GRAND OPENING! Bail Bonds on Woodward

[Gannon]

Just what this city needs...a bail bond business in the middle of what should be some of the highest-end retail/restaurant space.

This place is on Woodward, just a block or so north of Inside Detroit's Welcome Center...and tonight they were having their grand opening party, or else they will be operating as a blind pig, too. I couldn't quite tell, but it seemed some familiar faces were hanging around celebrating this joint's creation.


Not sure who's idea it was to locate away from any of the main places they'd actually be required...like near the 36th, or City Hall, or even the Federal Courthouse [[if they were going for the bigger fishies). It just seems ridiculous to me, but I've never had to do business with one of these establishments. Hope never to have to, either.



What does anyone else think of this?! A bail bonds business on the main drag in the city...what kind of message does this send to our visitors and potential investors?!


I wonder if they are exempt from the Federal reporting standards for >$10k cash deposits?! LOL. Could be Kwhyme's money launderer, right in plain sight.

[401don]

Obviously the optics of this are terrible, but then so are all those empty storefronts. I also don't understand why they want such a high profile location when there's tons of cheap empty spots closer to the "action".

[Scottathew]

Just about any investment in the Woodward corridor is a good thing. Yes, it doesn't make sense to me that they would be so far away from the courthouse either. But it's America, and they're investing in Detroit, so I wish them the best of luck!

[Gsgeorge]

It's funny to me how there is such a preponderance of nail salons, bail bonds businesses, and liquor/party stores in our city, yet finding a decent grocery store, bakery, or fruit market is nearly impossible outside of midtown. What is wrong with our city? We value nails, booze, and getting out of jail quick more than eating healthy and having a moderately decent quality of living.

[gnome]

They own the building and couldn't find tenants so moved in ?

Nice signage. Rather tasteful. Not a hint of Detroit Party Store Yellow.

[downtown_racine]

A lot of snobs here got mad when a payday loan store opened up in a trendy part of revitalized downtown here, 7 years later its still there.

[Gannon]

Usurious money-lenders have been around since time-out-of-mind.

What are you saying, prepare to be pissed at this for YEARS?! LOL!



Last night when we first saw it, with the fenced-off outside tables FULL of folks...I thought it was another new BAR! I got closer and read the sign, Bail Bonds, and immediately thought, "what a strange name for a bar, but I've seen worse."

It wasn't until we walked back by that I realized it was actually just the grand opening party of a real bail bonds operation, the Notary Public sign in the front window gave it away. Not too many bars advertising Notaries...although I'm sure Gnome is going to tell me Tom's Tavern has two.


THAT is when it struck me how absolutely stupid it was to have this sort of business on the main drag...with basically no easy and free parking. Hell, the ONLY bail business I've even SEEN in town is that one joint kitty-corner from 1300, across from the Harbor House...and that only because when we step outside to smoke during gigs there, it is right in front of us. The buzz was always a bit better, for some reason, looking upon their sign and then to the Police Station...cannot explain it.


I'm standing on my first guess, since this IS Detroit...that they will largely operate as a blind pig and keep this Grand Opening party going at least all summer. Kick start their cashflow. I'm sure it will be good for their business, maybe they can offer free after-hours reloads to those thugs shooting up Larned and Congress and Broadway.


Cheers

[Richard]

Hmmmm is there space next door to place a strip club?

[Zacha341]

Or another "payday advance" joint. Ugh!

Hmmmm is there space next door to place a strip club?

[Zacha341]

LOL! Yeah, it's so annoying but it speaks to a demand: a bail bond joint for those needing such. I've just resigned myself to going out of the city for such sundries as produce, and other such necessities. Thank goodness we have eastern market and a few grocers who are hold forth.

It's funny to me how there is such a preponderance of nail salons, bail bonds businesses, and liquor/party stores in our city, yet finding a decent grocery store, bakery, or fruit market is nearly impossible outside of midtown. What is wrong with our city? We value nails, booze, and getting out of jail quick more than eating healthy and having a moderately decent quality of living.

[Zacha341]

No "We Except EBT" [[misspelling deliberate) sign next to the one that says "MOET Sold Here"?

They own the building and couldn't find tenants so moved in ?

Nice signage. Rather tasteful. Not a hint of Detroit Party Store Yellow.

[wolverine]

Awesome. I can't wait to visit Detroit. Actually, forget visiting, wouldn't it be awesome to live above a Bail Bonds store?

Gotta love the "any store is good for Detroit crowd." Alright, cool, glad you are so proud of that.

[Detroitej72]

Gotta love the "any store is good for Detroit crowd." Alright, cool, glad you are so proud of that.

While I like to see any business open that pays taxes, I don't like to see certain businesses along a showpiece stretch of downtown.

[Zacha341]

Yes, that's the same thinking that got us stuck with three blood-sucking casinos there were so suppose to be such a benefit and employ so many people. Right.......

Gotta love the "any store is good for Detroit crowd." Alright, cool, glad you are so proud of that.

[MidTownMs]

The way I see it....that's just one less empty building on Woodward.

[MidTownMs]

Yes, that's the same thinking that got us stuck with three blood-sucking casinos there were so suppose to be such a benefit and employ so many people. Right.......

I have never seen anybody forced to go into any of the casinos.

[Zacha341]

True. Nor is anyone forced to go into a crack house either, but I'd not want one next door to keep a running tally...

Simple fact of the matter, casino gaming [[gambling) high proximity gave many access to BEGIN to gamble where they would never have before. Further, unlike some of the well known Vegas casinos [[which ours pretended initially to be) Detroit big-three casinos became the barely-making-it, house-shoe, and bridge-card variety kind rapidly. Sure they started off trying to ape the high style, well-heeled sort of establishments.

Their minimal payout-ratios [[as mandated by the gaming commissions) where higher.

I worked at a talent agency when the new MGM launched and helped book "bright and cherry" 'models' to work the floor for the first gala opening days [[facing-the-place as it is called) so as to make the place look more polished and less rank and file as they have all sunken too. And even if we look at the pragmatic gains of having three casinos in the city the ROI's have ultimately been negligible.

Initially, Canadians and out-of-towners where a hope for our "brand new and shiney" casinos but those numbers have dropped, especially from Canada due to the currency exchange drop percentage. Our casinos are blighted with the same problems of Detroit: crime, under-employment, graff, and falling participation.

All three of our casinos now all run with minimal staffs, high turnover of the few locals they do hire. And the level of legitimate entertainment value has long been eclipsed by the bigger names that Caesars Windsor draws and they too are down in their numbers of gamblers and revenue.

I have never seen anybody forced to go into any of the casinos.

[ismoakrack]

This is tragic. I can't believe this type of business was approved for such a visible area. I totally disagree that this is better than an empty storefront.

[Richard]

Actually it does kinda open the door up with no future plan in place,
It would be rather inexpensive to start filling the other empty buildings and adding employment .

Strip joint
If there is a two story available you could put a Peep Show and then on the second floor divide it into a bunch of rooms to rent by the minute.

Then in another two story you could put hourly room rentals for those tired tourists that need a quick nap in between seeing the sights.

You could combine buildings to make weekly low budget room rentals.

A nice colorful adult toy/book shop would liven up the strip and add to the tax base.

A nice boutique wine shop with daily MD 20/20 wine specials and daily free sample tasting would add to the tax base.

Those are all nice cash flow business,easy and quick to start up to help in the tax base and provide employment and best of all they would make the strip look lively. If thats what is wanted I am sure there are some organizations that would love to accommodate.

I guess it is all in how you wish to portray your city identity and the message you wish to send I guess it would boil down to if you would not want it on your neighborhood street why would you wish it upon others.

[stasu1213]

This is another reason why the zoning commision should be brought before the council and raked over the coal on who the commision allow to set up shop in certain locations

[Zacha341]

------ROTFL! Dang-gy! One-minute joints? Give the folks some time to do what they!

But yeah, I get your larger point, if cash flow is the 'singular' rationale and driving force to commerce then all kinds of business and store fronts can and should proceed. Thanks for the hearty LOL!

....If there is a two story available you could put a Peep Show and then on the second floor divide it into a bunch of rooms to rent by the minute.

[Richard]

^ Exactly . With all of the currant turmoil going on there are more and more standing up in taking pride in their city and starting to have a voice in the direction the city is going in and it shows,there are "outsiders" that have a certain distaste for Detroit and it was based on if the citizens do not care about the future of their city why should anybody else.

Unfortunately it is kinda starting out at the beginning and having to deal with aspects that would be considered the norm in any other city but when you start compiling all of the good that is happening here and there it is adding up pretty fast and sometimes it is hard to remember to set the foundations so the future is enjoyable by all,sometimes a quick fix has long term negative results.

[Zacha341]

You see... How many times when I argued that casino gaming would further trash Detroit the proponent would say to me "Well it's already trashed!" to which I would say "Thank you for proving my point..." Just like all of those fly-by-night sub-prime mortgage joints the sprung up like weeds in Detroit and Southfield. Same rationale, well at least they are businesses not empty lots. Thanks for your comments....

^ Exactly . With all of the currant turmoil going on there are more and more standing up in taking pride in their city and starting to have a voice in the direction the city is going in and it shows,there are "outsiders" that have a certain distaste for Detroit and it was based on if the citizens do not care about the future of their city why should anybody else.

Unfortunately it is kinda starting out at the beginning and having to deal with aspects that would be considered the norm in any other city but when you start compiling all of the good that is happening here and there it is adding up pretty fast and sometimes it is hard to remember to set the foundations so the future is enjoyable by all,sometimes a quick fix has long term negative results.

[Richard]

LOL Zacha There was a main drag in Mlps Minn that was called Hennepin Ave in the 60s and 70s take a walk down there and it was everything I described above,historic movie palaces turned peep shows it was a buffet miles long of sin ,now it has once again become a source of pride for the city.

[Autoracks]

woodward and what? Occupied storefront is better than an empty one. Woodward is so unfortunate north of Downtown.