City Aims To Turn Corner on Retail Including Avenue of Fashion

[jpbollma]

http://www.freep.com/article/2012081...nue-of-Fashion

I would think this area should be good for retail. Lots of more affluent or stable neighborhoods.

[royce]

The Avenue of Fashion on Livernois and Livernois in general are an oddity as it relates to retail districts in Northwest Detroit. If you have noticed, the mile roads in Northeast and Northwest Detroit, Fenkell, McNichols, Seven Mile, and Eight Mile carry the bulk of retail and commericial activity along the northern part of the city. Even Puritan, 5 1/2 Mile Road, is a commercial strip for most of its lenth. However, beginning with Wyoming, McNichols and Seven Mile, especially Seven Mile, become residential and continue that way all the way to Woodward. The north-south streets in Northwest Detroit, beginning with Meyers and continuing with Schaefer, Hubbell, Greenfield, Southfield [[think service drive), Evergreen, and Lahser are all residential for the most part. The streets that are parallel to these streets feed into the mile roads, making it easy for residents to get from their homes to a commerical strip.

This, however, is not the case at Livernois and McNichols or Livernois and Seven. The sides streets again spill into the mile roads. I feel that one of the main problems with retail along Livernois is that it is hard to get to it especially on foot. For example, if I lived at Parkside and Clarita, I would have to walk a block of Parkside and then six or seven blocks to get to the retail on Livernois. If retail was on Seven Mile like it is for most of Seven Mile, I would just travel down Parkside and I'm there. Because Livenois and Seven Mile are not configured like other areas along Seven Mile, most people in the neighborhood have to drive to Livernois. Then they have to deal with limited parking spaces and metered-parking. Unless my errand takes less than five minutes, like going to the cleaners, I'm probably not going to deal with the hassle of parking on Livernois and just go somewhere where I can park for free and take as much time as I need to shop or run errands.

To improve Livernois and Seven Mile, the focus should first be on getting some residential along there. Tearing down some abandoned storefronts and putting up an Ellington-type apartment/condo/ground-level retail development or even townhouses could create permanent foot traffic. Then bring in stores that cater to the people who live on Livernois, a cleaners, drug store, coffee shop, grocery store, and some restaurants [[some of these things exist but no residential). Also, tear down some of the other abandoned storefronts and use that space for parking, preferably buildings on the west side of the street, that way the setting sun will act as a nice backdrop for the restaurants on the east side of the street. Also, consider using the ill-conceived median for as a mini park with benches [[some strong fencing would have to go around the border of the median to give people a sense of safety from on-coming traffic). Well, this has been my two cents.

[rex]

Too bad 7 and Livernois doesn't have a little downtown area. A few consecutive streets, with restaurants, a coffeeshop, taverns, a bookstore, some boutiquesque shop fronts, and cafes. Kinda area where you may find a cupcake shop or a farmers market. A central park with benches and a playground. Things for area residents and things to draw money into the neighborhood. No place to put it tho. Not as far as I can tell

[hybridy]

so much potential with UDM and Marygrove so close. many upperclassman rent aprtments and commute to school, but they choose to live in ferndale, royal oak, clawson, etc. same goes for restaurants and shopping. its unfortunate, but there can be an unspoken resentment of whites at local establishments among some. often times people were verbally harassed, but for the most part we were welcomed at local spots. a man once picked my girlfriend up off a seat at coney and tried to carry her out, while also threatening me with a knife. isolated incident, but still rattling. we used to walk to courtney's lounge on purtian...stupid idea in retrospect. its not courtney's anymore. rumor had it someone torched it because it was getting taken over by college kids. we also partied a lot at the tropical down further down livernois. loved that place. i grocery shopped at savon foods and farmer jack [[now mike's fresh market) on 7 mile. the pied piper thrives off of udm kids. burger king and subway just across from udm did huge business, but both have now closed. not sure why. likely people got fed up with lack of quality at these establishments. same with taco bell and wendys down by oakman. sick kids would drive to beaumont to avoid providence [[southfield) and henry ford [[downtown). i just see a huge missed opportunity to cater to the college crowd, and see the avenue of fashion as a great spot for retail/food/entertainment/housing. we were always concerned with safety, but it never held us back from patronizing an establishment. my generation isn't concerned with color, but do hope for some attempt at quality and service.

[Hypestyles]

...the tropical?

[hybridy]

...the tropical?

Tropical Hut...my bad

[Danny]

Good luck with that project! Avenue of Fashion is still alive and well.

[hybridy]

Good luck with that project! Avenue of Fashion is still alive and well.

some bits yes, other not. a strip mall with parking out front does not a bustling retail district make

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=7+mile...10.82,,0,-4.75

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=7+mile...5,,0,4.37&z=17

[stasu1213]

The Avenue of Fashion on Livernois and Livernois in general are an oddity as it relates to retail districts in Northwest Detroit. If you have noticed, the mile roads in Northeast and Northwest Detroit, Fenkell, McNichols, Seven Mile, and Eight Mile carry the bulk of retail and commericial activity along the northern part of the city. Even Puritan, 5 1/2 Mile Road, is a commercial strip for most of its lenth. However, beginning with Wyoming, McNichols and Seven Mile, especially Seven Mile, become residential and continue that way all the way to Woodward. The north-south streets in Northwest Detroit, beginning with Meyers and continuing with Schaefer, Hubbell, Greenfield, Southfield [[think service drive), Evergreen, and Lahser are all residential for the most part. The streets that are parallel to these streets feed into the mile roads, making it easy for residents to get from their homes to a commerical strip.

This, however, is not the case at Livernois and McNichols or Livernois and Seven. The sides streets again spill into the mile roads. I feel that one of the main problems with retail along Livernois is that it is hard to get to it especially on foot. For example, if I lived at Parkside and Clarita, I would have to walk a block of Parkside and then six or seven blocks to get to the retail on Livernois. If retail was on Seven Mile like it is for most of Seven Mile, I would just travel down Parkside and I'm there. Because Livenois and Seven Mile are not configured like other areas along Seven Mile, most people in the neighborhood have to drive to Livernois. Then they have to deal with limited parking spaces and metered-parking. Unless my errand takes less than five minutes, like going to the cleaners, I'm probably not going to deal with the hassle of parking on Livernois and just go somewhere where I can park for free and take as much time as I need to shop or run errands.

To improve Livernois and Seven Mile, the focus should first be on getting some residential along there. Tearing down some abandoned storefronts and putting up an Ellington-type apartment/condo/ground-level retail development or even townhouses could create permanent foot traffic. Then bring in stores that cater to the people who live on Livernois, a cleaners, drug store, coffee shop, grocery store, and some restaurants [[some of these things exist but no residential). Also, tear down some of the other abandoned storefronts and use that space for parking, preferably buildings on the west side of the street, that way the setting sun will act as a nice backdrop for the restaurants on the east side of the street. Also, consider using the ill-conceived median for as a mini park with benches [[some strong fencing would have to go around the border of the median to give people a sense of safety from on-coming traffic). Well, this has been my two cents.

I disagree that the empty storefronts should be torn down to make room for condos and apartments. I think that the only businesses that need to be on the avenue are tasteful quaint shops, boutiques, coffee shops, bakery, pharmacy. Get rid of the crime attracting gas station. The Avenue of Fashion has the potential to rival Main St in Royal Oak, Old Woodward or Maple St in Birmingham, or Kercheval in the Village in Grosse Pointe. The strip should concentrate on having stores that will cater to tastes of all types. Simply Casual have nice thing but I am more of a plain Gap khaki or Levis type of casual. There are many who have the same casual non trendy style that I have. The strip need to provide more shops that will draw the UofDs and Mary Grove college students to the area. There is nothing on the ave that is college student friendly or friendly to other ethnicity. Leave the avenue as it is. There are parking lots off the avenue. There is a shoe store that sales Johnston & Murphy's shoes near 8 mile on Livernois called Best Wear shoes. That and Footlocker are the only two retail that I would shop. Open a Starbucks, Caribou, or Bigby and you will see those businesses draw the residents who are living in or around the area.

[hybridy]

UDM posted some links showing plans and updates on Livernois improvements.
they forgot nicky d's coney island remodel...

http://www.udmercy.edu/about/preside...n_Tour_Map.pdf

[stasu1213]

Avenue of Fashion should have stores that the college ed, yuppies, and the trendy would shop, eat, and play at. The strip need more than one coffee shop. I could see a Starbucks, Caribou, and Bigby on the strip as well as independent cafes. Old Navy, Gap, Structure, or some other "real" casual stores should open in the strip. The strip could have a blend of preppy, high end, urban, co ed, and working persons, such as Carthardt, Dickies, etc, stores.

[astongraham]

The Avenue of Fashion on Livernois and Livernois in general are an oddity as it relates to retail districts in Northwest Detroit. If you have noticed, the mile roads in Northeast and Northwest Detroit, Fenkell, McNichols, Seven Mile, and Eight Mile carry the bulk of retail and commericial activity along the northern part of the city. Even Puritan, 5 1/2 Mile Road, is a commercial strip for most of its lenth. However, beginning with Wyoming, McNichols and Seven Mile, especially Seven Mile, become residential and continue that way all the way to Woodward. The north-south streets in Northwest Detroit, beginning with Meyers and continuing with Schaefer, Hubbell, Greenfield, Southfield [[think service drive), Evergreen, and Lahser are all residential for the most part. The streets that are parallel to these streets feed into the mile roads, making it easy for residents to get from their homes to a commerical strip.

This, however, is not the case at Livernois and McNichols or Livernois and Seven. The sides streets again spill into the mile roads. I feel that one of the main problems with retail along Livernois is that it is hard to get to it especially on foot. For example, if I lived at Parkside and Clarita, I would have to walk a block of Parkside and then six or seven blocks to get to the retail on Livernois. If retail was on Seven Mile like it is for most of Seven Mile, I would just travel down Parkside and I'm there. Because Livenois and Seven Mile are not configured like other areas along Seven Mile, most people in the neighborhood have to drive to Livernois. Then they have to deal with limited parking spaces and metered-parking. Unless my errand takes less than five minutes, like going to the cleaners, I'm probably not going to deal with the hassle of parking on Livernois and just go somewhere where I can park for free and take as much time as I need to shop or run errands.

To improve Livernois and Seven Mile, the focus should first be on getting some residential along there. Tearing down some abandoned storefronts and putting up an Ellington-type apartment/condo/ground-level retail development or even townhouses could create permanent foot traffic. Then bring in stores that cater to the people who live on Livernois, a cleaners, drug store, coffee shop, grocery store, and some restaurants [[some of these things exist but no residential). Also, tear down some of the other abandoned storefronts and use that space for parking, preferably buildings on the west side of the street, that way the setting sun will act as a nice backdrop for the restaurants on the east side of the street. Also, consider using the ill-conceived median for as a mini park with benches [[some strong fencing would have to go around the border of the median to give people a sense of safety from on-coming traffic). Well, this has been my two cents.

I was like "oh my god, what is this long response". I like your ideas, they all make really good sense. I just moved from that area at livernois and thatcher. I always thought there was something really odd about the way the streets are situated in that area. An Ellington style condo project or three along that area would be great and I think they would sell well.

[DetroitPlanner]

The strip could have a blend of preppy, high end, urban, co ed, and working persons, such as Carthardt, Dickies, etc, stores.

Maybe National Dry Goods should open a second location?

[jpbollma]

Avenue of Fashion should have stores that the college ed, yuppies, and the trendy would shop, eat, and play at. The strip need more than one coffee shop. I could see a Starbucks, Caribou, and Bigby on the strip as well as independent cafes. Old Navy, Gap, Structure, or some other "real" casual stores should open in the strip. The strip could have a blend of preppy, high end, urban, co ed, and working persons, such as Carthardt, Dickies, etc, stores.

Not to get too picky but GAP/Old Navy are doing awful and Structure has been merged with Express for years

[louis]

i like the plan but in order for it to succeed in the long term they will need better schools in the immediate area as well as proper police protection

[De'troiter]

i like the plan but in order for it to succeed in the long term they will need better schools in the immediate area as well as proper police protection

We have some pretty decent schools over here already. Bagley Elementary does an excellent job at educating the kids here. I would also like to remind you that this is the area where a large percentage of Renaissance and Cass students live. We have Bagley, Pasteur, Palmer Park Prep aka Hampton [[which does need work), Gesu, U of D Jesuit, Mary Grove, U of D Mercy, Mumford, and Bates Academy all within a roughly 2 square mile area of Middle Class Homeowners. But I do agree that greater attention is needed from the police.

A person could essentially go from Pre-school to a Doctorate Degree without ever leaving their neighborhood, and I personally know several people who have done and are doing just that. I don't know of any other neighborhood in the city proper that offers this!

[illwill]

Hey De'troiter-

I'm planning a move back to Michigan and this is my number one choice of location depending on prices. I'm looking for a brick fixer upper. Do you happen to know the average price for something like this in the area?

Not sure if you follow real estate in the area but If possible I'd like to get into a mixed use building. If that's too expensive, a bungalow or 2-flat will work. I haven't started looking yet but will seriously begin sometime during the winter months. I don't mind being on the outer areas of progress and don't mind doing the rehab work that'll be required.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

[stasu1213]

Maybe National Dry Goods should open a second location?

National Dry Goods would do better in the Gratiot Russell strip. I was just saying that a nice casual store would draw shoppers from the U of D and Marygrove crowd

[De'troiter]

Hey De'troiter-

I'm planning a move back to Michigan and this is my number one choice of location depending on prices. I'm looking for a brick fixer upper. Do you happen to know the average price for something like this in the area?

Not sure if you follow real estate in the area but If possible I'd like to get into a mixed use building. If that's too expensive, a bungalow or 2-flat will work. I haven't started looking yet but will seriously begin sometime during the winter months. I don't mind being on the outer areas of progress and don't mind doing the rehab work that'll be required.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Hey Illwill, the prices in the area vary greatly. They range from $10,000-700,000, because the area includes Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, Green Acres, the University District and the Bagley Community. These neighborhoods together form the greater neighborhood known as University Commons. This part of the city is more like a city unto itself, and it is the most populated area of the City.

We dont have many mixed-use building because most of our commercial buildings are single story store fronts, but i am quite sure that you will be able to find a nice house that suits your needs. Most of our houses are single family but there are quite a few stately 2 family homes as well. The following 3 bedroom house is located in the neighborhood for only $19,900, here is the link: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/18...88453803_zpid/ Good Luck, and I hope you find what you want!

[mwilbert]

Not sure if you follow real estate in the area but If possible I'd like to get into a mixed use building. If that's too expensive, a bungalow or 2-flat will work.

There are some mixed use buildings, but there aren't any that I know of that aren't on the arterials, and those would be less pleasant to live on--they don't really feel like part of the neighborhoods, they tend to be more deteriorated, and of course they are much busier streets.

You can absolutely find two-family houses, generally on the smaller side. This one is fairly typical:

http://www.trulia.com/property/30879...troit-MI-48221

[illwill]

There are some mixed use buildings, but there aren't any that I know of that aren't on the arterials, and those would be less pleasant to live on--they don't really feel like part of the neighborhoods, they tend to be more deteriorated, and of course they are much busier streets.

You can absolutely find two-family houses, generally on the smaller side. This one is fairly typical:

http://www.trulia.com/property/30879...troit-MI-48221

Thanks De'troiter and mwilbert,

Your input actually helped quite a bit. Now I have an ideaof what I should expect to pay when the time comes.

[stasu1213]

Maybe National Dry Goods should open a second location?

I had suggested a casual store that sell Carthart is for Carthart is a local brand and it would be good for a retail store to sell carthart as well as Levis and Dickes. The store doesn't have to be a National Dry Goods type of store but a casual dresser's store that is compatible to Express or The Gap that would sell Carthart. The hardware store on the strip could sell carthart and dickies for a good price. You would see the college students and others who live in the area shop at that hardware store

[Neilr]

Hey De'troiter-

,,, If that's too expensive, a bungalow or 2-flat will work. I haven't started looking yet but will seriously begin sometime during the winter months...

Any help would be highly appreciated.

If you're looking at two-family flats, they don't get any nicer than those just east of the U of D campus on LaSalle just south of McNichols in the Martin Park neighborhood.

[antongast]

There are some mixed use buildings, but there aren't any that I know of that aren't on the arterials, and those would be less pleasant to live on--they don't really feel like part of the neighborhoods, they tend to be more deteriorated, and of course they are much busier streets.

You can absolutely find two-family houses, generally on the smaller side. This one is fairly typical:

http://www.trulia.com/property/30879...troit-MI-48221

That house appears to have a swastika on it.

[mwilbert]

That house appears to have a swastika on it.

It does indeed. Of course, since that house was built before Nazis were invented, it didn't have any invidious meaning at the time.

Lots of the two-families on those blocks of Warrington and Quincy have quirky masonry. Often the colors of brick are slightly peculiar, and there are lots of patterns.