That Old Chevy Dealership on NW Highway Will Be New Retail, But Don’t Expect a Costco
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The Steakley Chevy dealership on Northwest highway will get a reboot as a big-box retail development. Photo: Ainbinder Co.
Of course, the very first question I got when a friend forwarded me this Advocate story about the old Steakley Chevrolet dealership at Northwest Highway and Abrams was: “OMG. IS IT GOING TO BE A COSTCO???”
No, folks. Costco already passed on this site, and a few others inside the city limits, so you’re pretty much stuck making the trek northward to Plano for your bulk sundries and institutional-sized bags of organic nuts. However, that corner of the busy nexus of Skillman/Abrams/Northwest Highway has been a mess for years, hosting illustrious businesses such as Dallas Furniture Mart, which had a going out of business sale pretty much ever week. Perhaps it’s time to think about your business model if you have to have someone out front every Saturday twirling a sign saying “EVERYTHING MUST GO!”
Anyway, to say that those of us who live in the nearby area are pumped about something being built in that spot would be an understatement. However there are still those among us who are pooh-poohing more retail in an area they already consider congested.
Consider it this way: Medallion is at maybe 90 percent occupancy since the Centennial liquor store moved out. There is no sign of anyone leaving. Here’s what Steve Brown’s report on the development from Houston-based Ainbinder Co.,which is being called High Point Center says:
“It’s great real estate, and we’ve done lots of redevelopment of close-in properties in Houston,” said developer Michael Ainbinder. “When we had the opportunity to purchase a former car dealership in central Dallas, our antenna went up.”
Ah yes, it is great real estate, Mr. Ainbinder, but it’s still not good enough for Costco. Still, the company is looking for a big box anchor and junior anchor retail for the site.
Glaser said there have been no leases signed for the new shopping center, but some potential tenants have been approached
“We are focusing our marketing effort on big-box retailers and junior anchors,” he said. “Where else can you find property like this in Dallas that is ready to develop?
“You are talking about an intersection with 100,000 cars a day.”
The development site is right across the street from the Target and Kohl’s stores in Medallion Center. And it’s near the J.C. Penney, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club at the Timber Creek Shopping Center.
I mean, what other big box could they really woo with those national brands already in Medallion and Timber Creek? And what will this new development do to rush hour on Northwest Highway, which is basically a parking lot?
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Maybe HEB would finally come into Dallas and go there?
That’s actually a great location for them. It’s not too far from their Central Market concept, it’s close to a dense residential area, and it has great access to the highway. The only downside is that there’s another budget grocer (Walmart) just across Skillman.
Not to mention the Aldi across from the Target at Medallion, plus the SuperTarget a few blocks north on Skillman, plus the Sam’s Club located under the Wal-Mart. When you can swing a dead cat and hit five other value grocers, that might not be the best place for an HEB (or any other grocer).
By the way, all these folks who are just salivating for HEB to come into this market with their standard stores must be living in some alternate universe. I grew up in San Antonio (HEB’s home base), and I see what HEB has done there as well as in Austin, Houston, and pretty much every other grocery market in Texas, except ours. It has dominated to the point of driving out almost all meaningful competition with stores that are mediocre, but manage to look OK only when compared with Wal-Mart. If you like Wal-Mart, you’ll like HEB. Since we already have more Wal-Marts than any other place in the known universe, why would you want to add HEB to the mix? This market is the most competitive grocery market in the country, to the benefit of all levels of consumers here. If HEB invades, in 5 years your choices will be Wal-Mart, or HEB, and Kroger, Tom Thumb, Albertson’s, Minyard’s, Sprouts, Natural Grocer, Whole Foods, Fiesta, the Supermercados, and some of the smaller guys will be whittled down to just a pitiful few stores here and there.
Be careful what you wish for. Unlike Wal-Mart, HEB is not the Great Satan, but if it invades Dallas and Fort Worth, we will be worse off.
HEB is a pretty formidable force in mid and south Texas — thanks Bob.
I read somewhere else that HEB will only go in where they can own the real estate. Don’t know the veracity of that statement though.
That rendering looks uninspired and simply awful. So glad I live nowhere near this area anymore.
Have you noticed COSTCO locates stores in neighborhoods with much higher incomes than SAM’S ? COSTCO also avoids areas with high crime rates. The LP (Loss Prevention) employee is busier than a store manager at SAM’S and Wal-Mart stores ! COSTCO loss prevention is minimal compared SAM’S
Was it here or maybe one of the national business news services that reported about the Costco strategy?
That they look for a great deal on Real Estate, and pass on “good” deals all day long,
in other words their bar for expanding is much higher than the Walmart/Sams Corp.
..and all the HEB talk, I know it feels special but personally the thing that makes HEB great
is the wonderful employees, and that has more to do with South Texas than it does the
store in which they work….
Strip centers are what they are…not great but functional, I do hate that the suburbs are folding in upon the city, like a reverse urban sprawl!
I just don’t understand the obsession with Costco. If you love it that much, are you that f’ing lazy that you can’t drive the 12-15 minutes up to Plano? Let the Plano-ites have the big boxes. Maybe these are Park Cities people who are moaning for Costco and are too darned lazy to drive up the Tollway, but not find if we F up East Dallas a little more. I get that people prefer Costco over Sam’s. Great, so plan your once-a-month bulk toilet paper trips around your obsession with Costco and let’s not add another huge box smack dab in our neighborhood.
Toilet Paper? It’s cheaper at Target. Costco is all about the booze, baby! (or so I’ve read somewhere)