EAST CHICAGO | Alison Haggerty Chevrolet closed its doors here at the end of February as the result of family concerns, the condition of the building, an expiring lease and falling car sales, a dealership spokesman said Monday.

"It was a whole plethora of things (that made managing both stores difficult). Add them all together and she got some guidance and closed," said Joe Murzanski, of Arlington Heights-based Omnibus Advertising. Haggerty could not be reached for comment.

Alison Haggerty Buick Pontiac GMC at 555 E. 162nd St., South Holland, remains open and will honor all warranty service from the East Chicago dealership, he added.

Closing and consolidating dealerships is part of GM strategy, said corporation spokeswoman Susan Garontakos.

"As population shifts, we try to work with dealerships to make sure they're in the right place," she said, but added that because the dealers are independent operators, GM doesn't discuss specifics.

Auto dealerships, in general, are seeing a drop in sales volumes because automobiles are lasting longer, Murzanski said. Better-quality cars need less maintenance, which has hurt dealerships' service departments, he added.

The East Chicago dealership at 425 W. Chicago Ave., previously was owned and operated by Tom Blaskovich Chevrolet. Haggerty bought the dealership and leased the buildings for several years, but Blaskovich still owns the property.

Murzanski said the lease was expiring and Haggerty decided not to renew it.