Originally Posted by
ghettopalmetto
There are a couple ideas on this thread that don't make sense to me, so I'm hoping you guys can maybe help provide some clarity.
I think it's a bit ironic that folks are clamoring for "unique", yet are calling for chain stores downtown. Does this seem the slightest bit disconnected to anyone?
Second, who is going to shop at all these stores? The downtown population, while growing in number and income, is not tremendous. Maybe John Varvatos knows something I don't, but I just don't see that store making much money. I find it hard to believe that folks will drive 25-30 miles from the Troy/Bloomfield area just to shop there.
Third, what's up with this "creating a destination" to "lure" people downtown? Especially if it's going to be all chain stores? To me, this sounds like a rehash of the great 1980s idea to put malls in downtowns to trick, er lure, suburbanites to shop downtown. That didn't work then. Why would it work now?
Retail--and in particular, chain retail--is always the last thing to appear in a "revitalized" area. I think downtown Detroit is on the uptick and headed in the right direction. I just don't see a robust market for large-scale retail yet. Chain retailers are incredibly risk-averse, and I can't imagine them flocking to Detroit en masse in the absence of a vibrant and robust locally-owned retail market.
Finally, do we think it's a *good* think to "mall-ify" downtown Detroit?
Those are just the thoughts off the top of my head. Happy to read other opinions.