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[jefffwd]

Park Place planning Fort Worth site

By Sean Wood

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


FORT WORTH - Park Place Dealerships is trying to get closer to its Fort Worth customers with a new Mercedes-Benz dealership slated to open along Bryant-Irvin Road in the fall.

The Dallas-based company operates Tarrant County's only Mercedes dealership in Bedford, which was renamed Motorcars Mid-Cities in 2000. About 25 percent of that store's business comes from Fort Worth, said Ken Schnitzer, chairman of the Park Place Dealerships.

"We moved to the Mid-Cities and had a really good following," Schnitzer said. "We think the time is better now to open a dealership in the Fort Worth market."

Park Place has 10 luxury car dealerships in the Metroplex and Houston selling brands including Porsche, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover and Lexus.

Schnitzer wouldn't disclose the cost of the new dealership at 5301 Bryant Irvin Road, south of Interstate 20. But it will feature elements that Mercedes Benz wants in new dealerships.

That includes a full glass showroom facade with room for 10 cars inside, workstations for customers, flat panel screens for TV viewing and a children's area with videos and video games.

"Our plan is to sell 100 new and pre-owned vehicles in our first year per month," Schnitzer said. "It's a really good market, and it's growing, and the demographics are well-suited to the Mercedes-Benz brand. We think it's a good opportunity."

[Urbndwlr]

Is the new dealership the site of an existing car lot, or is it being built on a greenfield site?

One downside to car dealership lots is the large amount of impervious pavement. This generates a lot of water runoff (contributing to flooding), and the massive sea of concrete (with no tree canopy cover) contributes to the city's heat island effect.

What (generally) policies are in place that encourage car lot owners to plant trees and shrubs on their lots, or to limit the contiguous impervious surface area?

[mosteijn]

So, people are finally realizing that Fort Worthians make money. Golly, what a concept. Maybe they'll stick in Fort Worth's name on Mercedes commercials (see your Dallas area dealers... )

[salvag]

The dealership is being constructed on one of the few large unbuilt areas left on Bryant Irvin. It is at the northeast corner of Bryant Irvin and Oakbend Trl.

It is right next to the Frost Bank and across from the new Discount Tire Co. and Bank of America.

http://www.dfwmaps.c...tures&Zoomby=10


This map is a little outdated, but you should get the idea.

[cjyoung]

Beck (the old MB dealership) and Grubbs (Infiniti) never should have left Funkytown.