I'm surprised you didn't mention Z's Villa and yeah Northern Lights is a great spot too but I still feel like a significant retail presence is many years away.
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I was unaware there was an "initial" retail district. Lets get retail situated and thriving in one area before we start thinking about others.
That would also be my view.
Redevelopment in Detroit is seeming to mostly following Woodward out from Downtown to Mid-town and then to New Center in a contiguous manner.
Once M-1 rail gets up and running and popular then we might see some redevelopment occur pushing out from Wayne State north.
This could be an interesting survey, but the choices seem exceptionally vague. What does "urban core" mean? Is that anything within the city limits, or the actual core of the city? Are we talking about the greater downtown city center areas, or just anything that is inside city limits? The same goes with "inner suburb." Are we talking about inner suburbs featuring traditional style neighborhoods and walkable main streets, like Ferndale, Royal Oak, and Grosse Pointe, or are we talking about more auto-centric inner suburbs, like Warren, Southfield, and Livonia?
I am glad about one thing; Greg Jackson and the DEGC won't be in the mix of things especially new retail that will be coming into the downtown Midtown area. I had noticed how things are picking up since demolition Jackson, Bing, Pugh and Council, and former Young and Kilpatrick cronies are no longer behind the scenes controlling things
Woodward/Grand Blvd area will make a better retail district for there is still a lot of foot traffic and also the area is anchored by a police station. Clean up the area, get rid of the junk shops that lined Woodward between Milwaukee and Grand Blvd, and have the police to walk or bicycle the beat in the whole area. That would build up the confidence of new potential retail who are considering the area. Those who live in Midtown would not have to travel far to get to those shops on Woodward and Grand Blvd.
At the moment, there are only two to three residential buildings in the area north of the Amtrak train station to Grand Boulevard and east and west between John R and Third Avenue, respectively. Increasing residential where many parking lots or vacant lots exist is needed to increase retail. If two parking lots, the one owned by CCS and the one just east of the St. Regis Hotel, were converted into residential with ground floor retail, then that would do a lot to improve the retail situation in that area, since these spots would put residential directly on Woodward. Some townhouses on Baltimore, east of the White Castle's, would be a good spot for residential. Instead of a block long parking deck, townhouses or apartments with ground floor retail would be cool along Baltimore between Second and Third. Apartments or townhouses west of Third, along Baltimore would improve the area for more retail. Basically, any in-fill of parking lots or vacant lots with residential in New Center would increase retail in the area.
The foundation for the streetcar along Woodward is already being realized and, once it's up and running, property values along the entire route will start climbing; the discount stores at Grand Blvd won't be able to afford the rents and better retailers [[and many more apts/condos) will move in.