Luxury electric vehicle maker Tesla plans new sales and service center on Del Monte Avenue.

The dirt-moving at 1901 Del Monte Avenue doesn’t let on, but it’s kind of a big deal: Tesla Motors plans to open a new sales center, including vehicle service and a super-charging station, between the Seaside Auto Mall and Costco.

The first phase involves facade improvements and new signage for the building formerly occupied by Wayside Garage. The second brings landscaping and the construction of a parking lot in what is currently a public right-of-way.

Property owner Mark Woltmon, who owns C.L. Frost in Sand City, could not be reached for comment. “The whole thing’s hush-hush,” said his daughter, Shawna, by phone. “Dirt’s moving. It’s happening.”

With approvals in place for the design, encroachment agreement and water allocation, Seaside Economic Development Services Manager Lisa Brinton says, “I’m assuming things are going to roll.”

Tesla spokeswoman Jamee Hawn says the company aims to open the sales center's doors “later this year,” but is reluctant to confirm specifics. “We have a growing number of [Tesla] owners down there,” she says. “We try to place our stores in strategic locations.”

Tesla is an American company that makes electric vehicles such as the Model S, a top-selling luxury sedan, and their chargers. It also makes batteries – including the recently unveiled Powerwall, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for home use, with a retail price of $3,000 and an output of 5-7 kilowatts.

Tesla held its annual shareholder meeting June 9, when Tesla stock was at $256 per share.

CLARIFICATION, posted June 16: A Tesla spokesperson says the company prefers the term "sales and service center" to "dealership," the term we originally used. "Tesla has a very unique sales model—we sell directly to consumers from the manufacturer, and are therefore not a dealership," Tesla's Jamee Hawn writes by email. This story has been edited accordingly.