New Outlet Mall Near Metro Airport

**paulj313** · June-04-14, 03:26 PM

I can't seem to wrap my head around this one. I'm no expert but I'm not really sure there's a demand for this type of development. Not to mention it's open air which doesn't seem like the best idea for this area...

http://www.freep.com/article/2014060...s-mall-airport

Thoughts?

**animatedmartian** · June-04-14, 03:36 PM

LOL, open air mall by one of the business airports in the county. It's going to be in the wedge between 94, Vining, and Wick by the way.

It's not so much the demand [[that whole area is going to be built up with sprawl in the near future), but the specific location.

**compn** · June-04-14, 03:46 PM

wasnt there a planned casino somewhere around there?

**313rd** · June-04-14, 03:48 PM

Last visit to Birch Run...it was packed with shoppers. Many license plates from Canada. Also, many foreign speaking people...which could mean anything but jut stating.

**artds** · June-04-14, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

It's not so much the demand [[that whole area is going to be built up with sprawl in the near future), but the specific location.

It seems to be a great location. That tract of land is visible from I-94 [[as is the case with many outlet malls), and there is an exit for Vining Road right there. Anyone leaving metro airport going west will drive right by it.

**animatedmartian** · June-04-14, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by artds

It seems to be a great location. That tract of land is visible from I-94 [[as is the case with many outlet malls), and there is an exit for Vining Road right there. Anyone leaving metro airport going west will drive right by it.

But it's literally right under the path of landing airliners. I personally wouldn't want to spend much time in a open air mall with an airplane whizzing a few hundred feet overhead every 5 to 10 minutes.

**stasu1213** · June-04-14, 04:18 PM

It will not be in Detroit so I don't give a damn

**iheartthed** · June-04-14, 04:18 PM

Maybe they're hoping to attract some of those foreign tourist shoppers during long layovers on their way back home.

Hard to argue that argue that Metro Detroit needs yet another shopping mall... But at least the location is a little strategic.

**Spartan** · June-04-14, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

But it's literally right under the path of landing airliners. I personally wouldn't want to spend much time in a open air mall with an airplane whizzing a few hundred feet overhead every 5 to 10 minutes.

Yeah, the location actually seems pretty much perfect for this, except that they'll have to pass out earplugs at the entrance.

**artds** · June-04-14, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

But it's literally right under the path of landing airliners. I personally wouldn't want to spend much time in a open air mall with an airplane whizzing a few hundred feet overhead every 5 to 10 minutes.

I guess I don't share that sentiment. Many people [[especially tourists) actually find it amusing to be right under a flight path [[although few would want to live under one for obvious reasons). If you ever get the chance, I would recommend checking out Maho Beach in Saint Maarten, which is right next to the airport [[note that the planes above the outlet mall would be MUCH higher than what you see in the images below). The wife and I thought it was pretty cool when we visited:

**ghettopalmetto** · June-04-14, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Maybe they're hoping to attract some of those foreign tourist shoppers during long layovers on their way back home.

If you're on a layover, you'll just have to hire MetroCars to take you from the terminal to the mall. How convenient.

**iheartthed** · June-04-14, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

If you're on a layover, you'll just have to hire MetroCars to take you from the terminal to the mall. How convenient.

Yeah, maybe they'll get rid of that idiotic law that doesn't allow airport shuttles too.

**Wesley Mouch** · June-04-14, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, maybe they'll get rid of that idiotic law that doesn't allow airport shuttles too.

That will only arrive after we demand government that serves citizens, and not itself. Until then, we can just enjoy watching the Metro Car money flow to bureaucrats and elected officials who fight to maintain this monopoly.

We tightly control hair stylists. Why not limo firms? For gosh sakes, the public might get fleeced if Wayne County didn't protect them by establishing monopolies.

**ABetterDetroit** · June-04-14, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

It will not be in Detroit so I don't give a damn

Exactly, never been to outlet mall in my life even though I have driven past plenty on freeways across America. Willing to go out on a limb and guess that the folks who drive up to Birch Run or Romulus for that matter to shop where not itching for downtown type shopping anyway, so who cares?

**Danny** · June-04-14, 05:41 PM

The New outlet mall will be like shopping at Partridge Creek Mall. If it plays it cards right, it could put Southland Mall out of business. If it doesn't work it could end up a greyfield like Fountain Walk in Novi.

**rbdetsport** · June-04-14, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

The New outlet mall will be like shopping at Partridge Creek Mall. If it plays it cards right, it could put Southland Mall out of business. If it doesn't work it could end up a greyfield like Fountain Walk in Novi.

Time for an AirTrain to connect the two terminals, a new one stop-shop rental car facility, the outlet mall, and the Ann Arbor to Detroit commuter rail like.. Now is the time!! That, or let's get a light rail along Michigan that extends down to Metro via Merriman.

**mtburb** · June-04-14, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

If it plays it cards right, it could put Southland Mall out of business. If it doesn't work it could end up a greyfield like Fountain Walk in Novi.

I don't think neither Southland nor this outlet mall will compete to the extent that one [[or both) will die...Southland will continue to cater to the local middle class with stores priced within their budget, while the outlet mall will cater more to out-of-towners.

Take a look, for example, of how the Mall of America near Minneapolis is faring against malls there-when that was first proposed, there were fears that the local malls would all be put out of business-but look at it today...the Mall of America is more catered to out-of-towners and the locals are still going to their local malls more often there.

**D_Town** · June-04-14, 10:53 PM

Just no...I'm sure tSouthland, Fairlane, Westland, Briarwood will feel this....if it ever gets off the ground.

**wolverine** · June-05-14, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

But it's literally right under the path of landing airliners. I personally wouldn't want to spend much time in a open air mall with an airplane whizzing a few hundred feet overhead every 5 to 10 minutes.

I think you are exaggerating.

**animatedmartian** · June-05-14, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by wolverine

I think you are exaggerating.

Maybe about the frequency of landing airplanes, but either way it's still going to be more often than at an open air mall say in Novi or Canton.

**mikeg19** · June-05-14, 08:25 AM

Not quite sure about this one. Metro Airport has a lot of stores, including discount stores. You can easily find bargains there that could be had at this outlet mall. So I'm guessing they aren't trying to draw customers away from Metro.

The Metro area seems to be over saturated with malls/shopping options. It's hard to believe that more malls are necessary, especially when now most people can order something off Amazon or some other site and have it in a day or two. Brick and mortar malls are a shell of what they used to be. Lakeside, Oakland, Macomb, keep naming them. I'll leave Sommerset out because that's unique, but you guys get the picture. Even the open air concept, while charming and popular now, will probably have the fad fade away.

**artds** · June-05-14, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

It will not be in Detroit so I don't give a damn

Then perhaps you should find another forum to post on, as THIS forum is about metropolitan Detroit and Windsor.

**Bham1982** · June-05-14, 08:49 AM

This will never happen, so doesn't matter. File this along with "Aerotropolis"

**artds** · June-05-14, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

The Metro area seems to be over saturated with malls/shopping options. It's hard to believe that more malls are necessary,

I don't think you're looking at this correctly. There's not some central authority that sits around deciding whether MORE malls are necessary. These are private investors that believe this is a prime location for a retail development and that they can do it better than some other retail developments in the area. They're not necessarily looking to ADD to the market. If they CAN do it better, then they will [[rightfully) steal some business from other retail developments that are poorly run or obsolete. So it's not necessarily going to be a net increase of the amount of retail in the area.

**Honky Tonk** · June-05-14, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

The Metro area seems to be over saturated with malls/shopping options. It's hard to believe that more malls are necessary.

It's too bad people can't find anything else to do with themselves but "shop". How much more crap do you need, and why would you think the latest batch of crap will somehow do for you what the last two batches of crap couldn't?