Another Step Forward for Gateway Mall on Woodward Avenue just south of 8 Mile

**Flintoid** · December-13-11, 01:53 PM

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...s_a_go_st.html

Looking like so far there is going to be a Meijer, Marshalls, and a K&G Clothing store. Retail is so desperately needed, keep it coming.

**rjk** · December-13-11, 03:18 PM

Somone asked about this developement a few months ago and here's what I posted.

"It seems there are these done deal updates every six months so there should be a new one coming up around Christmas time. It should be very exciting.

"

The last green light this project had was this past July, now here's another one.
This has been going on for how many years now? Does anyone actually believe this project will come to fruition?

**DetroitPlanner** · December-13-11, 03:36 PM

Yay more strip malls in the City!

**ghettopalmetto** · December-13-11, 03:40 PM

More overubiquitous, generic top-down city planning! Detroit is saved!

**jolla** · December-13-11, 03:55 PM

From the article:

"This will provide grocery opportunities in what has been federally classified as a food desert."

"Food desert" is an offical government thing now?

**DetroitPlanner** · December-13-11, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by jolla

From the article:

"Food desert" is an offical government thing now?

Interesting. the old FJ at 7 and Livernois is not far as are groceries in Ferndale and Royal Oak twp. I am tired of this played out depiction. Whats wrong with Spartan stores?

**Flintoid** · December-13-11, 04:28 PM

While we may complain about strip malls, this is by no means a true "urban" part of the city. It's neighborhoods set back from retail strips, a very suburban concept. In that setting, this fits perfectly.

**animatedmartian** · December-13-11, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by rjk

Somone asked about this developement a few months ago and here's what I posted.

"It seems there are these done deal updates every six months so there should be a new one coming up around Christmas time. It should be very exciting.

"

The last green light this project had was this past July, now here's another one.
This has been going on for how many years now? Does anyone actually believe this project will come to fruition?

I mean, they've got a little security van that sits out there and watches the dirt. Surely that's enough effort to show they're committed.

bartock · December-13-11, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

More overubiquitous, generic top-down city planning! Detroit is saved!

In any era, that 8 Mile/Woodward area was never one for retail, since it had a fucking STATE FAIRGROUNDS attached to it and, for the most part, exclusive residential and cemetary across from it.

Of couse, given your history, I respect and assume you know about the area, and understand that between old fairgrounds and cemetary and 8 lane thoroughfares, there is nothing remotely "urban" about the area and never has been. EVER. But my goodness, your unsubstantiated, bully-pulpit and gap-toothed opinions opinions are usually at least thinly cloaked in some loose shred of knowledge of what you are talking about.

**Gistok** · December-13-11, 05:24 PM

As excited as I am about this project... 2 words keep coming back to haunt me... Bel-Air...
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16369...Rd-DETROIT-MI/

Even having 429,000 people living within 5 miles of here, with frontage on 8 Mile Rd. between Van Dyck and Groesbeck.... cannot save this dying hulk [[major tenants Phoenix Theatres, Forman Mills).

**313WX** · December-13-11, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Interesting. the old FJ at 7 and Livernois is not far as are groceries in Ferndale and Royal Oak twp. I am tired of this played out depiction. Whats wrong with Spartan stores?

It's a down right embarassment that a city of 700,000 can't manage to handle one national grocery store chain.

**313WX** · December-13-11, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

As excited as I am about this project... 2 words keep coming back to haunt me... Bel-Air...
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16369...Rd-DETROIT-MI/

Even having 429,000 people living within 5 miles of here, with frontage on 8 Mile Rd. between Van Dyck and Groesbeck.... cannot save this dying hulk [[major tenants Phoenix Theatres, Forman Mills).

The theatre is now owned by someone completely independent.

It's about the equivalent of a low-rate theatre now.

But yeah, this is a good analog when looking forward to the success of the Shoppes At Gateway Plaza. Bel-Air when it first opened had a Farmer JAck, McDonalds, AMC Theatre, Target, Toys 'R Us, Builders' Square, etc. Now all it has is Forman Mills, that Cabinet Warehouse store [[never heard of it until it opened there) a DTE Energy Billing Center and a Secretary of State.

**Bham1982** · December-13-11, 08:31 PM

Over the last 10 years, 8 Mile has devolved into a wasteland of vacant retail. Gone are Target, JCPenney, and countless other stores, large and small.

This corridor is getting emptier and poorer by the day, and it's a total waste of public resources to subsidize another failed strip mall.

Hopefully, the taxpayers will get a nice Christmas gift, and this project will never reach groundbreaking.

**Treelock** · December-13-11, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

This corridor is getting emptier and poorer by the day, and it's a total waste of public resources to subsidize another failed strip mall.

Hopefully, the taxpayers will get a nice Christmas gift, and this project will never reach groundbreaking.

Yes, let's hope and pray for continued disinvestment as a strategy to move us forward. That'll show 'em how the free market spins its magic.

I live a stone's throw from the Fairgrounds site and have been watching the mostly non-developments over the years there with interest. I have to say that, while I'm concerned that we'll end up with a hideous strip mall in the worst-case scenario, the investment there will be a very good thing. Meijer will be a strong [[and Michigan-based) anchor that will appeal to both the low-income residents and the better-heeled foodies drawn by inexpensive organic food who live nearby, not to mention capturing the huge volumes of people who commute past that intersection on a daily basis.

I most definitely would stop there on the way home from work. And while I'm not familiar with what's happened with the Bel-Air site, I feel like location-wise, you can't compare the two. Woodward and 8 Mile is a major intersection of metro Detroit in just about every aspect save for commercial development, and this project has the potential to begin to change that.

**hybridy** · December-13-11, 10:29 PM

What happened to the letter of intent jc penny signed awhile back?

**313WX** · December-13-11, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

What happened to the letter of intent jc penny signed awhile back?

They backed out.

There was a news article and/or thread about it somewhere.

The Letter of Intent didn't mean much anyway.

**detroitsgwenivere** · December-13-11, 10:43 PM

A meijer gas station would be most welcome. Their gas is usually about 10 cents cheaper than the regional average.

Has anyone heard anything in regards to the planning issues the community voiced? Have any changes been made to the layout?

**JenniferL** · December-13-11, 10:44 PM

ANYTHING at that site would be better than what's there now [[i.e. nothing).

**softailrider** · December-13-11, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by rjk

Somone asked about this developement a few months ago and here's what I posted.

"It seems there are these done deal updates every six months so there should be a new one coming up around Christmas time. It should be very exciting.

"

The last green light this project had was this past July, now here's another one.
This has been going on for how many years now? Does anyone actually believe this project will come to fruition?

As I've said before, I'll believe it when I see hammers swinging and concrete being poured.

**softailrider** · December-13-11, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Yay more strip malls in the City!

Yeah, but with some decent stores for a change. Sounds pretty good to me.

**ghettopalmetto** · December-14-11, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by bartock

In any era, that 8 Mile/Woodward area was never one for retail, since it had a fucking STATE FAIRGROUNDS attached to it and, for the most part, exclusive residential and cemetary across from it.

Of couse, given your history, I respect and assume you know about the area, and understand that between old fairgrounds and cemetary and 8 lane thoroughfares, there is nothing remotely "urban" about the area and never has been. EVER. But my goodness, your unsubstantiated, bully-pulpit and gap-toothed opinions opinions are usually at least thinly cloaked in some loose shred of knowledge of what you are talking about.

it goes without saying that if you build something anti-urban on the site, it will REMAIN anti-urban. The only way to urbanize it is to [[surprise!) build urban form.

Your line of reasoning is a Mobius strip [[mall) of self-fulfilling prophecy. You can't keep building strip malls and then wonder why Detroit isn't more urban.

**mwilbert** · December-14-11, 12:32 AM

All this is true, but if you were going to start building urban-style shopping areas, 8 Mile and Woodward would be an odd place to start.

**ghettopalmetto** · December-14-11, 12:34 AM

Originally Posted by mwilbert

All this is true, but if you were going to start building urban-style shopping areas, 8 Mile and Woodward would be an odd place to start.

It's no worse than building a faux-urban "town center" in Novi or Sterling Heights.

Have we really forgotten how to build neighborhoods?

**mwilbert** · December-14-11, 12:38 AM

It's no worse than building a faux-urban "town center" in Novi or Sterling Heights.

But less effective, as those places are indeed faux-urban; they are still set up to cater to cars. If you want a faux-urban shopping center at 8 Mile and Woodward, that would probably work.

**Hermod** · December-14-11, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

It's no worse than building a faux-urban "town center" in Novi or Sterling Heights.

Have we really forgotten how to build neighborhoods?

We didn't "build" neighborhoods, they just happened.

When Six-pack Sally no longer had to walk down to the corner store for her groceries and could drive to Farmer Jack, the corner store first became a party store and then went out of business.

If you take away their cars, the corner stores will return [[even in the subdivisions of far, far Macomb County.