Old Walmart Building In Lake Elsinore To House New Boat Dealership

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — It's been nearly three years since the strip mall at the corner of Grape Street and Railroad Canyon Road in Lake Elsinore has experienced tremendous traffic. Once Walmart relocated from the spot to its new home Supercenter site on Central Avenue, mall visitations waned a bit.

City officials hope a new high-dollar business that fits with Lake Elsinore's Dream Extreme moto will change that.

On Tuesday, the Lake Elsinore City Council affirmed the Planning Commission's Dec. 5 unanimous approval of a conditional-use permit for Perris-based Inland Boat Center, which will move into the old 126,661-square-foot Walmart building at 31700 Grape Street.

The new dealership will buy and sell new and used boats, vehicles, recreational vehicles, trailers, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, equipment, and marine-related products. The dealership will also provide service and maintenance to new and used boats, motors, and trailers, according to city documents.

In addition to the building's massive interior space, the conditional-use permit allows Inland Boat Center to utilize a 29,895-square-foot outdoor display area and a 38,736-square-foot outdoor storage area.

Lake Elsinore City Councilmember Tim Sheridan shared a social media post following this week's approval. The post depicts Sheridan surrounded by Inland Boat Center owner Mark Dakan and the dealership's General Manager James Hellman.

"Needless to say, WE ARE VERY PLEASED to welcome MARK and JAMES and the INLAND BOAT CENTER to our community! Welcome!," Sheridan wrote in the post.