Plaza Pontiac GMC (120th & L )

[eomaha]

A cool use for another Walmart discard.

Dealership to offer lots indoors and out

Plaza Pontiac GMC has added Buick to its name and soon will move to a building large enough for a 150-vehicle indoor display with a Mediterranean-style setting inspired by Kansas City's Country Club Plaza.

Plaza owners Al Wittmann and Carolyn Raulston purchased and are remodeling the former Sam's Club store at 11919 I St. at a total cost of nearly $7 million. They plan to move the dealership by late April from its current location at 6544 L St.

The interior will feature street scapes of buildings, plus a fountain, cafe tables, park benches and lampposts. A free-standing building in the center of the plaza will hold offices.

"We didn't want to create another cookie-cutter, off-the-shelf dealership," Wittmann said.

The business partners have spent years compiling a list of what they believe the ideal auto dealership should offer. Their first requirement was a building large enough to display a variety of trim levels for every model they sell, plus a selection of used cars.

"We wanted it to be an indoor shopping experience," said Raulston, who also is chief financial officer.

The 116,000-square-foot building will have 60,000 feet of display space. More than 50,000 square feet will be used for service, parts and a collision center. By comparison, their current building has a total of 39,000 square feet. Vehicles also will be displayed on an outdoor lot.

Wittmann said he believes Plaza probably will have the country's largest new-car showroom. "I've looked hard, and I can't find one larger."

The few indoor dealerships he did find, Wittmann said, lacked the atmosphere he and Raulston are planning.

Knowing that some customers like to browse when the dealership is closed, Wittmann said Plaza will allow people to stroll indoors after hours, under the watch of security guards.

Also in the plans:

• Large children's play area.

• Service waiting area with a complimentary coffee bar and muffins and cookies baked throughout the day.

• Business centers with Internet access for customer use while they wait.

• Service drop-off and pick-up indoors 24 hours a day via a computerized key machine.

• Air-conditioned service and repair area.

• Availability of building for use by community and charity groups. Community groups also used the Wichita, Kan., dealership Wittmann sold in 1993.

In 2001, Wittmann and Raulston purchased Gorges Pontiac GMC, where Wittmann had served for six years as president and general manager. Raulston was chief financial officer of that dealership and of Gorges Volvo.

Agreeing to eventually move the dealership was part of their franchise agreement with General Motors. If not for GM's requirement, Wittmann said, he and Raulston would have tried to keep the business on L Street. He said the area still is viable for auto retailing, despite moves west by several other dealers such as Gorges Volvo.

Adding the Buick line - which they started selling Jan. 11 - was part of GM's strategy of combining Pontiac, GMC and Buick franchisees. Omaha's other Buick dealer, Sam Reagan, recently added GMC and Pontiac and plans to move to a site near 180th Street and West Dodge Road.

Wittmann and Raulston are considering keeping their 51/2-acre location on L Street for used cars or a future franchise, should they decide to add one.

They have listed for sale a portion of their new 12-acre property that holds the former Sam's Club gas station

[Sodak]

Lets hope the scuttled store at I-680 and Fort and the soon to be scuttled store along 84th in LaVista are converted to new uses as well.

[nebugeater]

Woodhouse has acquired Plaza Buick GMC as of today.

http://www.omaha.com/money/woodhouse-ac ... 45f8b.html

Woodhouse also owns a Buick GMC dealership in Missouri Valley, Iowa.

The acquisition brings Woodhouse’s holdings to 16 properties.