Batavia Says Goodbye to Avenue Chevy

John Clark still has a smile on his face when you talk to him, despite working this week to shut down the business his grandfather started 82 years ago almost to the day.

Avenue Motor Sales at McKee Street and Randall Road will close its doors for good Friday. Three generations of Clarks had run the business.

"You gotta roll with the punches," Clark said with a smile on his face. "I'll look for work once we get done shutting things down here, and hopefully I'll find some kind of job."

Clark, 60, had planned to sell the business to his sons or to someone else when he was ready to retire. 

"That's all gone," he said. 

Clark blames the economic downturn and the Obama administration's directive that General Motors drastically cut its dealerships in order to receive $50 billion in bailout funding. GM shut down more than 1,000 dealers. Avenue—despite being profitable—was on the list, Clark said.

When Clark got the news in June 2009, the business began to struggle within a month. 

"We tried to look for other franchises," Clark said. "We looked at some used-car operations, like a chain. We tried it on our own, and it just didn't work."

For the past two-and-a-half years, Clark has tried to hang on with a used-car and service business, but was hindered with getting enough inventory to make a difference. 

Clark said he had 48 people employed "when we were rolling," bringing in between $300,000 to $400,000 in sales tax each year for the city of Batavia. Avenue Motors did $40 million to $50 million in annual sales, he said.

According to an article in The Batavia Historian, the Clark family has a long history in the area. John's grandfather, William H. Clark, known as "Scoop," opened the Main Garage on Main Street on Jan. 1, 1930. In 1932, he became a Chevrolet dealer, and the dealership has sold Chevys ever since. 

John's father, Donald W. Clark, took over the business in 1975, when Scoop died from a heart attack while making funeral arrangements for his wife, Stella, who had died earlier that day. 

"My grandfather lived in Batavia, my father grew up and lived in Batavia," Clark said. "I live in Batavia."

Clark said he taught a consumer ed class, and "the kids would come over and we'd go over how to buy a car."

Along with the dealership, Clark said a lot of other hometown businesses are now affected, as well. He reluctantly had to drop his Batavia Chamber of Commerce membership, after being a charter member. 

Avenue Motor Sales also supported many organizations in the community, such as boys baseball and soccer.

He's a little concerned about finding another job. 

"Who's gonna hire a 60-year old?" he said. 

Clark said he plans to take a month off to clear his head and then will "decide what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life."

"There are many people worse off than myself," he said. "So I guess I've got to consider myself lucky. I'm a survivor. We'll start again and see what things bring."

To learn more, read the Batavia Historical Society's Seventy Years Together – Avenue Motors and the Clark Family.

Did you buy your first car at Avenue Motors? Do you have any memories to share? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.