New Retail Planned For Detroit's West Village

**jpbollma** · August-16-12, 09:54 AM

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...s-west-village

It would be nice to see this happen! I would have to agree that "The Villages" are probably the best candidate for some truly unique retail, which could only help the neighborhoods!

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · August-16-12, 02:02 PM

Some unique shops or places to eat would be great for the area. I used to eat at the Harlequin when I lived on Parker, and my visitors loved being able to go to a little local spot.

**stasu1213** · August-16-12, 09:15 PM

I could see a coffee shop or cafe, some type of restaurant, and ice cream shop, and the market need to become a real moms and pops market on the line of those in the pointes, birmingham, and royal oak

**jpbollma** · August-16-12, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I could see a coffee shop or cafe, some type of restaurant, and ice cream shop, and the market need to become a real moms and pops market on the line of those in the pointes, birmingham, and royal oak

Yes, I agree. A few small practical businesses. I think this would be great for the health of the neighborhood. I hope a similar strategy can be used in other healthy neighborhoods. I would be nice if the strip mall in Lafayette Park could finish filling up. I believe business plans are being worked on for Rosedale/Grandmont as well..

**stasu1213** · August-17-12, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by jpbollma

Yes, I agree. A few small practical businesses. I think this would be great for the health of the neighborhood. I hope a similar strategy can be used in other healthy neighborhoods. I would be nice if the strip mall in Lafayette Park could finish filling up. I believe business plans are being worked on for Rosedale/Grandmont as well..

I agree with the filling up of empty storefrronts in the Lafayette Park strip mall. It is a shame that a viable downtown community's strip mall is having trouble filling up. I had heard that the owner had said that no one is bringing money to the mall. I feel that the closing of the Labor Ready employement office will change that theory. I feel that the office should be place in a non residential area. It doesn't belong in an area where there is a high volume of modertate to high income residency. Retail is probably looking at the area too but will see Labor Ready and have second thoughts. Those on the zoning commission and other commitees in the city are anal when it comes to strategizing. There is a Pele Pele Outlet Store opening on Jefferson and Navahoe, one block east of Conners. Good Luck to them. That is a very unusual place to open a store such as that in a strip mall where you have a liquor store and other stores that will draw in the bad element. The outlet store would had done better in the Chene/Jefferson strip mall. That is just as bad as opening a Jazz Liquor Store in the heart of Merchant's Row, a soon to be thriving business district. Go figure

**jpbollma** · August-17-12, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I agree with the filling up of empty storefrronts in the Lafayette Park strip mall. It is a shame that a viable downtown community's strip mall is having trouble filling up. I had heard that the owner had said that no one is bringing money to the mall. I feel that the closing of the Labor Ready employement office will change that theory. I feel that the office should be place in a non residential area. It doesn't belong in an area where there is a high volume of modertate to high income residency. Retail is probably looking at the area too but will see Labor Ready and have second thoughts. Those on the zoning commission and other commitees in the city are anal when it comes to strategizing. There is a Pele Pele Outlet Store opening on Jefferson and Navahoe, one block east of Conners. Good Luck to them. That is a very unusual place to open a store such as that in a strip mall where you have a liquor store and other stores that will draw in the bad element. The outlet store would had done better in the Chene/Jefferson strip mall. That is just as bad as opening a Jazz Liquor Store in the heart of Merchant's Row, a soon to be thriving business district. Go figure

The city planning is atrocious. That is what happens when everyone in city government is there because of who they are or who they know.

**JAYCR** · February-10-13, 07:03 PM

So i went to check out these new contest winning retail destinations last Wednesday at 3:30 or so in the afternoon. Not a single one was open. What gives?

**nain rouge** · February-10-13, 08:24 PM

Those were pop-up/temporary spots. Rumor has it there'll be some permanent business there soon, but we'll have to wait and see.

**dmike76** · February-11-13, 08:45 AM

It's not a rumor. Several news reports stated that these businesses will be open in the spring. I can't remember the names of all of them, but Red Hook coffee shop is one of them.

**louis** · February-11-13, 11:04 AM

i cant seem to get the article from this link. also, can someone give me the cross roads of where these shops will be located?

**Honky Tonk** · February-11-13, 11:09 AM

They're supposed to be on Agnes, between Van Dyke & Seminole.

**EastsideAl** · February-11-13, 11:28 AM

The retail space is in the Parkstone Apartments building, on Agnes between Parker and Van Dyke. It's really the only commercial strip inside the Indian Village - West Village area [[the Village itself doesn't allow commercial zoning).

When I was a kid there was a soda fountain in there [[older people may remember it, or at least remember what a soda fountain was), and the counter from that was maintained through the various versions of the Harlequin. There have been, in the past, various more-or-less successful restaurants in that strip, and I think a moderately priced bistro-ish place could do well there now, particularly if it had good beer & wine selections. A cafe type place with wi-fi could do very well indeed too I think. It would be really nice if the Parkstone Market could go back towards the nice specialty grocery it once was, or if such a store could open and survive in that strip.

**rbdetsport** · February-11-13, 08:13 PM

Along the northern edge of West Village along Kercheval, that strip is technically zoned for commercial as well. Unfortunately, the buildings are bombed out...

**313WX** · February-12-13, 08:42 AM

rbdetsport, it won't be any more per the Detroit Works blue print.

**EastsideAl** · February-12-13, 12:26 PM

It would be nice if they could revisit that Kercheval strip too. Since it faces a largely vacant neighborhood to the north though, I think it probably has less commercial potential than the Agnes strip. Still, a few years back there were some good folks in there who ran a nice little record store/performance space. Unfortunately, it went the way of all such shops in this post-CD era. There have also been pretty decent attempts there at a coffee shop, bookshop [[also a doomed category these days), and second-hand storesover the years.

**stasu1213** · February-12-13, 10:08 PM

The market that sit on the corner of Van Dyke and Agnes should keep the riff raff from hangin around the door of it. That market should really raise it's standards to become a true mom and pop market for the area. That would be the icing on the cake for that strip

**Eric_c** · February-13-13, 09:36 AM

I live on Field Ave. north of Kercheval between Vernor and Charlevoix in the Islandview area and am very excited to have these places opening within walking distance.

**Honky Tonk** · February-13-13, 08:22 PM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

**Chinman** · February-13-13, 08:57 PM

my friend, i must tell you that i do shop at all the local markets, but i have to admit, when prices are cheaper when i go to visit in the suburbs, i buy there.
with all the issues that a local market has to deal with in the city, how can they compete with kroger and the such?