Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer run by Elon Musk, has taken out several permits to renovate a former VIP Tires and Service center in Portland to be used as a dealership and service facility, city records show.

The building at 35 Riverside St., near Brighton Avenue and Exit 48 of the Maine Turnpike, would be Tesla’s first retail or service location in Maine, though the company has installed more than 20 charging stations throughout the state.

Tesla has not formally announced plans to expand into Maine, but a building permit approved in November lists the site’s proposed use as “Auto Dealership & Service Station (Tesla).”

Tesla applied for a permit Wednesday to install company signs, according to city records. That permit, which is under review pending payment of fees, includes signs for service, sales and test drives.

Permits have been issued for construction, plumbing, electrical and fire code requirements. Some of the permitted work has been completed.

Inspection records also indicate Tesla would be a tenant of the 22,690-square-foot building, which has been owned by 35 Riverside LLC since 2001.

“The tenant improvement includes a showroom and associated customer lounge area, office space, and service area with associated break room area for electric automobiles. Exterior façade upgrades include new painting and new door opening(s),” a permit states.

The building and 2.5 acre parcel are valued at $3 million for property tax purposes, according to the city assessor.

The company’s website says “service center coming soon” in Portland with a targeted opening date of 2025, but precise location details are not provided.

The nearest Tesla store is in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with several in Massachusetts and one in Burlington, Vermont.

News of the potential expansion comes as Musk, Tesla’s CEO, comes under increased criticism in Maine and across the country for his role in President Donald Trump’s administration, where he manages a government efficiency team.

More than a dozen Mainers protested at a Tesla charging station in Waterville this month, and members of the state’s congressional delegation have criticized Musk’s access to sensitive government-held data.

Tesla did not reply Wednesday to emailed questions about the company’s plans for the Riverside Street location, including a potential opening timeline and the planned scale of services offered.

The site is in a sprawling commercial area near Nason’s Corner that includes other dealerships, several shopping plazas with Market Basket, Lowe’s and Kohl’s stores, and the Rock Row commercial-residential development.