Auto dealers rolling onto Singing Hills
By Dave Dreeszen ddreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Sunday, October 05, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- The evolution of Singing Hills Boulevard into Sioux City's new auto row kicked into a higher gear last week.
Two more new car dealers -- Billion Kia and Jensen Imports -- opened brand new complexes along the busy corridor. That brings to five the number of auto franchises that have flocked to that area of southeast Morningside in the last few years to tap into the corridor's high visibility and rapid retail growth.
With the two new arrivals, Singing Hills surpasses Sixth Street's famed Auto Row, a three-block stretch near the downtown area, as the city's largest concentration of new car dealers.
Jensen Imports
This weekend, one Sixth Street Auto Row occupant, Jensen Imports, began relocating to its new dealership at 4021 Stadium Drive, just north of Singing Hills and near the Lewis & Clark Stadium.
Owner Bob Jensen bought the local Mazda franchise in late 2005 at 1901 Sixth St. in late 2005 and renamed it Jensen Imports. With the move to the 21,000-square-foot Stadium Drive facility, Jensen now plans to add a Suzuki franchise.
"We had outgrown what we had,'' he said Tuesday. "We needed a full blown designated center for both lines.''
Jensen said construction on the new Stadium Drive facility is about 80 percent complete, but the dealership had little choice but to move earlier than it would have ordinarily preferred. That's because the sale of the existing Sixth Street property has closed, and the new owner, a used car dealer, is ready to move in, he said.
"I gave the guy my word I would be gone. And we'll be gone,'' Jensen said. "It's a little less than ideal, but we'll be okay.''
Billion Kia
After Billion Automotive decided to bring the first Kia franchise to Sioux City, the Sioux Falls-based company looked at an existing site on Sixth Street's Auto Row, said David R. Billion, vice president of Billion Automotive, South Dakota's largest new car dealer.
"We opted to come down here because it's a little more exciting to be in a new facility and a growing and newer part of town,'' Billion said. "It's a really beautiful spot.''
Billion Kia built a 13,000-square-foot showroom and service center at 3701 Singing Hills Blvd., along the north side of the road, near the hill that heads to South Lakeport Street. The Billion Kia site also includes a 2 1/2-acre parking lot in which to showcase new and used autos, and an additional 2 1/2 acres for future expansion, Billion said.
Strength in numbers
Billion said he also likes that so many auto franchises are in one area. People shopping at one will often stop by another, he said.
Eric Hoak, president of Hoak Motors, a Nissan, Pontiac, Cadillac and GMC franchise that operates a block off Singing Hills at 4300 Southgate Drive, shares that belief.
"The more people that are out here, it puts all of us in a better position,'' Hoak said. "If we don't have what they're looking for, maybe the guy down the street does.''
Since leaving its long-time home in downtown Sioux City three years ago, Hoak has seen much higher drive-by traffic at its new dealership. Singing Hills, a four-lane boulevard built in the 1990s to connect South Lewis Boulevard with South Lakeport Street, quickly filled in with retailers, restaurants and other service-related industries.
Prior to Hoak's arrival, two other new car dealers also had opened new facilities along the corridor. Just across the street from Hoak is Rick Collins Toyota-Scion at 3131 Singing Hills Blvd., while Condo Auto, a Honda and Buick franchise, is at the far end at 4625 Singing Hills Blvd.
Another local auto dealership, Sioux City Ford, 2001 Sixth St., also has purchased land along Singing Hills, right next to Billion Kia, and hopes to break ground on a new dealership next year. The Ford franchise, now at 2001 Sixth St., hopes to break ground early next year.
That move would leave just Charlie Zook Motors, which has Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Hyundai and Mitsubishi franchises, as the only new car dealer on Sixth Street's Auto Row.
Singing Hills corridor auto dealers
Billion Kia, xxxx Singing Hills Blvd.
Condo Auto, 4625 Singing Hills Blvd.
Jensen Imports, 4021 Stadium Drive
Hoak Motors, 4300 Southgate Drive
Rick Collins Toyota-Scion, 3131 Singing Hills Blvd.
Two more new car dealers -- Billion Kia and Jensen Imports -- opened brand new complexes along the busy corridor. That brings to five the number of auto franchises that have flocked to that area of southeast Morningside in the last few years to tap into the corridor's high visibility and rapid retail growth.
With the two new arrivals, Singing Hills surpasses Sixth Street's famed Auto Row, a three-block stretch near the downtown area, as the city's largest concentration of new car dealers.
Jensen Imports
This weekend, one Sixth Street Auto Row occupant, Jensen Imports, began relocating to its new dealership at 4021 Stadium Drive, just north of Singing Hills and near the Lewis & Clark Stadium.
Owner Bob Jensen bought the local Mazda franchise in late 2005 at 1901 Sixth St. in late 2005 and renamed it Jensen Imports. With the move to the 21,000-square-foot Stadium Drive facility, Jensen now plans to add a Suzuki franchise.
"We had outgrown what we had,'' he said Tuesday. "We needed a full blown designated center for both lines.''
Jensen said construction on the new Stadium Drive facility is about 80 percent complete, but the dealership had little choice but to move earlier than it would have ordinarily preferred. That's because the sale of the existing Sixth Street property has closed, and the new owner, a used car dealer, is ready to move in, he said.
"I gave the guy my word I would be gone. And we'll be gone,'' Jensen said. "It's a little less than ideal, but we'll be okay.''
Billion Kia
After Billion Automotive decided to bring the first Kia franchise to Sioux City, the Sioux Falls-based company looked at an existing site on Sixth Street's Auto Row, said David R. Billion, vice president of Billion Automotive, South Dakota's largest new car dealer.
"We opted to come down here because it's a little more exciting to be in a new facility and a growing and newer part of town,'' Billion said. "It's a really beautiful spot.''
Billion Kia built a 13,000-square-foot showroom and service center at 3701 Singing Hills Blvd., along the north side of the road, near the hill that heads to South Lakeport Street. The Billion Kia site also includes a 2 1/2-acre parking lot in which to showcase new and used autos, and an additional 2 1/2 acres for future expansion, Billion said.
Strength in numbers
Billion said he also likes that so many auto franchises are in one area. People shopping at one will often stop by another, he said.
Eric Hoak, president of Hoak Motors, a Nissan, Pontiac, Cadillac and GMC franchise that operates a block off Singing Hills at 4300 Southgate Drive, shares that belief.
"The more people that are out here, it puts all of us in a better position,'' Hoak said. "If we don't have what they're looking for, maybe the guy down the street does.''
Since leaving its long-time home in downtown Sioux City three years ago, Hoak has seen much higher drive-by traffic at its new dealership. Singing Hills, a four-lane boulevard built in the 1990s to connect South Lewis Boulevard with South Lakeport Street, quickly filled in with retailers, restaurants and other service-related industries.
Prior to Hoak's arrival, two other new car dealers also had opened new facilities along the corridor. Just across the street from Hoak is Rick Collins Toyota-Scion at 3131 Singing Hills Blvd., while Condo Auto, a Honda and Buick franchise, is at the far end at 4625 Singing Hills Blvd.
Another local auto dealership, Sioux City Ford, 2001 Sixth St., also has purchased land along Singing Hills, right next to Billion Kia, and hopes to break ground on a new dealership next year. The Ford franchise, now at 2001 Sixth St., hopes to break ground early next year.
That move would leave just Charlie Zook Motors, which has Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Hyundai and Mitsubishi franchises, as the only new car dealer on Sixth Street's Auto Row.
Singing Hills corridor auto dealers
Billion Kia, xxxx Singing Hills Blvd.
Condo Auto, 4625 Singing Hills Blvd.
Jensen Imports, 4021 Stadium Drive
Hoak Motors, 4300 Southgate Drive
Rick Collins Toyota-Scion, 3131 Singing Hills Blvd.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
