Could the Southgate Shopping Center be next to die?

[mtburb]

I have heard that two area Old Country Buffet locations shut down for good. One of those was at the Southgate Shopping Center. Here's the article: http://www.thenewsherald.com/article...0140104750.txt

So I am raising the question the title of this thread says. I have noticed recently that the parking lot was only about 10% occupied! There are now only a handful of open stores here. The closing of OCB has left yet another vacant mark on the corner of Eureka and Trenton, the shopping center once hosted a Montgomery Ward, a Service Merchandise, a Farmer Jack and a Borders Express. All of these have left the shopping center [[the former and latter via bankruptcy).

I believe that the Southgate Shopping Center may be well on it's way to becoming yet another Metro Detroit-Windsor ruin. I have included a picture of the former Montgomery Ward that I took earlier this month below. Do you also know of a strip mall or similar that is suffering the same fate such as Southgate's sister shopping center Eastgate? I know that the Lincoln Park Shopping Center is suffering a similar fate, but it was because there was a rumor that a Walmart was being built there.

[DetroitPlanner]

The Walmart which was going to be built at Sears/Lincoln Park was moved to a larger parcel which they could control [[not too far from Southgate Shopping Center) on Dix N of Eureka.

You're right about it dying. You forgot to mention the Borders left there too in the recent past. Unfortunately retail is changing. Many items are being purchased online, books you don't even get to flip pages, you just get through an electronic file. At the same time, there is more competition for fewer dollars leaving more of these hulks that are not contributing to the tax base, the employment base, and becoming eyesores.

This is not strictly a Detroit area problem either. It is national. Short of doing what was done to Wonderland or Livonia malls, I am not sure what else you can do to revive these things short of redevelopment into something with less retail. Thats not going to happen anytime soon around here because we already have more than enough vacant office or residential space that its risky to develop new.

[rooms222]

Wow, the Fire Mountain in Westland and the Old Country Buffet in Warren are the only two Fire Mountain/Ryan's/OCBs left in Metro Detroit...All the others are gone....There must have been about 15-20 at one time....

[motownmark04]

Wow, the Fire Mountain in Westland and the Old Country Buffet in Warren are the only two Fire Mountain/Ryan's/OCBs left in Metro Detroit...All the others are gone....There must have been about 15-20 at one time....

There is still an Old Country Buffet in Westland. It's on Wayne Rd just south of Warren.

[rooms222]

There is still an Old Country Buffet in Westland. It's on Wayne Rd just south of Warren.

It no longer shows up in their restaurant finder.....

[Signman]

You failed to mention all the chain restaurants surrounding it's parking lot. No retail shopping but plenty of commerce. Panera, Chilis, Buffalo Wild Wings, Old Chicago Pizza. Ukazoo bookstore replaced Walden books.

[Danny]

When you lose an anchor store, you lose the smaller retails and restuarants, too. Southgate Shopping Center has been a ghetto-fied suburban greyfield blight since 1999. Right after Wards and Service Mechandise [[formally Federal's) Dept Store closed. It's so terrible when corporate big box stores take over all of that space and suddenly close due to lack of customer confidence and ecomonic hardship. I miss the New-York esque proletarian mom and pop stores both in Detroit and suburbs.

[Gistok]

Who said Eastgate is suffering?

I was just there last night.... a couple of stores have played musical chairs in the past... Kmart left for a larger built store across the street to become a SuperKmart. Kroger took over Kmart's site, and a pair of stores took over Kroger's site. As for the main strip of stores... I think I only saw 1 or 2 empty storefronts... the rest appeared occupied.

[SaintMe]

http://www.thenewsherald.com/article...1249965204.txt

Former Montgomery Wards site will be demolished for public space.

SOUTHGATE — Mayor Joseph Kuspa announced today that Southgate Shopping Center will be demolished this spring.

During his State of the City address at the Holiday Inn Banquet and Convention Center, Kuspa said the site will be given new life.

Kuspa said the center, at the corner of Trenton and Eureka roads, once was a cherished shopping site for generations of Southgate and other Downriver residents.

“Regrettably, over time, the center’s influence has diminished; exacerbated by the closures of its anchor tenant, Montgomery Ward, in the [[late 1990s),” Kuspa said.

He said property owner Michael Sisskind will have the Montgomery Ward building demolished this spring.

He said Sisskind — who was with him during the announcement — will gift the vacant property to the city to develop a “multi-purpose flexible public space.”

“This project has the potential of redefining the Southgate Shopping Center, providing more retail, dining and entertainment experiences for our residents, creating jobs in our community and serving as a real catalyst for rejuvenation of the entire area,” Kuspa said.

[Mark Smiles]

I know you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but this does not add up. Why not sell the property after paying to have it cleared? There has to be something else going on.

[jackie5275]

You failed to mention all the chain restaurants surrounding it's parking lot. No retail shopping but plenty of commerce. Panera, Chilis, Buffalo Wild Wings, Old Chicago Pizza. Ukazoo bookstore replaced Walden books.

I think the restaurants are being sustained by the MJR movie theatre behind the shopping center.

[mtburb]

It appears that a new concert stage is being put in the Montgomery Ward area to make the area an entertainment district:

http://www.thenewsherald.com/article...8506684755.txt

[Gistok]

Oh good God... not "another" amphitheatre......

[JBMcB]

I know you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but this does not add up. Why not sell the property after paying to have it cleared? There has to be something else going on.

The city is probably letting them write it off as a charitable donation on their property taxes.

[DetroitPlanner]

Oh good God... not "another" amphitheatre......

The article mentions Project for Public Spaces worked on this. This is a respectable group and has worked on numerous things thoughout the US including the Riverwalk and Campus Martius.

[lpg]

Now the Sears Shopping Center at Dix and Southfield will be demolished. Everything but the Sears store.

[Wheels]

Now the Sears Shopping Center at Dix and Southfield will be demolished. Everything but the Sears store.

Sounds like what they did to Livonia Mall. Here comes Walmart LOL

[mtburb]

Now the Sears Shopping Center at Dix and Southfield will be demolished. Everything but the Sears store.

This is the article. According to it, there's only 7 stores still open in the entire strip mall [[not counting Sears)! They are:
Gamestop
GNC
Rainbow USA
Chinese Buffet
Payless
Dollar Tree
Famous Footwear
The other storefronts are vacant.

There's also a Big Boy and a Bank of America in the parking lot. Will they be taken down as well? I'm also wondering, will they put in a Target here? And put in a Five Guys or something on Dix in the parking lot?

There is still an Old Country Buffet in Westland. It's on Wayne Rd just south of Warren.

That and a Ryan's Steakhouse in Warren.

[DownriverGRap]

The Southgate Shopping Center died when Service Merchandise, Farmer Jack's and Wards closed. I remember before they build the MJR 20 that whole area was "overflow" parking for the center---almost humorous to think that way now. Tear it down. Good riddance.

[DetroitPlanner]

[QUOTE=mtburb;302184]There's also a Big Boy and a Bank of America in the parking lot. Will they be taken down as well? I'm also wondering, will they put in a Target here? And put in a Five Guys or something on Dix in the parking lot?[QUOTE]

I would doubt the Target. Target and most of the other Big Boxes are already well represented just N of the Freeway at the Garbage Dump.

Five guys may do well there, but its not going to go there unless they can get other businesses to follow. A Five Guys in itself is not a destination for most. A detailed market study my need to be done and remember retail jobs are on a declining trend as more dollars get sucked up by the internet catalog sales.

[mtburb]

I would doubt the Target. Target and most of the other Big Boxes are already well represented just N of the Freeway at the Garbage Dump.

I do know that. I chose it because I don't think a Meijer would be put in at Dix and Southfield because they are already also located on "the Hill" as well as further down Dix at Emmons in the former Super Kmart. Believe me, I wouldn't want to see two Meijers within Lincoln Park's limits!

[Danny]

One thing to rid of the ghetto-fied greyfield in the suburbs, TEAR IT DOWN!

The Southgate Shopping area has been gobbled up by Southland Mall and EVIL Wal-Mart Supercenter. What's next for Southgate. It's better to put up mix used retail and housing or maybe a new bowling alley.

[mtburb]

I am now thinking a Menard's should be put in instead of the Target next to the Lincoln Park Sears.

An update to the Sears shopping center, the Rainbow USA closed.

[Herman Krieger]

Another look at shopping malls:
"Mall-aise", www.efn.org/~hkrieger/mallaise.htm

[mtburb]

Bumping this with some good news: a new buffet restaurant opens tomorrow in the space that was occupied by Old Country Buffet. Read about it, though the article's short.