Rafi Topalian’s challenge as an architect was to swiftly transform a long-closed Circuit City store into a unique Harley-Davidson dealership.
Today, the public gets to walk into the new Rubber City Harley-Davidson in Cuyahoga Falls and see how well Topalian did in working with dealership owner Mike Davis.
“This one was quick. It probably took two months from concept. We were designing it the same time we were doing demolition,” Topalian said as he stood on the concrete showroom floor of the 41,000-square-foot building. He is the principal DesignWork studios of Santa Ana, Calif., which by his estimate has designed more than 500 Harley retail spaces.
A big challenge was to make sure people aren’t reminded of Circuit City either outside and in, Topalian said.
Rubber City Harley on Friday unveiled the new store with a ceremonial chain “bolt cutting.” Davis bought the former Liberty Harley-Davidson in Akron, renamed the business and moved it to a much larger and more modern building on Main Street in the Chapel Hill area just off state Route 8.
“It’s an exciting thing. This is our third project in Ohio,” Topalian said.
It’s also Davis’ third Harley dealership in Ohio. The former airline executive and his wife Franscene also own Adventure Harley-Davidson in Dover and Mad River Harley-Davidson in Sandusky.
“This was a great project,” Davis said. “We got in this thing in record time.”
The interior design theme is industrial, Davis and Topalian said. They wanted the store to be comfortable while also tying into the Greater Akron area’s manufacturing heritage.
Some of the design work is subtle, including criss-crossing tire tracks on walls intended to reflect the region’s ties to the tire industry.
“We want to make sure everything flows together,” Topalian said. “I like to mix materials and the feel of different textures.”
Each Harley store he designs is unique, Topalian said. “I make sure you will not see this thing at another place.”
The showroom has room for 150 motorcycles. Merchandise, including parts and clothing, boutique-style dressing rooms and a large T-shirt wall, are along the perimeter.
A dropped ceiling was removed to expose the metal work above, which was then painted gray. That contrasts with the bright, polished off-white concrete floor.
“The idea is to keep it light below and dark above so you don’t feel you are in a huge space,” Topalian said.
Design sets the tone
Other touches include a glass-enclosed delivery room just off the showroom’s main entrance, where customers will walk in, see their newly bought Harley on display and get one-on-one instruction and help from the sales staff before riding off with their purchase, Davis said.
“It’s something we came up with,” Davis said. “It’s all about setting the tone.”
A conference room off the main showroom can hold 30 to 70 people, depending on the seating configuration, Davis said. The room will be used for employee training and will be available for other businesses in the area to use, he said.
Rubber City Harley is the largest of his three stores, with the showroom about 3,000 square feet larger than at his next-largest store, Davis said. The interior space is about twice that of the Liberty Harley site, he said.
Dave Johnson, Harley- Davidson district manager, field operations, said the new Rubber City site meets Harley’s requirements, including having easy access to a major interchange, being near higher-end retail businesses and having a large parking lot that can be used for events.
“Our business is really all about the event,” Johnson said.
People make the shop
Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart said he has a feeling the Harley store will be “around a long, long time.” The mayor took part in the ceremonial chain cutting.
The city “fast tracked” the permitting process so that Rubber City could open fairly quickly, he said. It’s good for the city that the former Circuit City site has been put to a new use, he said. The electronics store closed in late 2008.
“We’ve got to get the momentum to turn [the economy] around,” Robart said.
Hudson resident James Williams — “JW” to his friends — praised the store as he walked around it for the first time.
The 58-year-old noted that he owns seven Harleys and has been to Harley stores all over the world, including Australia.
“I was born and raised on Harley-Davidson,” Williams said. “I know everybody who works here. It’s nice. I like it. This is a nice shop, man ... What makes the shop is the people, not the inventory.”
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com.