Upbeat Article on Eastern Market boom

[Lowell]

Just in time for the summer season. The Detroit News map below gives a quick summary of this promising trend. This area has great potential for residential development.

Detroit's Eastern Market is sprouting new shops and preparing for a pickup in springtime activities as it becomes a bigger draw for city dwellers and suburbanites.

A coffee and tea store opened in March, and a popular cheese shop that changed hands and closed last fall is reopening in a few weeks, adding to an increasingly diversified mix of retailers, restaurants and food sellers.

The merchants hope to cash in on the increasingly larger crowds that the warmer weather brings to the century-old public market on Saturdays.

After last year's successful run, the market reopens in July on Tuesdays with farmers, flowers, produce dealers, specialty products and prepared-food vendors. The annual Flower Day is May 20 — the market's largest event and the unofficial kickoff for summer in the region, market officials say.

"Detroit's Eastern Market is rapidly becoming a major tourism draw because visitors enjoy weaving themselves into the fabric of the city," said Renee Monforton, director of communications for the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

From The Detroit News:

[rjk]

I'm hoping they eventually increase the days to include Sunday.
I was down there this morning around 11am and it was packed.
Shed 5 wasn't open but the weather wasn't great also and it was wall to wall people.

[royce]

The area of vacant land just north of the FD Lofts would be great for some brownstone-type townhomes or an apartment complex with ground-floor retail. Connecting a series of buildings from Milano Bakery to the FD Lofts would look cool. Also, there is an abandoned warehouse-type building to the east of Roma Cafe that would be a great building for residential, especially with the wide and tall window openings facing the East.

Now, one thing that needs to be done to improve Eastern Market is to get rid of some of the surface parking lots. There's a two story parking deck that looks outdated and only seems to be used by Eastern Market workers that needs to be redone. Bring it right up to Russell Street, with ground floor retail space and make it five or six stories tall. That would eliminate the need for surface parking lots and allow for other developments such as office or residential to take their place. Yeah, it won't make Detroit Lions' tailgaters happy, but they could move to the southwest corner of Brewery Park.

With the eventual expansion of the Dequindre Cut [[DC), I could see more residential popping up along it, especially for biking and fitness enthusiasts. A few of those old warehouses along the DC could be converted into lofts. Also, with a new urban farm going in the area, attracting folks interested in participating in growing or buying local produce could be a real selling point for more residential in Eastern Market.

[casscorridor]

The article didn't mention the renovations happening on the neglected Gratiot strip of the Eastern Market District.



All three of those buildings [[the one of the far right is actually two buildings) are currently under major renovation. Scaffolding is covering all of them as we speak.

The building on the far right contains two storefronts, which the owner wants to convert into some sort of business... coffee shop, bar or restaurant. The far left building is slated to be a gallery and venue of some sort. Not sure about the middle one. But exciting nonetheless.

Also, I don't think the article mentioned how the four-story building next door to the Germack is going to be loft space and a restaurant on the ground level.

Does anyone know if there are any plans for the old Germack space? I've been into the gallery next door, it is really nice. I'd like to see the upper floors converted into studio space or lofts. I'd also like the see the other buildings on Russell between the freeway and Gratiot converted into storefronts. Personally, I see way more potential in the Gratiot/Russell section of the Market district for a walkable retail/entertainment area than the northern section, which seems more useful for light-industrial or warehouses.

[stromberg2]

I'm not sure, but I think Germack's original still houses the pistachio business.

Stromberg2

[royce]

Years ago there was talk about opening up Russell just south of Gratiot to vehicle traffic in order to connect to the Lafayette Park area. What happened to that idea? Also, great to see some of the buildings along Gratiot being renovated. Since the landscaped median has been put into place, that part of Gratiot would be ideal for a restaurant or coffee house. I would love to see the ground floor of the Atlas Furniture building open up with some kind of restaurant or small bar and grill.

[downtownguy]

I don't recall that. I imagine Lafayette Park residents wouldn't like the extra traffic that would bring on Antietam. Since Antietam only goes another block or so before making a 90 degree turn going west, and eventually looping back up to Gratiot, I don't know how much it would accomplish. You can do the same by taking Gratiot down to Antietam if you want to get to Lafayette Park.

However, I do recall there was something about having Russell once again go through the park south of Canfield so it is uninterrupted and you don't have to detour to Chrysler Service Drive or Dequindre and back again if you want to continue north on Russell.

[casscorridor]

I don't recall that. I imagine Lafayette Park residents wouldn't like the extra traffic that would bring on Antietam. Since Antietam only goes another block or so before making a 90 degree turn going west, and eventually looping back up to Gratiot, I don't know how much it would accomplish. You can do the same by taking Gratiot down to Antietam if you want to get to Lafayette Park.

Then why do they live the center of a city??? This isn't a suburb. Cities need streets that connect.

However, I do recall there was something about having Russell once again go through the park south of Canfield so it is uninterrupted and you don't have to detour to Chrysler Service Drive or Dequindre and back again if you want to continue north on Russell.

Hopefully this can be done as well as extending russell south

[stasu1213]

Who idea was it to close off Russell that runs south of Canfield. I had remembered that was opened at one time. Was it during the Archer administration? Next. I think a coffee shop would fit in one of the storefronts that is undergoing renovation. I want it to stay open after 4pm everyday. Germack cofee shop closes too early when the market closes. I think that a healthfood store and a On The Rise Bakery such as the one on McClellan could line Gratiot in the empty storefronts too. A restaurant could open in the Atlas building storefront which could get its meats and other items from the Eastern Market itself. Whatever opens on that strip should compliment the Eastern Market area. The whole stretch from Gratiot/Russell to Gratiot/Chene area could be coined "Eastern Market District" or some catchy name

[casscorridor]

This building was demolished almost overnight. Anyone know what is up? For some reason, I highly doubt anything is taking its place. Seems like prime parking space for Gratiot Central or Busy Bee. Shame. I'd like to see a multi-level building with storefronts on the bottom with apartments on top. Again, just highly doubt it.

[SWMAP]

Something else funny happening in the Market. For the first time ever I see bead jewelry sellers in Shed Three and piled up tents around the sheds selling hammocks and hula skirts. Some of these are blaring boom-boxes. Just junking up the market imo. Why would the Market want to fill up real estate with trinket jewelry?

[adamjab19]

Something else funny happening in the Market. For the first time ever I see bead jewelry sellers in Shed Three and piled up tents around the sheds selling hammocks and hula skirts. Some of these are blaring boom-boxes. Just junking up the market imo. Why would the Market want to fill up real estate with trinket jewelry?

This little outdoor market was going on last year around the gazeebo. Kind of annoying and seemed kind of desperate...

[Detroitnut]

This building was demolished almost overnight. Anyone know what is up? For some reason, I highly doubt anything is taking its place. Seems like prime parking space for Gratiot Central or Busy Bee. Shame. I'd like to see a multi-level building with storefronts on the bottom with apartments on top. Again, just highly doubt it.

Building is owned by Busy Bee and is being demolished to provide customer parking. Germack space was just rented to an artisan group to be a retail handmade art/gift shop. Artists are moving into the second floor as studio space. Germack's nut roasting factory is in the Eastern Market on Wilkins near Roma cafe.

[casscorridor]

Building is owned by Busy Bee and is being demolished to provide customer parking. Germack space was just rented to an artisan group to be a retail handmade art/gift shop. Artists are moving into the second floor as studio space. Germack's nut roasting factory is in the Eastern Market on Wilkins near Roma cafe.

ugh. so short sighted

good news on the old germack space though

[canuck]

This little outdoor market was going on last year around the gazeebo. Kind of annoying and seemed kind of desperate...

I dunno, keep in mind some of the trinket stuff adds to the bazaar feel of the place maybe. I would maybe help structure their stalls, make the whole experience more appealing, but the mix of goods can help the lingering of a clientele. Coffee shops and restaurants and tastings are a plus, but if everything needs to mimic the sanitized supermarket, then this only evacuates the eventful out of shopping at a public market, in my mind. I think people go to the public market to be surprised rather than soothed by the sameness of everyday shopping. Some of these small operators may bring better stuff next year if their stalls do OK for awhile.

"More is more" rather than "less is more" at a public market I guess.

[canuck]

I guess I'm in the mood for this topic, I'm heading out to a flea market-public market at St-Eustache and one at Lachute Qc, this afternoon. Hope to find an old piece of furniture, or something.

[Gistok]

I have to agree with Canuck on non-veggie sales at Eastern Market... did you folks get up in arms when Hirt was selling baskets?

I kind of like some variety at Eastern Market... and the sameness of 80 sellers selling Okra, honey and eggs...