Historic Harley-Davidson owner reacts to upcoming move

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Topeka's Historic Harley-Davidson's owner is giving his thoughts on moving the shop to a new location.

Mike Patterson's family will celebrate its 75th anniversary of owning the historic shop next year. They've been settled in the current building at 2047 Topeka Blvd. for nearly the past 25 years, but they will have a new place to call home in 2024.

"We're going to really miss the vibe and the character of this building," Patterson said. "And we obviously put a lot of passion and our hearts into it for many years, but you know, things change." 

Patterson said he's been considering the move for quite some time.

Last year, Harley-Davidson corporate issued new guidelines for the interior and exterior of their dealerships. Patterson said it would've been hard to make those accommodations happen in their current historic building.

Then, the Evel Knievel museum, which is connected to the Harley-Davidson shop, also announced it will soon be relocating to Las Vegas. Thursday morning, Shawnee County voted to purchase the entire building for $3 million. The county plans to turn the property into an auto body repair shop for the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office. 

With external factors starting to add up, Patterson told 27 News it felt like the right time to make the move.

“We are very excited from a community perspective on the future use of the building," Patterson said. "It’s going to be great for our City and County as a whole."

With Harley-Davidson dealerships in Salina, Junction City and Hays all recently closed, the Topeka shop hopes to find a new location farther west along I-70. Patterson said Harley-Davidson likes to place its shops along the highway for greater accessibility.

The Topeka Harley-Davidson team doesn't have an exact spot in mind, but they're planning to make the move sometime in late 2024. Patterson said it would be nice to celebrate their 75th anniversary of ownership in a brand new shop.