Dan Gilberts Retail Renaissance to include 70-90 retailers, including Target & Apple

[jaytheory]

The only Marquee parts of town are Somerset Mall, 12 Oaks, and to a lesser extent Fairlane in terms of retail.

A family dollar is not a dollar store. It is a variety store much like what Woolworths or Kresge once were. For example you can't buy Sheets, Brooms or gallons of milk at a dollar store, but you can at a Family Dollar. Ten percent of what they sell costs more than $10. Most residents or office workers would appreciate a place to pick up something that they need in a pinch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Dollar
http://www.familydollar.com/pages/ho...+dollar+online

Bottom line is that it will generate pedestrian traffic, offer goods that are needed, and that in turn can be used to draw other retailers.

Family Dollar, sure, not in the CBD though. How bout I meet you in the middle ,target?

IF we are talking about servicing residents, most of them dont live downtown, lets get better retail in the historic retail centers, grand river greenfield, wyoming 7 mile etc

i believe family dollars are in both those locals

[downtownguy]

Family Dollar in the CBD, absolutely! Kresge started and grew their business from one store downtown over a hundred years ago. Woolworth, also, was their for years. This is an urban core, not Rodeo Drive.

[downtownguy]

The Beatty, an elegant men's' s store on Jefferson and Cheney, has been doing the same bespoke tailoring for years now, even the current "skinny" suits.

Marsha, I'm not familiar with The Beatty. Is that Jefferson and Chene? I'm trying to place it, and google gave me goose eggs.

[Hermod]

Also, the article said that they believe a Detroit Style is "sprouting". I've been seeing stylish Detroit men all of my life; Detroit set the standards of sharp at one time. I found their quoted statements insulting.

Marsha, maybe in the Motown world Detroit set the "standards of sharp". In the business world, the auto industry was blue serge suits while New York and Washington were gray flannel suits. Detroit was never the style setter and regardless of their money and economic power, the auto industry [[and Detroit) were always looked down on as "nouveau rich" clods.

[canuck]

Marsha, maybe in the Motown world Detroit set the "standards of sharp". In the business world, the auto industry was blue serge suits while New York and Washington were gray flannel suits. Detroit was never the style setter and regardless of their money and economic power, the auto industry [[and Detroit) were always looked down on as "nouveau rich" clods.

The east coast press used to laugh at Los Angeles and its mish-mash of styles too. Before the Los Angeles Times became a "credible paper" less than forty years ago, very little native So-Cal styling was taken seriously, but there was always a side of Hollywood that carried the day.

I think that the design crowd in Detroit probably had a core of very stylish folks sensitive to the best in worldwide trends. Most people who live in New York live very ordinary uneventful lives like those in Detroit or Los Angeles. You can be a hick in Manhattan and an art guru in North Platte as far as I am concerned. But I appreciate what you are saying Hermod, there are definitely differences between cities and personal styles. Toronto and Montreal are like worlds apart in the fashion sense.

[erikd]

Lets stop putting the cart before the horse. How about we worry about getting some stores that meet the basic needs of residents and workers downtown before we worry about Apple, Gucci or Ralph?

Even a Family Dollar in the CBD would be welcome as they do have basic brand name house goods and cleaning supplies.

I have lived and worked in downtown Detroit for over 16 years and I completely disagree with you.

First off, downtown Detroiters have greater access to goods, services, entertainment, and cultural amenities than people in any other place in metro Detroit.

We can walk to Eastern Market, the Post Office, convenience stores, barber shops and salons, dozens of banks, over a hundred bars and restaurants, government offices and courts, world class theaters, professional sports and convention facilities, specialty clothing stores, incredible public spaces and parks, casinos, and basic services such as dry cleaning, florists, tailoring, and shoe repair.

In addition to all of these amenities, many of us who live downtown also work downtown, so we are able to walk to work.

The assertion that we need to "meet the basic needs of residents and workers downtown before we worry about Apple, Gucci or Ralph" is bullshit.

We do not live downtown to be close to big-box discount warehouse retail stores. We do not need, nor do we want, a fucking Walmart, or any other discount big-box retailer downtown. This is not a disadvantage for downtowners, because even the suburbanites who live in proximity to big-box stores still have to drive to them. I have a lot of family and friends in the suburbs, and none of them can walk to a Walmart, Target, Meijer, or any other big-box store.

If downtowners want to go to a big-box store, it is only a 10-15 minute drive away. The suburbanites who live closer to these big-box stores still have to drive to them, and the time it takes to get there is not significantly different.

Secondly, downtown is not supposed to be the place to get cheap household cleaning supplies and cheap discount goods. That is what the suburbs are for. If we wanted to live a few miles closer to the shitty big-box discount stores, then we would live in the the suburbs. We are downtown because we don't want to live by that dreck.

It isn't a coincidence that there are no big-box stores and shitty strip-malls in Birmingham and Grosse Pointe. Birmingham and Grosse Pointe residents can't just drive around the corner to buy cheap underwear and cleaning supplies either.

Downtown, Midtown, and Corktown Detroit have waiting lists for all of the people who want to live here. People don't want to be here because they hope that Walmart and Target might open a store some day. People want to be here because this is an environment that is walkable and where shitty big-box stores do not exist.

If "basic needs" retail stores were so important, downtown/midtown/corktown rentals wouldn't be two or three times as expensive as similar apartments in Sterling Heights, Troy, Livonia, Canton, or any other shitty strip-mall suburb that is supposedly better or more desirable than greater downtown Detroit.

Any attempt to "improve" the city by making it more like the suburbs is moronic. The fact that the city is not like the suburbs is the best thing that we have going for us. Detroit can not "out-suburb' the suburbs. Even if we tear down half the city and replace it with suburban style developments, we will not succeed or be successful in that endeavor. Detroit is a city, not a suburb, and we need to embrace and celebrate that fact. Detroit can not compete with Canton or Novi in terms of lower taxes or lower insurance rates, but Detroit can offer an urban lifestyle, featuring wonderful cultural amenities, amazing architecture, history, and a sense of place that simply does not exist in the cookie-cutter suburbs.

[erikd]

[/COLOR]
Oh, come on, Chicago is a completely different animal. Once the city rid itself of the Cabrini Green projects, gentrification there was obvious. Cabrini Green is right next to downtown neighborhoods that just got out of a major high rise residential building spree - I'm talking high rises so tall they'd be a major part of the skyline in Detroit. And the north side of Chicago has always been nice. The projects were an anomaly, not a rule, and now the projects are largely gone.

Meanwhile, we're still tearing down our tall buildings here. Our crime rates are significantly higher. We have maybe one or two employers that can compare with the companies in downtown Chicago. We have almost no significant retail, while Chicago still has the Miracle Mile and other areas.

Only a Detroiter would compare Detroit to Chicago. I'm not saying an Apple Store is out of the question maybe 5 or 10 years from now, but you're crazy if you think it's gonna happen anytime soon.

The idea of an Apple store in downtown/midtown Detroit in the near future is not out of the question at all. In fact, it is the most likely location for their next metro Detroit store. Unlike most traditional "brick and mortar" retailers, Apple does not sell most of their products out of their retail locations.

Consider the fact that Apple holds a significant share of the laptop and cellphone market, not to mention iPods, yet they only have three Apple stores in metro Detroit, which has a population well over 4 million people.

Most people who purchase Apple products do not purchase them from Apple stores. Apple places their stores in locations that are high-end and/or high profile, with the goal of positioning their product as not only cutting edge, but also cool and trendy.

A place like greater downtown Detroit, with a rapidly growing start-up tech environment, coupled with the strong artistic/hipster/counterculture scene, is exactly the type of place that a company like Apple would thrive in, and is seeking out.

If Apple opens more stores in bland suburban shopping malls, they lose their appeal to the artistic/hipster/counterculture set. Part of the appeal of Apple is their quality products, but even a bigger aspect of their appeal is their cool factor. Apple can continue to make great products, but if they start to market themselves as a common brand, with stores located in bland stripmalls, they will lose much of their cachet.

However, if Apple opens stores in growing creative/artistic/counterculture areas, they can maintain their lock on the cool factor, while making Microsoft and Bill Gates continue to look corporate and nerdy.

Apple has been spending quite a bit of money on large high-profile downtown advertisements over the last few years, not by accident. You don't see the sides of buildings covered with iPad ads in Livonia or Sterling Heights like you do in downtown Detroit.

Apple has a business model and a target market that is pretty similar to Whole Foods, and if you think that the marketing people at Apple aren't watching what is happening in Detroit, think again.

The Detroit Whole Foods probably received more media attention and free publicity than any other store they have ever opened. Not only is the new Detroit Whole Foods mentioned in many, if not most, of the daily local, national, and international stories about Detroit and our bankruptcy, but Whole Foods is always held up as a godsend and savior for Detroit. The Whole Foods in Detroit is not only packed and doing gangbuster business every day of the week, but they have also been held up as an example of a wonderful company who has invested in Detroit, in our darkest hour, for all the world to see.

When Whole Foods opened in Troy, nobody knew about it outside of Troy. When Whole Foods opened in Detroit, it made international news. You can't buy that kind of publicity and national/international goodwill.

I would actually be surprised if Apple did not open a store in Detroit to coincide with the opening of the M-1 rail line. The world is watching Detroit, and any type of investment or store opening will be major local news, and it will also be repeated on national and international news. I don't think that Apple will want to miss out on that type of marketing opportunity, especially considering that it fits so well with their cool/artistic/cutting edge brand.

[DetroitPlanner]

ErikD not everyone who lives or works downtown has or want a car to go shopping at a big box in the suburbs. As far as the provision of basic goods and services -- everyone needs those regardless of income level or geography. Everyone needs staple food items too like milk, eggs, soup, pasta. These are not so readily available at places like Eastern Market.

Your explanation that people who work downtown should go to the suburbs to buys stuff shows that you have no compassion for the poor or less mobile of society. "Let them eat cake"

FWIW Downtown is nowhere near what Birmingham or Grosse Pointe are in terms of wealth. At one time both of those downtowns had variety [[Dime) stores. Yes they were eventually replaced with other retail. Just because you open a store now does not guarantee that it will last. Retail changes and so do rents.

So you really want to waste a good portion of your non-work day driving to Fairlane Green to shop at Target? You say it is about 15 minutes. Okay there and back is probably 35 mins, walk from car to store and back, 5-10 mins, walk around store, 10 minutes, wait in line ten minutes. Thats 1.5 hours with gas wasted. Compare that with a quick jaunt during lunch to a place that never has a line. Which is better for Downtown's economy, the environment, your free-time? I'd go with the small store I can walk to and get out of quickly, that also provides employment downtown as well as adds to the sales per square foot.

Your opposition makes you sound like one of these racists nuts: http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2...hwest-atlanta/

[A2Mike]

The unused Manufacturers Bank building on Fort St. would be ideal for a major Apple store. The size is about right and, for a company as design conscious as Apple, the light and airy interior of this McKim, Mead and White treasure would underscore continuity in outstanding design past and present. Getting rather ahead of present realities, the Whitney Building, with its centerpiece court, would be a fine location for a Bloomingdale's or a Nordstom's.

[stasu1213]

I have lived and worked in downtown Detroit for over 16 years and I completely disagree with you.

First off, downtown Detroiters have greater access to goods, services, entertainment, and cultural amenities than people in any other place in metro Detroit.

We can walk to Eastern Market, the Post Office, convenience stores, barber shops and salons, dozens of banks, over a hundred bars and restaurants, government offices and courts, world class theaters, professional sports and convention facilities, specialty clothing stores, incredible public spaces and parks, casinos, and basic services such as dry cleaning, florists, tailoring, and shoe repair.

In addition to all of these amenities, many of us who live downtown also work downtown, so we are able to walk to work.

The assertion that we need to "meet the basic needs of residents and workers downtown before we worry about Apple, Gucci or Ralph" is bullshit.

We do not live downtown to be close to big-box discount warehouse retail stores. We do not need, nor do we want, a fucking Walmart, or any other discount big-box retailer downtown. This is not a disadvantage for downtowners, because even the suburbanites who live in proximity to big-box stores still have to drive to them. I have a lot of family and friends in the suburbs, and none of them can walk to a Walmart, Target, Meijer, or any other big-box store.

If downtowners want to go to a big-box store, it is only a 10-15 minute drive away. The suburbanites who live closer to these big-box stores still have to drive to them, and the time it takes to get there is not significantly different.

Secondly, downtown is not supposed to be the place to get cheap household cleaning supplies and cheap discount goods. That is what the suburbs are for. If we wanted to live a few miles closer to the shitty big-box discount stores, then we would live in the the suburbs. We are downtown because we don't want to live by that dreck.

It isn't a coincidence that there are no big-box stores and shitty strip-malls in Birmingham and Grosse Pointe. Birmingham and Grosse Pointe residents can't just drive around the corner to buy cheap underwear and cleaning supplies either.

Downtown, Midtown, and Corktown Detroit have waiting lists for all of the people who want to live here. People don't want to be here because they hope that Walmart and Target might open a store some day. People want to be here because this is an environment that is walkable and where shitty big-box stores do not exist.

If "basic needs" retail stores were so important, downtown/midtown/corktown rentals wouldn't be two or three times as expensive as similar apartments in Sterling Heights, Troy, Livonia, Canton, or any other shitty strip-mall suburb that is supposedly better or more desirable than greater downtown Detroit.

Any attempt to "improve" the city by making it more like the suburbs is moronic. The fact that the city is not like the suburbs is the best thing that we have going for us. Detroit can not "out-suburb' the suburbs. Even if we tear down half the city and replace it with suburban style developments, we will not succeed or be successful in that endeavor. Detroit is a city, not a suburb, and we need to embrace and celebrate that fact. Detroit can not compete with Canton or Novi in terms of lower taxes or lower insurance rates, but Detroit can offer an urban lifestyle, featuring wonderful cultural amenities, amazing architecture, history, and a sense of place that simply does not exist in the cookie-cutter suburbs.

I had noticed that you had mentioned "specialty clothing stores" and not clothing stores that caters to everyday consumers who are not into specialty shops. Detroit is still a retail desert when it comes to clothing and linen. Many Detroiters, while walking past these so called amenities find themselves shopping in the cookie cutter suburbs for basic needs such as linens, bathroom and kitchen accessories, and not so specialty clothing to wear. Nice try.

[stasu1213]

The unused Manufacturers Bank building on Fort St. would be ideal for a major Apple store. The size is about right and, for a company as design conscious as Apple, the light and airy interior of this McKim, Mead and White treasure would underscore continuity in outstanding design past and present. Getting rather ahead of present realities, the Whitney Building, with its centerpiece court, would be a fine location for a Bloomingdale's or a Nordstom's.

The First National Building or Chase building would be good spots for Apple. They are at campus martius and shoppers would have to go through a secured lobby which is a deterrent for snatch and grabbers.

[stasu1213]

ErikD not everyone who lives or works downtown has or want a car to go shopping at a big box in the suburbs. As far as the provision of basic goods and services -- everyone needs those regardless of income level or geography. Everyone needs staple food items too like milk, eggs, soup, pasta. These are not so readily available at places like Eastern Market.

Your explanation that people who work downtown should go to the suburbs to buys stuff shows that you have no compassion for the poor or less mobile of society. "Let them eat cake"

FWIW Downtown is nowhere near what Birmingham or Grosse Pointe are in terms of wealth. At one time both of those downtowns had variety [[Dime) stores. Yes they were eventually replaced with other retail. Just because you open a store now does not guarantee that it will last. Retail changes and so do rents.

So you really want to waste a good portion of your non-work day driving to Fairlane Green to shop at Target? You say it is about 15 minutes. Okay there and back is probably 35 mins, walk from car to store and back, 5-10 mins, walk around store, 10 minutes, wait in line ten minutes. Thats 1.5 hours with gas wasted. Compare that with a quick jaunt during lunch to a place that never has a line. Which is better for Downtown's economy, the environment, your free-time? I'd go with the small store I can walk to and get out of quickly, that also provides employment downtown as well as adds to the sales per square foot.

Your opposition makes you sound like one of these racists nuts: http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2...hwest-atlanta/

It's too bad these small walk in and out stores don't carry items for most basic needs which forces Detroiters to go to places such as Target and Walmart. These boutiques that are popping up in the downtown midtown area on caters to a certain few and not the masses.

[Gistok]

I have to agree with you DetroitPlanner... Erikd was addressing the 25K people that live in the downtown and nearby areas. What about the other 675K residents of Detroit?? Do they too have such quick and easy access to the suburbs to pick up their grocery needs? Did you factor in the travel time of those that require public transportation??

A2Mike... as much as I would love to agree with your ideas for a centerpiece courtyard of the Whitney Building as a department store nucleus [[such as the Macy's in city center Philadelphia)... the sad reality is that beyond the luxurious courtyard... the commercial space that circles it has a very shallow space betwen their courtyard entranceway, and the building exterior windows... only about 15ft. or so. So there is no way that the existing space is large enough for a department store. Even with the addition of the Himmelhoch's Building next door... the space would just not be large enough for a department store.

[DetroitPlanner]

The First National Building or Chase building would be good spots for Apple. They are at campus martius and shoppers would have to go through a secured lobby which is a deterrent for snatch and grabbers.

1st National is being fitted for an upscale grocery. Chase does not have that much space that can be freed up for retail. How about the site of Gail's?

What does everyone think of the retail going in at Vernor and Livernois? http://ht.ly/pLIhc

[dtowncitylover]

A2Mike... as much as I would love to agree with your ideas for a centerpiece courtyard of the Whitney Building as a department store nucleus [[such as the Macy's in city center Philadelphia)... the sad reality is that beyond the luxurious courtyard... the commercial space that circles it has a very shallow space betwen their courtyard entranceway, and the building exterior windows... only about 15ft. or so. So there is no way that the existing space is large enough for a department store. Even with the addition of the Himmelhoch's Building next door... the space would just not be large enough for a department store.

What were the stores that used to be in the Whitney?

[DetroitPlanner]

What were the stores that used to be in the Whitney?

The longest lasting was a Pharmacy. I can also remember a smoke shop which later became Pure Detroit, a small Secretary of State's office, a sandwich shop. Other gift stores seemed to come and go from the place as well. Gistok however is correct. even if you took down all of the walls there will be very little space, no room for escalators, and space on the upper floors would be much smaller than what is on the main floor.

[Gistok]

IIRC, there were also a few art galleries [[for short periods) in the David Whitney Building atrium.

[Neilr]

What were the stores that used to be in the Whitney?

Capper & Capper, a high end mens' clothing store, was on the ground floor of the David Whitney Building. Van Boven's, a similar, but slightly more casual, store was on the NE side of Grand Circus Park during the same period.

[A2Mike]

Capper and Capper was the certainly the most upscale menswear emporium in Detroit. As I learned to dress when I got into my college years, I acquired the indispensible Oxford button-downs, Shetland crew-necks and lambs wool v-necks there, but Capper's went way beyond those basics. They sold vicuna overcoats there, when even a vicuna scarf was priced at $40 [[don't even think about today's prices). If one wanted formal wear there was everything in the canon: daytime cutaways and directors coats, formal shirts with the correct, detachable, collars; for evening: dinner jackets and single striped trousers, tailcoats with the requisite double striped trousers; evening pumps, of course [[NOT patent oxfords). The final touch, a black homburg for black tie, and, for white tie, a top hat, either the collapsible opera hat, or, the stiff silk hat [[not even made anymore), pricier, but doubling for daytime cutaway use. Most remarkably, these were stock items, not special orders. This little catalog of esoteric haberdashery may bring home, however whimsically, the Detroits of then and now.

[A2Mike]

Gistok - Thank you for jogging my memory - the Whitney really is rather smaller than would serve for a department store. I think the upper floors had medical and dental offices.

[canuck]

With all the talk of adding "Apples" and "Targets" in downtown retail, don't any of you think a "William Tell" department store would fit in this context?

[wolverine]

The only Marquee parts of town are Somerset Mall, 12 Oaks, and to a lesser extent Fairlane in terms of retail.

A family dollar is not a dollar store. It is a variety store much like what Woolworths or Kresge once were. For example you can't buy Sheets, Brooms or gallons of milk at a dollar store, but you can at a Family Dollar. Ten percent of what they sell costs more than $10. Most residents or office workers would appreciate a place to pick up something that they need in a pinch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Dollar
http://www.familydollar.com/pages/ho...+dollar+online

Bottom line is that it will generate pedestrian traffic, offer goods that are needed, and that in turn can be used to draw other retailers.

I would suggest starting with a City Target. Having an anchor would at least bring in other retail. Family Dollar can come along if they want but I disagree as that as a starting point. Downtown should be a place where people come to shop and buy things that they would otherwise travel to the suburbs to get. IIRC, there's no shortage of dollar stores scattered throughout the city so they aren't needed in a place that should market itself as destination retail. Keep the dollar stores a couple blocks off Woodward.

There's other large stores that would perform well in the Detroit market like TJ Max, Marshalls, and Ross. Back to the original thought about Apple...why such a big step up? Because some of Apples products make their way into all sort of markets. Everyone needs a phone these days and that seems to be apple's best product. So it's not like they'll seem out of place in a downtown that will start out as mostly discount retail.

Another thing is office workers don't shop for basic needs and cleaning supplies. Actually, downtown workers don't do much shopping in any city anywhere. So I doubt Detroit would be breaking new ground in retailing. Downtown workers typically eat at all sorts of restaurants and cafes or pick up a few quick items at Walgreens or CVS....not toilet paper or cleaning supplies on their lunch break.

The higher end clothing retailer discussion is out of place. Detroit isn't an international tourism destination. Yeah...I get it's across from Canada. But places like LA, NYC, SF, and Chicago where downtown shops and department stores flourish do well because people are coming from all over the world to shop there. Actually, Michigan Ave in Chicago doesn't get a whole lot of sales from its own residents. The purchases are mostly from visitors. State street on the other hand gets a ton of local shoppers who take the trains and buses in and shop at places like Macy's, Sears, Nordstrom Rack, Gap, Old Navy, TJ Max, Marshalls, and Target.

These stores can be found in anywhere USA, which is why I believe opening in new downtown markets in places like Detroit wouldn't be an impossible challenge. Instead of residents driving or taking horrible long bus rides to the burbs, they will be able to transfer to the LRT and head downtown.

Just imagine downtown Detroit as central office destination, but also a retail job center and a place to buy all sorts of things conveniently.

But a mere suggestion as a Family Dollar as a place to start would be a half-assed effort. That's why I'm impressed by Dan Gilbert. Go big or don't bother trying.

[dtowncitylover]

With all the talk of adding "Apples" and "Targets" in downtown retail, don't any of you think a "William Tell" department store would fit in this context?

What do you mean by this? I know the William Tell story, but reading between the lines is proving a bit foggy.

[Gistok]

What do you mean by this? I know the William Tell story, but reading between the lines is proving a bit foggy.

WILLIAM TELL w/crossbow====> TARGET ====> Shooting APPLE off of son's head.

[stasu1213]

I would suggest starting with a City Target. Having an anchor would at least bring in other retail. Family Dollar can come along if they want but I disagree as that as a starting point. Downtown should be a place where people come to shop and buy things that they would otherwise travel to the suburbs to get. IIRC, there's no shortage of dollar stores scattered throughout the city so they aren't needed in a place that should market itself as destination retail. Keep the dollar stores a couple blocks off Woodward.

There's other large stores that would perform well in the Detroit market like TJ Max, Marshalls, and Ross. Back to the original thought about Apple...why such a big step up? Because some of Apples products make their way into all sort of markets. Everyone needs a phone these days and that seems to be apple's best product. So it's not like they'll seem out of place in a downtown that will start out as mostly discount retail.

Another thing is office workers don't shop for basic needs and cleaning supplies. Actually, downtown workers don't do much shopping in any city anywhere. So I doubt Detroit would be breaking new ground in retailing. Downtown workers typically eat at all sorts of restaurants and cafes or pick up a few quick items at Walgreens or CVS....not toilet paper or cleaning supplies on their lunch break.

The higher end clothing retailer discussion is out of place. Detroit isn't an international tourism destination. Yeah...I get it's across from Canada. But places like LA, NYC, SF, and Chicago where downtown shops and department stores flourish do well because people are coming from all over the world to shop there. Actually, Michigan Ave in Chicago doesn't get a whole lot of sales from its own residents. The purchases are mostly from visitors. State street on the other hand gets a ton of local shoppers who take the trains and buses in and shop at places like Macy's, Sears, Nordstrom Rack, Gap, Old Navy, TJ Max, Marshalls, and Target.

These stores can be found in anywhere USA, which is why I believe opening in new downtown markets in places like Detroit wouldn't be an impossible challenge. Instead of residents driving or taking horrible long bus rides to the burbs, they will be able to transfer to the LRT and head downtown.

Just imagine downtown Detroit as central office destination, but also a retail job center and a place to buy all sorts of things conveniently.

But a mere suggestion as a Family Dollar as a place to start would be a half-assed effort. That's why I'm impressed by Dan Gilbert. Go big or don't bother trying.

Family Dollar should had opened a store in the Lafayette Park strip mall where the Dollar General is. City Target, if not in the former Kresge Building will be a good fit in the New Center One Building where another clothing store once was a few years back. I think the store name was the Bizaar Collection. I still think that the big box stores such as Walmart should open in the Jefferson Village strip mall where it won't be a threat to retail downtown. I had noticed that some activity happening at the former Farmer Jack building in the mall. Does anyone has info to what is going on?