Serman's to close after 96 years of business

**Detroit Stylin** · June-04-13, 06:26 AM

Apparently Gilbert made him a offer he couldn't refuse

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/06/...s-of-business/

**Honky Tonk** · June-04-13, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

Apparently Gilbert made him a offer he couldn't refuse

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/06/...s-of-business/

Welcome to New Jack City.

**Gary** · June-04-13, 07:57 AM

I bought the sharpest leather jacket I ever saw in that store many years ago.

**AGinthe313** · June-04-13, 08:20 AM

I wonder what Gilbert has in mind for that location?

**Bham1982** · June-04-13, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by AGinthe313

I wonder what Gilbert has in mind for that location?

I wonder what Gilbert has in mind for all his downtown locations. I have no clue what he's going to do with all this land, and wonder if he has any clue yet.

**rjlj** · June-04-13, 09:30 AM

He has mentioned his plans numerous times in the press, his intentions are clear.

Originally Posted by Bham1982

I wonder what Gilbert has in mind for all his downtown locations. I have no clue what he's going to do with all this land, and wonder if he has any clue yet.

**Honky Tonk** · June-04-13, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by rjlj

He has mentioned his plans numerous times in the press, his intentions are clear.

Please feel free to share.

**TexasT** · June-04-13, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Please feel free to share.

You do kind of have to piece it all together but it appears he wants to make a entertainment district that stretches from Campus Martius through Greektown.

Gilbert, who along with his partners was given the go-ahead Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board to obtain 76 percent ownership of the city's smallest casino, envisions a vibrant downtown entertainment district that connects Campus Martius to Greektown. He wants a neighborhood that's more open and interactive.

His plan is to talk to architects and designers about opening up the casino, possibly with the type of inviting glass entrances that define the Horseshoe Casinos in Cleveland and Cincinnati, which Gilbert also owns.

"We want to promote two-way traffic," Gilbert said after Tuesday's gaming board meeting. "You're not just taking a trip to the casino, valet parking, and getting back in your car when you leave. We want to attract the customer that wants to have a full-blown experience downtown and attract the business that will be able to enhance that."

From The Detroit News: /BIZ/304100335#ixzz2VG6TCiv4

Gilbert's Horeshoe Casino is definitely more a fabric of the downtown community, compared to Greektown:

On top of that, he's beefing up downtown business by filling up these buildings with daytime tenants - I read he's put over 80 companies in his buildings.

**Bham1982** · June-04-13, 09:48 AM

Well, I meant specifics. I get that he wants entertainment, and he wants businesses in his buildings. I assume that's true of almost all downtown property owners [[assuming there are any left besides Gilbert).

I mean, that jail site is huge. Entertainment dollars are fixed leisure spending. People aren't going to get drunk more or attend more concerts just because more land is in one person's hands.

Maybe he's assembling land for one of those uber-cheesy "urban entertainment districts" they've built in Kansas City, Newport, KY [[across from Cincy) and soon in St. Louis. You got your faux Irish pub, your megaplex cinema, your Dave and Busters, your House of Blues.

**bailey** · June-04-13, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by TexasT

You do kind of have to piece it all together but it appears he wants to make a entertainment district that stretches from Campus Martius through Greektown.

From The Detroit News: /BIZ/304100335#ixzz2VG6TCiv4

Gilbert's Horeshoe Casino is definitely more a fabric of the downtown community, compared to Greektown:

....

On top of that, he's beefing up downtown business by filling up these buildings with daytime tenants - I read he's put over 80 companies in his buildings.

One thing is for sure, unlike other downtown building owners, the buildings he buys don't sit idle for long.

**Honky Tonk** · June-04-13, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by TexasT

You do kind of have to piece it all together but it appears he wants to make a entertainment district that stretches from Campus Martius through Greektown.

Well, THAT explains the need for the 3 mile choo-choo.

**bailey** · June-04-13, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Well, I meant specifics. I get that he wants entertainment, and he wants businesses in his buildings. I assume that's true of almost all downtown property owners [[assuming there are any left besides Gilbert).

I mean, that jail site is huge. Entertainment dollars are fixed leisure spending. People aren't going to get drunk more or attend more concerts just because more land is in one person's hands.

Well, he's moved several thousand workers down there and recruited other businesses to do the same. Clearly the bet he's making is that they will spend more of those dollars in his developments in Detroit versus B'ham, RO or Romeo.

Maybe he fails. However, in 10 years I'd rather see a failed development, that might get a reuse, than half finished jail sitting on that site just rotting.

**Bham1982** · June-04-13, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

Well, he's moved several thousand workers down there and recruited other businesses to do the same. Clearly the bet he's making is that they will spend more of those dollars in his developments in Detroit versus B'ham, RO or Romeo.

I agree, but I still think there are only so many cheesy Irish faux pubs and chicken wing joints to go around. Even if he's just rearranging the regional leisure spending, I don't see how you can cover all of downtown in this kind of dreck.

Though I'm sure that the cash-strapped region will be forced to "invest" in the entertainment district. Kansas City taxpayers are on the hook for $300 million for their failed downtown mega-district, called "Power & Light", and St. Louis taxpayers are about to get hosed with the upcoming "Ballpark Village". Maybe we'll get the "Red Wing Zone" or the "Greektown Gauntlet" or something.

**bailey** · June-04-13, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

I agree, but I still think there are only so many cheesy Irish faux pubs and chicken wing joints to go around. Even if he's just rearranging the regional leisure spending, I don't see how you can cover all of downtown in this kind of dreck.

Though I'm sure that the cash-strapped region will be forced to "invest" in the entertainment district. Kansas City taxpayers are on the hook for $300 million for their failed downtown mega-district, called "Power & Light", and St. Louis taxpayers are about to get hosed with the upcoming "Ballpark Village". Maybe we'll get the "Red Wing Zone" or the "Greektown Gauntlet" or something.

..or it just grows out from Greek Town?

I also wonder if residential won't start making it more into his mix. At some point you need to get more 24hour warm bodies down there.

**TexasT** · June-04-13, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

..or it just grows out from Greek Town?

I also wonder if residential won't start making it more into his mix. At some point you need to get more 24hour warm bodies down there.

The Vinton building will have residential. I'd bet his Hudson remake will have some residential too.

**Eber Brock Ward** · June-04-13, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Well, I meant specifics. I get that he wants entertainment, and he wants businesses in his buildings. I assume that's true of almost all downtown property owners [[assuming there are any left besides Gilbert).

I thought you might try to pull this shit again.

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...Large-Projects

**antongast** · June-04-13, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

Maybe he fails. However, in 10 years I'd rather see a failed development, that might get a reuse, than ~~half finished jail~~ century-old clothing retailer sitting on that site just ~~rotting~~ selling clothing.

Fixed that for you.

**bailey** · June-04-13, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by antongast

Fixed that for you.

No. you didn't, I was talking about the Jail site as raised by Bham.

Regarding Seamans, the owner himself seems to be saying he was leaning towards closing anyway.

Originally Posted by bailey

Maybe he fails. However, in 10 years I'd rather see a failed development, that might get a reuse, than ~~half finished jail~~ century-old defunct clothing retailer ~~sitting~~ on that site ~~just~~ ~~rotting selling clothing~~ sitting empty.

Fixed your revisions for you.

As to why the business is closing, Ross said Dan Gilbert made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, but that’s not the only factor he considered.

“It’s time. Men aren’t dressing like they used to. It started about 15 years ago when corporate America relaxed the dress code and then it filtered down into the churches and if you go to church today, you’ll see the people aren’t as dressed as they used to be,” he said.

**Bham1982** · June-04-13, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

No. you didn't, I was talking about the Jail site as raised by Bham.

I have no problem with Gilbert taking that site. Better it's in private hands than in Wayne County's hands. I never understood why they needed a Taj Mahal jail to begin within.

**Wintersmommy** · June-04-13, 11:44 AM

What is the benefit of this? Why buy out a historic business and close it instead of celebrating it and supporting it. Why isnt this wrapped up into the plans for the area?

**jt1** · June-04-13, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

I get that he wants entertainment, and he wants businesses in his buildings. I assume that's true of almost all downtown property owners [[assuming there are any left besides Gilbert).

Yep, no speculators sitting on buildings downtown. That certainly has never happened. I appreciate the wonderful laugh I got from that comment

**downtownguy** · June-04-13, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

What is the benefit of this? Why buy out a historic business and close it instead of celebrating it and supporting it. Why isnt this wrapped up into the plans for the area?

Just another example of sloppy and lazy media reporting. That quote of Gilbert making him an offer he couldn't refuse raises more questions which the article makes no effort to answer. Was the business and/or building already up for sale? Or, does Gilbert want it for some other purpose and initiated the sale?

**bailey** · June-04-13, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

Just another example of sloppy and lazy media reporting. That quote of Gilbert making him an offer he couldn't refuse raises more questions which the article makes no effort to answer. Was the business and/or building already up for sale? Or, does Gilbert want it for some other purpose and initiated the sale?

If the small business owners I know are any indication, all businesses are for sale always.

**Eber Brock Ward** · June-04-13, 01:08 PM

Today's curbed article says it was for sale last October.

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...an-gilbert.php

**DetroitPlanner** · June-04-13, 01:51 PM

One thing for sure, the closing of any retail outlet downtown like this one will make it harder to convince more clothing or variety stores to locate downtown. I think we are well on our way to seeing the Old Broadway/Randolph men's district go away. Which one will be next? Hot Sam's, Henry the Hatter, the Broadway, City Slicker, or JL Stone?