Shoppes at Gateway Park finally breaking ground?

[Genesyxx]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090401/BIZ/904010336/1001/$80M+open-air+Detroit+mall+moves+ahead

I'm still worried they can't find any anchor stores though. I think this, and not the location as others have argued, will be the biggest hurdle. Northland has managed to hold onto Macy's despite its problems.

I do find this little tidbit promising..

"There will be no dollar stores in the mix. Nor will there be a central food court or fast-food outlets. Instead, the mall will offer casual family dining along the lines of Red Lobster or Applebee's, Schrott said. ""We're very protective of the community. The people who live there are going to be our customers," Schrott said. "

[hybridy]

http://www.realestatejournal.com/columnists_com/blueprint/20080131-blueprint.html

Paints a different picture-I'll be happy to see something by 2012

GGP used to have a site plan on their website, but I couldn't find it anymore.

[MrCrush1914]

Interesting. We shall see in due time how it plays out.

[MizMotown]

Like most things in life, I think there is alot more to this than what meets the eye. Wish I could elaborate but I can't. Alot of padded pockets and they are not our.... lol
http://metrotimes.com/20/46/SixDegrees/default.htm

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. -Abraham Lincoln

One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything. - Georg C. Lichtenberg

[Todd_Scott]

The mall builder just declared bankruptcy.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090417/FREE/904179972

[downtownguy]

Todd_Scott,

That Crain's article (by way of the Associated Press) doesn't jive with the News article at the top of this thread.

"General Growth Properties ended its involvement last summer, according to spokesman Jim Graham. The firm is at risk of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to its most recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Now, Gateway Park LLC, which includes long-time Metro Detroiters -- ex-Ford Motor Co. executive Elliott Hall, Greektown casino minority partner Marvin Beatty, theater magnate Joe Nederlander and former Wayne County commissioner Ricardo Solomon -- is developing the project without an outside partner."

[Russix]

"Getaway Shoplifting Corner"

[Todd_Scott]

That Crain's article (by way of the Associated Press) doesn't jive with the News article at the top of this thread.

Actually it does jive. I just misread it. The Crain's article said they "had" been involved in the project. Nevermind...

[youngdetroiter]

I haven't recently driven by Woodward/8 Mile. Meanwhile, I looked at some aerial/satellite shots via Google Maps and Bing Maps, but those are not up-to-date.

Has there been any progress with this site?
Any additional news since the interest of Meijer last summer?

[youngdetroiter]

I haven't recently driven by Woodward/8 Mile. Meanwhile, I looked at some aerial/satellite shots via Google Maps and Bing Maps, but those are not up-to-date.

Has there been any progress with this site?
Any additional news since the interest of Meijer last summer?

[pkbroch]

Nothing is happening at " The Shoppes of Gateway " every few months they move dirt around. Now there is a company in there selling topsoil. Look at those piles of red, black, sand, and brown dirt.

They are so visible from the Eight Mile Bridge, meanwhile the piles of dirt they dug two years ago has grass on it. Combine it with the hay mowed abandoned looking Fairgrounds, what a lovely entrance to the City.

[softailrider]

Nothing is happening at " The Shoppes of Gateway " every few months they move dirt around. Now there is a company in there selling topsoil. Look at those piles of red, black, sand, and brown dirt.

They are so visible from the Eight Mile Bridge, meanwhile the piles of dirt they dug two years ago has grass on it. Combine it with the hay mowed abandoned looking Fairgrounds, what a lovely entrance to the City.

I drive by there all the time, hard to say what's going on. There's supposed to be a Meijer going in there. I haven't seen any nails being pounded in boards yet - when I see a building being roughed in I'll believe it's true.

[Crumbled_pavement]

Shoppes at Gateway are just like the so-called Woodward light rail line, neither is likely to ever happen in anybody's lifetime. These are just nice fantasies to sell to people.

[Russix]

Nothing is happening at " The Shoppes of Gateway " every few months they move dirt around. Now there is a company in there selling topsoil. Look at those piles of red, black, sand, and brown dirt.
...


Funny, the Detroit News article from a year ago says they had to have "a shovel in the ground" by July 1 last year in order to keep their tax incentives. I wonder if moving dirt around qualifies?

[stasu1213]

Funny, the Detroit News article from a year ago says they had to have "a shovel in the ground" by July 1 last year in order to keep their tax incentives. I wonder if moving dirt around qualifies?The idea of a "Gateway Mall" came under the Kilpatrick administration. So did the light rail up Woodward to New Center. The ideas slowed to a halt under Bing and the new council. I had been saying for months that the light rail will not come to life any time soon. You still have the old polictical influences in Motor City Detroit. The idea of lightrail is being kicked around such as the idea of elevated light rail was in the 40's, 70's, and 90's. I had driven past the Wooward/8mile site and had saw the same thing that others had seen; ditt being kicked around. It reminds me of the repaving of Atwater street from Rivard to St Aubin. Nothing is going on there and dirt is being pushed around by earthmovers. That street should had been repaved by now. I am hoping that a non profit organization is not being responsible for the repaving. If it is then the street will be closed until the end of summer. Light rail and shopping centers in Detroit had always been a pipe dream

[JimminyCricket]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090401/BIZ/904010336/1001/$80M+open-air+Detroit+mall+moves+ahead

I'm still worried they can't find any anchor stores though. I think this, and not the location as others have argued, will be the biggest hurdle. Northland has managed to hold onto Macy's despite its problems.

I do find this little tidbit promising..

"There will be no dollar stores in the mix. Nor will there be a central food court or fast-food outlets. Instead, the mall will offer casual family dining along the lines of Red Lobster or Applebee's, Schrott said. ""We're very protective of the community. The people who live there are going to be our customers," Schrott said. "

I'll take a food court over an Applebee's or Red Lobster every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Besides, it's not like the city of Detroit has too many food courts.

Oops, didn't notice the date on it.

[youngdetroiter]

Thanks for the updates.

The decade-old project looks even more at risk of falling through with this dismal economy, but their "[pushing] dirt around" is a bit promising. Any activity leaves a glimmer of hope versus complete abandonment.

[Detroitej72]

Is it too late to resurrect the plans from the 90's to build a campground on the sight?

[DetroitPlanner]

Is it too late to resurrect the plans from the 90's to build a campground on the sight?

I would think so, with the State Fair gone the DNRE has probably written off the site. Wasn't this a 1980's proposal? I alway thought it was an interesting one. How would they deal with all of the traffic noise?

[softailrider]

Is it too late to resurrect the plans from the 90's to build a campground on the sight?

Who and why would anybody want to camp there anyway?

[buckster1986]

Could be some god news...I won't believe it until I see some work happening...

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20100819/FREE/100819869

[401don]

Good news as long as your pension is not in the Police and Fireman's fund. I never understood retirement funds investing in such risky adventures as hotels, restaurants, retail, etc., especially an investment which has already broken ground but now expects this one loan to provide the majority of financing.

[pkbroch]

"Breaking Ground" on that site has consisted of digging a few holes and pushing the dirt around.

Today looked through the fence nothing going on. But remember if you put a shovel in the ground, i.e. "Breaking Ground, you can still get the State Tax Credit.

[softailrider]

When I see hammers swinging and nails going into wood I'll believe it. That should have been happening already.

[jtf1972]

I hope they plan that Meijer gas station in the back. That would just look horrible, as is so frequent throughout the suburbs. (And yes, I know the city is guilty as hell in regard to having the only businesses on street corners be gas stations, but the big store with a gas station will be new to the city.)

[313WX]

I could have swore I saw a 2009 date in the original post's article.

Gosh darn it, some people just love to bump old threads. :rolleyes:

[stasu1213]

The plan is probably going though the political red tape as other plans of building a mall in detroit goes through. The neighboring suburbs probably want to profit from the piece of the action

[fryar]

That's kind of unhelpful. I mean, that's the deal with boundaries, they're defining. Kinda of like the way you can't drink the day before you turn 21.

[lizaanne]

I want to know what the heck is with the "shoppes". :confused: Can't we spell things according to the norms of this century? Or do we think spelling it "shoppes" will make it somehow more suburban??

:rolleyes:

[bartock]

http://www.freep.com/article/20110627/BUSINESS06/110627039/Meijer-sign-lease-Detroit-store?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Pardon my cynicism, but gee, where have we heard this before?

[Hypestyles]

hopefully if this finally happens, there will be a unique restaurant to set up there.. the article mentions McDonald's, but, well, that's not unique..

[Det_ard]

Why would a unique restaurant want to be in a glorified high-rent strip mall?

[j to the jeremy]

Why would a unique restaurant want to be in a glorified high-rent strip mall?
Unless by "unique" you mean applebees haha

[rbdetsport]

http://www.freep.com/article/20110627/BUSINESS06/110627039/Meijer-sign-lease-Detroit-store?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Pardon my cynicism, but gee, where have we heard this before?

Pardon my cynicism, but wasn't this project intended to be more upscale than a meijer, marshalls, and mcdonalds. It was open knowledge that the developer wanted to have a few chain restaurants at least. This went from being a regional destination to just another huge parking lot with a few big box stores... Very disappointed that a bunch of tax credits and such were used for such a mediocre project.

[Hypestyles]

why can't a slow's bbq or Fishbone's type place set up there?

[mwilbert]

Nothing against restaurants, but I'd rather have a restaurant someplace where it would improve the street life than in what (if it happens) is almost certainly going to be a shopping center surrounded by a sea of parking. The location is rather pedestrian-unfriendly even if they designed the center itself not to be, which I expect they won't.

As far as the people who were expecting something more upscale, this doesn't really fit in with Meijer's as the anchor tenant. Meijer's is fine, but it doesn't scream "haute cuisine" or even "fine dining". More the "family dining" kind of vibe, I would think.

[softailrider]

Pardon my cynicism, but wasn't this project intended to be more upscale than a meijer, marshalls, and mcdonalds. It was open knowledge that the developer wanted to have a few chain restaurants at least. This went from being a regional destination to just another huge parking lot with a few big box stores... Very disappointed that a bunch of tax credits and such were used for such a mediocre project.

I'm not disappointed at all - any kind of decent retail in that area sounds fantastic to me. If I see another party store / wig store / hair braiding place / nail salon I'll throw up.

I don't know what kind of regional destination you expected, like a Great Lakes Crossing South or something?

[Flintoid]

New retail is good. We cant be so picky here. The jobs would be great and if light rail gets built, this would be right next to the park and ride location.