bigpicture7
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 5, 2016
- Messages
- 3,768
- Reaction score
- 8,733
dwash,
Yes - the Boston Volvo Village approach (or heading in that direction) is all I'm asking for (my London Jag dealer example was a bit of hyperbole). Making better use of urban space is what it's about.
jumbobuc,
I totally get the U.S. dealer model, but my critique is simply on how prime space is used. The present dealer model does not preclude them from using prime/storefront real estate for one purpose, and "remote lot" real estate for another purpose. My point was not that dealerships don't need land...it was "is this the best use of Comm Ave frontage?"...especially when you know they could easily rent out 3 floors of apartments above the thing in a heartbeat). In my longer rant above, I was guessing that the only reason Herb is staying in the spot in the first place (and converting it further upmarket) is the nearby presence of rich international students who might literally window browse and then drop $80k. If it weren't for them, my guess is that Herb would move that whole dealership somewhere else because it's not as if allston-brighton is an otherwise wealthy neighborhood where people buy Jags (nor is it convenient for suburbanites who drive Jags; EDIT: I suppose nearby brookline is an exception). Store frontage here could be their outpost for the locale niche market, and the bulk of their carlot could be somewhere off the pike, etc.
Yes - the Boston Volvo Village approach (or heading in that direction) is all I'm asking for (my London Jag dealer example was a bit of hyperbole). Making better use of urban space is what it's about.
jumbobuc,
I totally get the U.S. dealer model, but my critique is simply on how prime space is used. The present dealer model does not preclude them from using prime/storefront real estate for one purpose, and "remote lot" real estate for another purpose. My point was not that dealerships don't need land...it was "is this the best use of Comm Ave frontage?"...especially when you know they could easily rent out 3 floors of apartments above the thing in a heartbeat). In my longer rant above, I was guessing that the only reason Herb is staying in the spot in the first place (and converting it further upmarket) is the nearby presence of rich international students who might literally window browse and then drop $80k. If it weren't for them, my guess is that Herb would move that whole dealership somewhere else because it's not as if allston-brighton is an otherwise wealthy neighborhood where people buy Jags (nor is it convenient for suburbanites who drive Jags; EDIT: I suppose nearby brookline is an exception). Store frontage here could be their outpost for the locale niche market, and the bulk of their carlot could be somewhere off the pike, etc.
