Great Lakes Crossing - Early Years and Construction Memories

**EastsideAl** · July-16-13, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by compn

indoor malls are prohibitively expensive, but the weather in michigan is not suited to the design of fountain walk and other oudoor bigbox malls.

Except that we had 2 quite beautiful ones here for many years. I have some very warm memories from my childhood of Eastland when it looked like this, instead of like a fortress of dark cave-like corridors.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-16-13, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

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Except that we had 2 quite beautiful ones here for many years. I have some very warm memories from my childhood of Eastland when it looked like this, instead of like a fortress of dark cave-like corridors.

To a lesser extent Wonderland had that look as well. The key for these malls were that they were designed for pedestrian movement. Places like Fountain Walk are designed without covered areas to give them more of a 'Downtown Look'. Heck Fountain walk has cars driving around inside it to make it 'feel downtowny' even though it is not. I'd rather have the pedestrian covers and the landscaping.

**mtburb** · July-16-13, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Places like Fountain Walk are designed without covered areas to give them more of a 'Downtown Look'. Heck Fountain walk has cars driving around inside it to make it 'feel downtowny' even though it is not.

But even this region has had various real downtowns for many years. If you want to see local examples of real downtowns [[not counting those with buildings over 20 stories tall), feel free to visit Royal Oak, Plymouth, Northville, Grosse Pointe, Wyandotte, Birmingham or Ann Arbor [[just a few examples though!).

And we should go back on topic before this turns into an "outdoor vs. indoor mall" debate.

And here we arrive at page two!

**DetroitPlanner** · July-16-13, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by mtburb

But even this region has had various real downtowns for many years. If you want to see local examples of real downtowns [[not counting those with buildings over 20 stories tall), feel free to visit Royal Oak, Plymouth, Northville, Grosse Pointe, Wyandotte, Birmingham or Ann Arbor [[just a few examples though!).

And we should go back on topic before this turns into an "outdoor vs. indoor mall" debate.

And here we arrive at page two!

I don't consider those to be downtowns but more food courts for drunk yuppies. Not much retail left i those places, they have been replaced by bars or fru fru diners. I look for two things to judge heath of a downtown: can I buy underwear there, and is there a hardware store. I also look above the first floor to see if the offices are full and what types of tennants fill them. Lawyers show stability while massage parlors and tattoo parlors are more fly by night. Of those mentioned Ann Arbor is the closest but you can't get underwear there and it has a load of fru fru dining establishments.

**Hermod** · July-17-13, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I don't consider those to be downtowns but more food courts for drunk yuppies. Not much retail left i those places, they have been replaced by bars or fru fru diners. I look for two things to judge heath of a downtown: can I buy underwear there, and is there a hardware store. I also look above the first floor to see if the offices are full and what types of tennants fill them. Lawyers show stability while massage parlors and tattoo parlors are more fly by night. Of those mentioned Ann Arbor is the closest but you can't get underwear there and it has a load of fru fru dining establishments.

After my last visit to Michigan [[Nov 2012), I started a thread on this subject that [[after walking around) downtown Rochester, Birmingham, and Ferndale
that these "vibrant" downtowns are full of "shoppes" as opposed to "shops" [[where you can really buy something). If you want to "shop" you have to go to M-59. If you want to "shoppe" you go to one of the little Potemkin Villages.

**noise** · July-17-13, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I don't consider those to be downtowns but more food courts for drunk yuppies. Not much retail left i those places, they have been replaced by bars or fru fru diners. I look for two things to judge heath of a downtown: can I buy underwear there, and is there a hardware store. I also look above the first floor to see if the offices are full and what types of tennants fill them. Lawyers show stability while massage parlors and tattoo parlors are more fly by night. Of those mentioned Ann Arbor is the closest but you can't get underwear there and it has a load of fru fru dining establishments.

If I wasn't buying underwear in downtown Ann Arbor all of those years, what was I buying?!?

**DetroitPlanner** · July-20-13, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by noise

If I wasn't buying underwear in downtown Ann Arbor all of those years, what was I buying?!?

Please provide the names of stores and locations in downtown Ann Arbor that provide goods such as underwear. My guess is that you may be able to find some boxers covered with U of M logos but nothing made by Hanes of Fruit of the Loom since Klines shut their doors 20 years ago.

**noise** · July-22-13, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Please provide the names of stores and locations in downtown Ann Arbor that provide goods such as underwear. My guess is that you may be able to find some boxers covered with U of M logos but nothing made by Hanes of Fruit of the Loom since Klines shut their doors 20 years ago.

Just like Bham1982, you try to move the goalposts. I don't know if you can buy Hanes or Fruit of the Loom, because I don't wear them. You said underwear. You used to be able to buy those at Sam's, Van Boven, and there's still an American Apparel downtown, as I recall.

**Bham1982** · July-17-13, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by mtburb

But even this region has had various real downtowns for many years. If you want to see local examples of real downtowns [[not counting those with buildings over 20 stories tall), feel free to visit Royal Oak, Plymouth, Northville, Grosse Pointe, Wyandotte, Birmingham or Ann Arbor [[just a few examples though!).

There are plenty of vibrant downtowns, but they aren't in competition with malls, because they aren't retailing centers anymore.

For all this talk about "booming" Birmingham, there's barely any retail left. There used to be Jacobsons, Crowleys, and tons of retail; now unless you want designer olive oil or gluten-free puppy snacks, you're out of luck.

**noise** · July-17-13, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

There are plenty of vibrant downtowns, but they aren't in competition with malls, because they aren't retailing centers anymore.

For all this talk about "booming" Birmingham, there's barely any retail left. There used to be Jacobsons, Crowleys, and tons of retail; now unless you want designer olive oil or gluten-free puppy snacks, you're out of luck.

Weren't you the one complaining that you couldn't buy jeans in Birmingham, when you clearly can? Then you moved the goal posts to say you couldn't buy the specific jeans you wanted?

Just because your tastes aren't being met in a downtown region doesn't mean it's not meeting the needs of others.

**Bham1982** · July-17-13, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by noise

Weren't you the one complaining that you couldn't buy jeans in Birmingham, when you clearly can? Then you moved the goal posts to say you couldn't buy the specific jeans you wanted?

Just because your tastes aren't being met in a downtown region doesn't mean it's not meeting the needs of others.

Not sure what you're arguing here. We're talking about retail centers. Downtowns are no longer retail centers. Birmingham has very little retail. Royal Oak has almost none. Re. jeans, there is no place in Birmingham to buy normal jeans. There used to be Gap, multiple department stores and an army-navy store.

It has nothing to do with "meeting people's tastes", it has to do with no more retail. Downtowns are 90% restaurants & bars these days. They're no longer competing with malls.

**noise** · July-17-13, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Not sure what you're arguing here. We're talking about retail centers. Downtowns are no longer retail centers. Birmingham has very little retail. Royal Oak has almost none. Re. jeans, there is no place in Birmingham to buy normal jeans.

It has nothing to do with "meeting people's tastes", it has to do with no more retail. Downtowns are 90% restaurants & bars these days. They're no longer competing with malls.

What are "normal" jeans?

For many people, Birmingham does a good job of meeting most of their retail needs. You can't discuss retail without discussing what people want.

**nain rouge** · July-17-13, 08:20 AM

Face it, we're too sprawled out and car-centric to have real urban downtowns. In the old days, downtowns functioned as a necessity for local residents. Now, most are historical shopping districts that resemble Downtown Disney more than anything else.

**mtburb** · July-17-13, 04:49 PM

And we shall now return to topic! Anyways, does anyone recall a Borders ever being in GLX?

**Hermod** · July-17-13, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by mtburb

And we shall now return to topic! Anyways, does anyone recall a Borders ever being in GLX?

It was on an "outparcel" on the NW corner of the site. It lasted till the massive Borders meltdown. The folks out in that neck of the woods really miss it because they don't have a Barnes & Noble close by.

**JBMcB** · July-18-13, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by mtburb

And we shall now return to topic! Anyways, does anyone recall a Borders ever being in GLX?

There was a Borders Express over by the food court right up until all the Borders liquidated.

When it first opened there was also a seconds/surplus book store, similar to books warehouse, or whatever those outlet bookstores are called now. Just a plain, big room with folding card tables filled with piles of books.

**Hermod** · July-18-13, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

When it first opened there was also a seconds/surplus book store, similar to books warehouse, or whatever those outlet bookstores are called now. Just a plain, big room with folding card tables filled with piles of books.

That moved over to the strip mall kitty corner across the I75/Baldwin intersection from GLX. It is near the Five Below store.

**mtburb** · March-21-14, 09:19 AM

Now that there's talk of an aquarium going in where Gameworks used to be, I thought this would be just the perfect time to bump this thread. It's odd that no one that has posted on here yet remembered the JCPenney Outlet store at all...

**stasu1213** · November-14-18, 07:08 PM

the megamalls becoming a thing of the past. Many anchor stores are closing nationwide leaving empty spaces in these malls. Birch Run is still doing good because it is more like a gathering of outlet stores. I used to say that Detroit need a megamall with all of the landmass that is in the city but I changed my mind due to the closing of these big box stores such as Sears, KMart, and Macys is closing many of it's stores nationwide. The only thing that could save Eastland if it is converted to an open air mall just like it was before the roof was put on top of it.