Should we even try downtown retail?

[bailey]

Therefore, don't even try to open stores downtown, right? I mean, empty buildings and parkingplexes are much preferred.

Its easy to demand someone do something. ...I don't really get what the argument here has become with all this focus on walmart/bigbox. Let's review the facts on the ground. Washington Blvd, Broadway,Fort, Woodward are all replete with empty storefronts and empty retail in buildings. the "Z building has just added two more blocks of it. The Tiki God HQ for Meridian claims it will have street level retail. Whatever Rock is doing with the rest of that block claims it will have "street level retail. Allegedly the Illitch funzone is to have street level retail as a component. The Gilbert option on the Fail Jail site is to contain retail. The Gilbert Plan for the Hudson's site seems to have retail as a huge component of it. The Wintergarden is three floors of almost totally empty retail. To my knowledge, nothing that is being built in the WSU/Midtown area doesn't have street level retail....
No one is saying anything about reserving any space for a Walmart near Campus Martius.

The problem is that "everyone in detroit goes to [insert big box store] or [online sales tax free option] or [mall in suburbs]" seems to be what local retailers and chains think.

One thing that no one can complain about is a lack of storefronts or retail space available, or soon to come online, in the CBD.