Frank Kent opened his Cadillac dealership in downtown Fort Worth in June 1953. Thirty years later, he moved to a new location on Southwest Boulevard.
Now, a few months shy of the dealership's 60th anniversary, Frank Kent Cadillac has moved again, into a sparkling new, energy-efficient facility off of West Loop 820 that also boasts an upscale wine shop.It's a bold, $20 million move by Kent's great-grandchildren, Will Churchill and Corrie Watson, heirs to the family business."We think it's the right time," said Churchill, adding that he believes the Cadillac brand is poised to do well in the years to come with a lineup of edgy new vehicles that will appeal to younger affluent buyers.Construction and cleaning crews, with hands-on guidance from Churchill and Watson, were putting the finishing touches on the building Friday only hours before the first of two weekend parties to inaugurate the new dealership.The 86,000-square-foot showroom and service complex, billed as the largest Cadillac-only facility in the Southwest, is built on 10 acres on the Loop 820 frontage road, just south of Chapin Road. It's located just south of the Frank Kent Honda complex that opened in December 2010.The new dealership was designed by VLK Architects and built by Byrne Construction. It has a showroom, offices and waiting areas with polished metals and lots of spotless glass. The comfortably appointed customer waiting area has five TV-watching places, each showing different programs.There is a children's play area, and Cadillac-inspired art is displayed throughout."We want people to walk in and feel like they're in a luxury car dealership, but also to feel like they're at home," Churchill said.Inside is the boutique Cadillac Wines shop, which will allow tasting and retail sales of mostly high-quality and high-priced wines.The wine shop is viewed as a stand-alone business, with about 1,600 bottles in display racks. Orders will be delivered to customers, in a Cadillac."We will have a more refined selection of wines" than area liquor stores and other retailers, Churchill said.Cadillac Wines is managed by local wine expert Brad Kimura. The knowledgeable staff will counsel buyers "and guide them to their next treasure," Churchill said. "We're trying to change the talk of wine in Fort Worth."The wine shop is also a way to draw in new Cadillac customers.An event is being held Monday night to sample and sell Opus One, a highly select and expensive Napa Valley red wine produced by a joint venture of famed U.S. winemaker Robert Mondavi and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, daughter of the great French winemaker.Only 10 percent of those attending the RSVP event are Cadillac customers."I'll have 80 people in here who would have never driven a Cadillac," Churchill said.There is a much newer and different Cadillac line to see and drive, with the recently arrived sporty Cadillac ATS sedan, aimed squarely at the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class market, as well as the larger XTS sedan.In the next 18 months, Cadillac will deliver new versions of its existing Escalade luxury sport utility, CTS sedan and coupes, and SRX crossover vehicles.GM announced last week that it would begin building the Cadillac ELR, a sleek and edgy two-door coupe with a plug-in hybrid electric drive system similar to that of the Chevy Volt. It will go into production in the second half of 2013."I think we're positioned right for the brand," Churchill said of the new facilities. "Our timing is excellent."The dealership will have room for 200 new and used vehicles on the lots and a state-of-the-art service facility.The whole complex is certified to LEED energy efficiency standards, and there are three electric-vehicle charging stations, each able to provide 220-volt power.Next to the dealership, in a separate 25,000-square-foot store, is another new business, Frank Kent Custom Koncepts, an on-site vehicle customization shop.After investing about $40 million since 2002 to acquire the land and build the new Honda and Cadillac dealerships, Churchill said there's one more move in the works to relocate the rest of the business.Planning and design work is under way for a new body shop that would be built at the same location. The old Frank Kent facility on Southwest Boulevard is already listed for sale.Bob Cox, 817-390-7723Twitter: @bobcoxictHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
