In a synthesis of industrial steel and road-tested chrome, the new location of Timpanogos Harley Davidson on the Lindon-Orem border was planned as a motorcycling mecca for Harley-Davidson enthusiasts while preserving elements of Utah's bygone era.

Dave Tuomisto, owner of Timpanogos Harley Davidson, said the Harley-Davidson brand is nostalgic and he wanted a building to have as much as the Hogs he sells. The facility uses original brick, solid-oak doors and wooden floors from various Geneva Steel buildings. Its oldest pieces are sets of trusses from the 1870s, brought in from an old train depot in Ogden. Other sets were salvaged from a Salt Lake City Coca-Cola factory from the early 1900s.

In total, 70 percent of the building was constructed from reclaimed materials.

"It's absolutely indescribable," he said. "There's not another building like it in the nation." The materials give the shop an imperfect, rustic feel, which is just the way Tuomisto wants it.

"Most Harley dealerships are cement walls and studs and the only difference between them is the name on the back of the T-shirt," he said.

Tuomisto's grandfather worked at the Geneva Steel power plant, and his mother was a crane operator there for three years during World War II. Tuomisto said Utahns have more history from the factory than they realize, and he wanted to do something to preserve it.

Three years ago, he got to see the factory before it was leveled and he hatched his plan to take the best of the old Geneva Steel and combine it with modern elements to help make more than just a Harley dealership. He wanted it to be a destination for fans and Utahns with a tie to the valley's steel production past.

"Most people don't realize how many people worked there. It was an economic center of Utah for 40 years and it's all gone," Tuomisto said. "It was important to me to preserve some of the history of Geneva Steel."

Although the building is a mix of old and new components, site foreman Kyle Rose said the building is safe, and new materials, like some framing and the heating and air conditioning systems, have been used only when necessary.

Where engineering plans specify six-inch columns, Rose said 18-inch columns from Geneva Steel are used.

"Everything's been upgraded," he said. "This building is way over-engineered."

When finished later this month, the location will feature all the Harley-Davidson bikes, accessories and clothing visitors expect plus a 2-acre test drive course, a full service restaurant called Marley's that will serve "gourmet slider" burgers whose recipe Tuomisto spent a year perfecting, and road safety courses taught by local law enforcement experts. There's also showers and a lounge where bikers can watch while their bikes get a tune-up for the road.

Utah's backcountry will also be promoted at the shop, where scenic rides can be seen on big-screen TVs. Tuomisto said he hired riders to wear high-definition cameras while driving through the great rides of Utah, such as Highway 128, the Alpine Loop and Indian Canyon.

A massive grand opening party is slated for the weekend of July 25 with Harley-Davidson VIPs from the company's Milwaukee, Wisc., headquarters, an unveiling of the latest 2009 demo bike models, and the popular rock band Tesla.

Rick Story, general manager of Timpanogos Harley-Davidson, said not only will riders be attracted to the site, but Story believes locals will be interested because of its historical significance. He worked for 20 years as a carpenter in the central maintenance building, which is where the roof materials for the dealership came from.

"It's nostalgic," Story said. "You go in there and see all this stuff [from the steel factory]. They paid my family's bills for 20 years."