of glass and a very modern look like some of the other Lee dealerships sport.

Menke said they hope to break ground in mid-April and be ready before Thanksgiving.

An artist’s rendering of the planned new façade at Lee Auto Mall on Center Street in Auburn. Submitted photo

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