Sam's Club

[Pete]

Side note/question?

What ever happened to Lynn Hickey Dodge or Lynn Hickey for that matter?
They had a HUGE dealership there..

Here is a great article by Steve from February 2006:



Flashback: Lynn Hickey
Hijinks help build Dodge dealership
Steve Lackmeyer • Modified: February 5, 2006 at 12:00 am • Published: February 5, 2006
For a quarter century, Oklahoma City television viewers were treated to the hijinks of a car dealer who was willing to do just about anything, it seemed, to sell a Dodge.

And that included the annual stunt of Lynn Hickey climbing into a van that was then lifted by crane high over Interstate 44 and May Avenue. At other times, viewers got to watch Hickey gleefully exploding a Chevrolet van or Ford pickup.

Hickey started the dealership in 1969, as May Avenue was becoming one of the city's busiest commercial corridors. By 1995, the business, turned over to his sons Doug and Wade, was ranked as the most successful Dodge dealership in the country, with sales hitting $135 million.

That next year, the dealership was sold for a reported $13.85 million to Texas-based Cross-Continent Auto Retailers.

"We were one of the first to be sought after when the public companies started merging dealerships in the mid-90s, Doug Hickey said. "They made us an offer we couldn't refuse.

Doug Hickey said his dad, now 67, spends his time at his ranch in Sayre, breeding prize-winning Appaloosa and quarter horses and "farming peanuts.

"He's working harder now than he ever was before, Doug Hickey joked.

Wade Hickey has continued an association with jet-setting television pitchman Tom Parks, producing commercials for dealerships across the country.

And Doug? He's still selling cars in Broken Arrow and continuing the same sort of stunts that made his father a household name.

The crane gimmick ended with the sale of the Oklahoma City dealership. A Tulsa dealer already had stolen the idea when Doug Hickey moved northeast and opened a Mitsubishi dealership. In 2004, he hired daredevil Evel Knievel to promote a Memorial Day weekend sale.

"We did a promotion where for every 10 cars sold that week, I'd try to jump one, Doug Hickey said. "He trained me to do the jump. We ended up selling 90 cars, and I jumped eight.

The corporate consolidation of dealerships, meanwhile, didn't work out as well as predicted. The Dodge dealership sold four times since 1996, and the current operation, Bob Moore Dodge, recently moved to Northwest Expressway.

For the first time in almost 40 years, no Dodges are for sale at I-44 and May Avenue.

The corporations, Hickey argues, thought they could take the old-fashioned "car guys out of sales and replace them with college-educated professionals.

"The success of Lynn Hickey Dodge was due to the people we had, Hickey said.

But could Lynn Hickey Dodge return to Oklahoma City? Hickey's dealership in Broken Arrow may soon close half the property already has been sold to the neighboring Northside Christian Church. The Hickeys still own the land at Interstate 44 and May Avenue.

"I don't have any plans right now, but it's always a possibility, Hickey said. "The Broken Arrow store came after we sold out in Oklahoma City I didn't want to get out of the car business.

[Brett]

I always find it entertaining to see idiots who are driving northbound on May Ave. pull into the empty Lynn Hickey site and attempt a U-turn.

[Pete]

I'm not familiar with the building permit system in Tulsa/BA, otherwise I could figure out exactly what this is.

But it seems highly unlikely that a project would start principal construction without an announcement. Why wouldn't Costco want to start building the buzz and excitement?

[Larry OKC]

That and all the targets across the street from walmarts...they aren't afraid to compete either.

had to laugh when I read that...

Yes it is true that they sometimes build a Target near a Walmart but if you ask the management or employees at Target why their SuperTarget isn't open 24 hrs like the Walmart Supercenter and they will flat out tell you that they aren't in competition with Walmart!

I tried to shop at 3 am (when I got off work) and they were closed. i went back the next day on my way into work and that was the answer I got over and over again. The added response was "if you don't like our hours, don't shop here" Duh, if you aren't open and the competition is, guess where I am going to shop? LOL

Am thrilled to have a Sams closer to me!

[PhiAlpha]

had to laugh when I read that...

Yes it is true that they sometimes build a Target near a Walmart but if you ask the management or employees at Target why their SuperTarget isn't open 24 hrs like the Walmart Supercenter and they will flat out tell you that they aren't in competition with Walmart!

I tried to shop at 3 am (when I got off work) and they were closed. i went back the next day on my way into work and that was the answer I got over and over again. The added response was "if you don't like our hours, don't shop here" Duh, if you aren't open and the competition is, guess where I am going to shop? LOL

Am thrilled to have a Sams closer to me!

They may not see it that way, but they sell a lot of the same type products, have a similar (though obviously more upscale) set up and pretty similar prices. I shop at both for basically the same things depending on where I am and when I need to go, as do most other people I know. Their markets overlap so they are definitely competitors in some respects. However, the argument was that Walmart and Sams are keeping more upscale grocery stores, Costco, etc... from coming to OKC, so Target fits my point. Though you may make a better one...if Costco, Target, upscale/better grocery stores, etc don't see themselves in direct competition with Walmart & Sams... then all this Walmart dominating the market and keeping everyone else out stuff really is complete crap.

I'm right there with you, I'm fired up about this as well. One less reason to drive up to memorial.

[OKCNDN]

To get the thread back on subject...

I don't know how true this is but. During one of the crane stunts, Lynn Hickey took Evel Kneivel up in that van with him to appraise vehicles which is what the crane stunt was about. Lynn and Evel had been friends for a awhile and during this stunt they were back to the old shenanigans. Lynn and Evel were supposedly getting hammered up in that van, drunk as a skunk. Both were peeing in plastic bottles. One accidentally pee'd on the other and all heck broke loose. But by the time the van was lowered so Evel and Lynn could get out, both had forgotten what the fight was about and just ordered another bottle of grandpa's cough medicine. Back up they went and the madness continued. Heard more stories about those two. Don't know how true any of them are but that is what was told to me.

There should be a few more places in this area to eat fast food. Burger King, Carl's Jr, something. Lots of homes in this area and the fast food options are very limited. You gotta drive a bit to get to them.

[LakeEffect]

There should be a few more places in this area to eat fast food. Burger King, Carl's Jr, something. Lots of homes in this area and the fast food options are very limited. You gotta drive a bit to get to them.

Uhhh...

[Kellog]

As a member of the surrounding neighborhood I am very UNHAPPY to hear of this as are several of my fellow neighbors! We would love to see the abandoned lot developed but NOT with a Sam's club!! The additional traffic of both customers and the TRUCKS would be devastating to the surrounding community!! The access roads are in HORRIBLE condition already, I don't even want to imagine how much worse they will get if this happens. Traffic in the area is heavy already too. I would not hesitate to move if this happens.... and I Love my home.

[ljbab728]

As a member of the surrounding neighborhood I am very UNHAPPY to hear of this as are several of my fellow neighbors! We would love to see the abandoned lot developed but NOT with a Sam's club!! The additional traffic of both customers and the TRUCKS would be devastating to the surrounding community!! The access roads are in HORRIBLE condition already, I don't even want to imagine how much worse they will get if this happens. Traffic in the area is heavy already too. I would not hesitate to move if this happens.... and I Love my home.

So you want it developed with something with no traffic? How likely is that. LOL

[MWCGuy]

As a member of the surrounding neighborhood I am very UNHAPPY to hear of this as are several of my fellow neighbors! We would love to see the abandoned lot developed but NOT with a Sam's club!! The additional traffic of both customers and the TRUCKS would be devastating to the surrounding community!! The access roads are in HORRIBLE condition already, I don't even want to imagine how much worse they will get if this happens. Traffic in the area is heavy already too. I would not hesitate to move if this happens.... and I Love my home.

Sam's does not see as many trucks as Walmart. Not to mention, Sam's and many other retailers forbid their vendors from idling on property. The vast amount of vendor trucks are going to be box trucks. Not to mention, the dock backs up to I-44 so your not going to see anymore truck traffic than you already see right now. Lowe's probably creates more traffic in day than Sam's will in a week. I am willing to bet if the neighbors tactully ask Sam's to tell the drivers not come down there, they will likely do so in the name of being a good neighbor. Besides the store closes at 8, by 9 the place will be pretty peacefull, by 10 it will be as quiet as cemetery. If I had to pick a box to move in my neighborhood it would be Sam's.

[Mr. Cotter]

I'm not a regular Sam's shopper (only because I never need that much bulk merchandise), but I think this is a big win for the area.

I hope this spurs some development, or at least clean up, along May to the South.

[warreng88]

Personally, I am a little disappointed in this only because I remember when there was a plan for a much better use of this space. I can't find it right now, but I remember there was a hotel on the far NW corner of the space and mostly restaurant pad sites facing May. Much like what was originally proposed for the Dave and Buster's area on May. I know they are going to start work on redoing May from NW 36th to Britton and I hope that includes making the street to bridge over I-44 more seamless instead of a huge dip that people slow down to 20 mph to go over. Luckily, there is already a fifth lane so there won't be too much of a traffic backup.

[reverend]

Personally, I am a little disappointed in this only because I remember when there was a plan for a much better use of this space. I can't find it right now, but I remember there was a hotel on the far NW corner of the space and mostly restaurant pad sites facing May. Much like what was originally proposed for the Dave and Buster's area on May. I know they are going to start work on redoing May from NW 36th to Britton and I hope that includes making the street to bridge over I-44 more seamless instead of a huge dip that people slow down to 20 mph to go over. Luckily, there is already a fifth lane so there won't be too much of a traffic backup.

I just hope they find a way to provide access to I-44 west from 39th.

[onthestrip]

I just hope they find a way to provide access to I-44 west from 39th.

Pretty much impossible. Just have to go south to 36th and then to 44.

[warreng88]

I just hope they find a way to provide access to I-44 west from 39th.

Yeah, I think it was tried about ten years ago and there were so many wrecks from people trying to cross three lanes of traffic going 30 mph, they just blocked it off. If anything, there just needs to be a lot better signage so people don't get lost trying to look for it.

[reverend]

Yeah, I think it was tried about ten years ago and there were so many wrecks from people trying to cross three lanes of traffic going 30 mph, they just blocked it off. If anything, there just needs to be a lot better signage so people don't get lost trying to look for it.

Yeah, I know the wrecks were bad, just wish there was some way to mitigate that.

[warreng88]

Yeah, I know the wrecks were bad, just wish there was some way to mitigate that.

Flyover would fix it, unfortunately they probably have no interest in spending that amount of money on that intersection.

[Jim Kyle]

I just hope they find a way to provide access to I-44 west from 39th.

They had one, originally, but it proved to be so accident-prone that they closed it. That entire interchange area is so horribly designed that it needs to be completely re-done, from the ground up. Preferably, with no access to I44 at all in either direction from May...

[OKCisOK4me]

All kinds of gas aside, what kind of time frame are we looking at on this if the application is approved? End of 2014?

[cxl144]

I'm not a huge Walmart fan myself. That being said I am a Sam's Club member and this is a great move for the company in OKC. The location in WOKC on the I40 frontage is too busy. With the current developments and out of town shoppers coming in from Yukon and beyond it was becoming almost impossible to shop there due to the volume of customers. Should buy them some time before there is enough population growth in the far SW sector of OKC to support another store.

[trousers]

I'm just hoping that this somehow spurs some new businesses in the Mayfair shopping center. I'm right around the corner and would like to keep my money in the neighborhood but right now Khazana is the only one getting any of my cash in that strip.

[MWCGuy]

I just hope they find a way to provide access to I-44 west from 39th.

Your better off safety wise to go to 50th or 36th. That ramp going to LHP can be a nightmare to navigate sometimes. It never fails I always deal with a last minute merging 18 Wheeler or a person who is driving slower than molasses trying to merge on to LHP/44.

I'm just hoping that this somehow spurs some new businesses in the Mayfair shopping center. I'm right around the corner and would like to keep my money in the neighborhood but right now Khazana is the only one getting any of my cash in that strip.

You can blame owners for that one. They were responsible for killing the grocery store so CVS could open a bigger mediocre store. They have ran off most of the tenants there thanks to outrageous rent rates and a refusal to make repairs on the property.

Personally, I think this is the best situation this property could hope for. Sam's will bring a descent crop of shoppers and they will keep the property looking nice. No other store other than a dollar store (DG, Family Dollar or Dollar Tree) is going to be interested in this area. To be honest, I'm tired of seeing the light pole stumps and stripped foundations. It's time for something useful to be placed on this property. For all we know, it might revitalize the areas. There are some descent homes in this area that just need a little TLC to bring the neighborhood back to what it used to be. Who knows, Circle K may be encouraged to remodel to a nicer store. After all not everybody has a Sam's membership. You have to have one to buy their gas.

[Urbanized]

I would think some sort of true lifestyle center type development would have been better for that. This will probably mostly just spur additional congestion.

[trousers]

I would think some sort of true lifestyle center type development would have been better for that. This will probably mostly just spur additional congestion.

C'mon. Let me live the lie.
This won't make my daily drive a pain in the @ss. Plus I'll have the convenience of 5 gallon tubs of mayo right around the corner.

[onthestrip]

I would think some sort of true lifestyle center type development would have been better for that. This will probably mostly just spur additional congestion.

It was marketed as such for a long time but apparently there weren't any bites.