Car dealership files plans to build along Sixth Street; Lawrence High and KU alumnus to be inducted into a worldwide hall of fame

photo by: Chad Lawhorn

Plans have been filed at City Hall to tear down this cabin-like building at 1716 W. Sixth St. as part of an auto dealership project.

Nothing said “eclectic Lawrence” quite like the limo service at Sixth and Colorado streets, which is right next door to the Lawrence Feed & Farm Supply store. In between the two is a tiny, red A-frame office building that is smaller than most of the limos. Well, say goodbye to that scene. One of Sixth Street’s more undeveloped lots is about to get a makeover.

Plans have been filed at City Hall to tear down the little cabin-like building as part of an auto dealership project that will locate on the site at 1716 W. Sixth St.

Longtime auto executive Scott Teenor will be the owner of the new dealership, which will sell only used cars.

“We’ll be able to have 40 to 45 used cars and trucks over there,” Teenor said. “I already have a sales force lined up. We’re hoping to do great things over there.”

Some of you may remember that the site for many years housed a used car dealership, Vantuyl Motors. I don’t know if that dealership was the one who built the little cabin on the property, but it certainly used it for a long time.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn

Plans have been filed at City Hall to tear down this cabin-like building at 1716 W. Sixth St. as part of an auto dealership project.

Teenor’s development calls for a significant upgrade. The plans call for the construction of a building that will house an indoor showroom and a service area. Lawrence architect Allen Belot is designing the project. In addition to the new building, he said the entire site — which currently is pretty much a gravel lot — will be required to be brought up to city codes with paved parking, landscaping and other such features.

“It is going to be a great improvement for that lot,” Belot said.

Courtesy: Sixth Street Auto

Teenor is a former general manager for the Briggs Auto Group, and also has worked at other Lawrence dealerships. He said the new dealership, which simply will be named Sixth Street Auto, will focus on vehicles selling between $5,000 and $20,000. Teenor said the used car market currently is a hot part of the auto market.

“It will get even better for the consumer in the next two or three years,” he said. “There are more rental or program cars out there than ever before, and those come back on the market as used cars.”

Teenor also is in the motorcycle market. He owns Lawrence Motorsports, which sells used motorcycles, ATVs and other vehicles at 1610 W. 23rd St. He said he will continue to operate that business as well.

As for the Sixth Street project, Teenor said he plans to break ground on the development in the next two to three weeks and hopes to be open by early next year.

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In other news and notes from around town:

• I don’t know that Lawrence High and KU graduate Alan Mulally ever sold cars from a triangular-shaped building. (I wonder if it would cause car salesmen to get to the point quicker?) Regardless, Mulally has done pretty well for himself in the industry.

In case you have forgotten, Mulally is the former president and CEO of Ford Motor Company. Now, Mulally is set to be inducted in the Automotive Hall of Fame. The trade publication Crain Automotive News reports that Mulally has been selected to be inducted into the hall, which is in Detroit. The induction ceremony is set for July 21.

Mulally, who grew up in Lawrence in the 1960s and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from KU, is largely credited with saving Ford Motor Company when the other two members of the Big Three automakers had to take government bailouts last decade.

Prior to arriving at Ford, Mulally was a top executive with Boeing. The Crain article reports that Mulally has moved back to Seattle — “with a Ford Taurus and more than $300 million in compensation as souvenirs of eight Michigan winters.” Mulally retired in 2014.

Mulally declined an offer to remain on Ford’s board of directors, but he has joined the board of directors of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., and Carbon 3D, a Silicon Valley 3D printing company, Crain reports.

“I have found a new love in Google,” Mulally told Seattle University students in October, Crain reports. “I’m a Googler now.”

Mulally has made several trips to Lawrence in recent years, including to the university and for a fundraiser for Lawrence public schools. Lawrence leaders talk about the need to create a network of successful KU alumni who could lend their talents in helping Lawrence and the university prosper. Certainly, Mulally would be near the top of such a list.