H&M to open 25,000-square-foot downtown Detroit store this fall

[hybridy]

The smart thing for Dan Gilbert to do is to offer 2 hours free parking

no no no. bangs head on wall.

free parking won't lure people downtown that aren't already planning to go downtown. want to park for free? try a casino or stay in the burbs.

metered parking and structured parking too 'big city' for you? should prolly just stay home.

i invite you to read up on the free parking:
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/b...my/15view.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hi...f_Free_Parking

[Neilr]

Meddle... yes multifloor retail isn't what it used to be... Fyfe brothers actually had 14 floors of shoes, unusual as it seems today.

Take a look at the gargoyles between the 4th & 5th floors next time you pass by. Can you guess what they are doing?

[EGrant]

Fixing potholes?

[SammyS]

Take a look at the gargoyles between the 4th & 5th floors next time you pass by. Can you guess what they are doing?

They all look like they’re about to explode but my guess would be cobbling

[Neilr]

We have a winner!! SammyS nailed it. The Fyfe Shoe Store was the place you went to if you needed special sizes, orthopedic shoes, or any type of made to measure footwear. Or just a really large selection of regular shoes. It was the world's largest shoe store.

https://detroithistorical.org/learn/...oit/rh-fyfe-co

[dtowncitylover]

Pouring over some Freep archives and such, I think I counted that downtown once boasted at least 13 shoe stores at one time, never mind the three major department stores and specialty stores like B. Siegel and Himelhoch's. I guess that figures for a working class city that's always on its feet!

[Maof]

Actually only 10 floors were ever used for shoes. Interesting article on Historic Detroit...

http://historicdetroit.org/building/fyfe-apartments/

It is one of the more attractive buildings in Detroit... and the view up Woodward from city center [[without buildings blocking it due to Grand Circus Park) is greatly enhanced by its presence. That will block part of the yet to be built 20 story TCF/Chemical Bank HQ. Not yet sure what that building will look on the GCP side.

oh ok. I guess I do know the building but the shoe part was a little before my time.

[401don]

We have a winner!! SammyS nailed it. The Fyfe Shoe Store was the place you went to if you needed special sizes, orthopedic shoes, or any type of made to measure footwear. Or just a really large selection of regular shoes. It was the world's largest shoe store.

https://detroithistorical.org/learn/...oit/rh-fyfe-co

Visiting ballplayers [[back when they made semi-normal money) always wanted to be interviewed by Ernie because they got a gift certificate for a pair of Florsheim shoes from Sibley's, Michigan's Largest Florsheim dealer.

[stasu1213]

no no no. bangs head on wall.

free parking won't lure people downtown that aren't already planning to go downtown. want to park for free? try a casino or stay in the burbs.

metered parking and structured parking too 'big city' for you? should prolly just stay home.

i invite you to read up on the free parking:
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/b...my/15view.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hi...f_Free_Parking

You must be affilated with one of the owners of the other parking structures downtown who would lose out. It had already been stated that there are not enough people living in the downtown area alone to suppert big box stores and other retail. Parking is too high at the meters and privately owned parking structures for people to want to keep shopping downtown. Detroit doesnt have the great transportation system that it once had in the 50s when the street cars and busses had brought shoppers from miles into downtown detroit to shop at Hudson's and other retail in the downtown area. Many new retail would look at Jefferson being that there are many strip malls on the avenue but certain groups control those strip malls and wont allow quality good stores including a good furniture store to open on the strip. I just suggested 2 hours free parking such as Birmingham has and not free parking all day. Many cities across the country that have a thriving downtown district have better transportation systems to bring shoppers into their downtown districts to shop unlike Detroit who want to have a thriving downtown midtown district with shopping, entertainment, and dining but keep the crowd away due to expensive meter rates that only give you a couple of hours to park and not a reliable transportation system that will bring people from all around to support shopping, entertainment, and other events that are and will be held downtown

[stasu1213]

Come to think of it many of the retail stores such as Hudson's, B Seigel, Kerns, and possibly Crowley's were founded by local entrepreneurs. Their products and goods rivaled nationally known retailers products such as Macy's and Norstroms. Some of these local entrepreneurs now sell goods and products that only cater to a certain group or crowd and products are not that of good quality. There are catchy independent owned boutiques that are making waves such as Lip Bar, House of Pure Vin, etc. If only a local retailer could sell clothes that the type of clothes that H&M, Gap, Structure, etc sale then they will be able to line Woodward or other strips in the city and would probably stay in business longer being that they are independent and not national. Hudson's could had lasted longer but the downtown store was a behemoth and outgrew itself especially since the malls started having Hudson's stores

[Meddle]

'Validated' parking used to be a big thing with some merchants.

A grocery store that doesn't track your buying habits would be better.

[Zacha341]

Observing the teaming masses? Or preparing to launch from the building and to have some fun!? Ever see that Tales from the Dark Side: A Promise [[the one with the gargoyle coming to life?)

**GORE HORROR WARNING**
0:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G9ED_K_IAQ
1:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-XZTEfGw3I

Take a look at the gargoyles between the 4th & 5th floors next time you pass by. Can you guess what they are doing?

[Worldsgreatest]

it seems downtown is finally reaching a critical mass as a shopping destination which is great. I'd rather shop downtown than somerset or any of the other malls.

[Warrenite84]

Reasonably priced parking structures need to be built a block or two off Woodward from Downtown to Grand Boulevard to draw parking away from Downtown and increase the utilization of the QLine…

Hopefully that would draw people downtown not just to familiar locations in the CBD but all along the lower Woodward corridor, IMHO.

[stasu1213]

Hopefully one year the Qline will be extended to 8 mile road with a connector shuttle taking shoppers to the Avenue of Fashion from Woodward and 7 stop. I still would love to see Columbia open a store downtown. Maybe Sanders could reopen somewhere downtown

[401don]

Reasonably priced parking structures need to be built a block or two off Woodward from Downtown to Grand Boulevard to draw parking away from Downtown and increase the utilization of the QLine…Hopefully that would draw people downtown not just to familiar locations in the CBD but all along the lower Woodward corridor, IMHO.

Can't you still find parking in the west end of Greektown lots for about 10 bucks on weekdays?

[dtowncitylover]

Oy gevalt. No, no, no, no. You do not rebuild a city by appeasing the suburban shopper. Downtown Detroit's shopping zenith was not 1985-2010. It was 1920-1960, when downtown Detroit was easily accessible by public transit and the city's population warranted a downtown shopping center.

I want downtown shopping and vibrancy as much as anyone, but building parking lots and structures is NOT the way to do it. This isn't my opinion. It's fact. If suburbanites wish to come downtown, then they can learn to ride a bus or vote yes for regional transit.

If you want an urban downtown with crowds, offices, and shopping, you bring only people in. Not cars.

And yeah in its last years, Hudson's offered validated parking. It didn't do much.

[mwilbert]

Oy gevalt. No, no, no, no. You do not rebuild a city by appeasing the suburban shopper. Downtown Detroit's shopping zenith was not 1985-2010. It was 1920-1960, when downtown Detroit was easily accessible by public transit and the city's population warranted a downtown shopping center.

I want downtown shopping and vibrancy as much as anyone, but building parking lots and structures is NOT the way to do it. This isn't my opinion. It's fact. If suburbanites wish to come downtown, then they can learn to ride a bus or vote yes for regional transit.

If you want an urban downtown with crowds, offices, and shopping, you bring only people in. Not cars.

This is overstated. Detroit is going to need lots of people coming downtown in cars for the foreseeable future, so parking will also be required. But the people you want coming downtown in cars aren't going to be doing it for low-value uses that don't justify paying for parking.

[EGrant]

If suburbanites wish to come downtown, then they can learn to ride a bus or vote yes for regional transit.

In a perfect world, I agree with you. But we live in Metro Detroit, one of the most transit-backward large cities in America. People will circle the Kroger parking lot for 10 minutes just to get a spot within 50 feet of the store. I don't want to see mega-parking structures with every development, but the parking needs of a region heavily dependent on the car should be acknowledged. Also, if Joe Suburbs can't find cheap parking downtown, he's a moron haha

[K-slice]

There is already a glut of open parking downtown. Any given time that's not right before a big event parking can be found all around GCP for $7 all day. Over by the district court there are tons of lots that sit 90% empty 90% of the time. The financial district is full of parking garages that used to rely on the Joe for business and now are full of nothing but air. If you can't find a spot in downtown that's a 5-10 minute walk to anywhere you want to go then get your eyes checked.

[Warrenite84]

I'm not happy with having empty surface lots downtown and would rather see them a block or two off the arterial avenues funneling people downtown. Google "texas donut building" to see what I think would work.

Sorry for the drift off topic. H&M and a few other mid priced stores should be part of the draw downtown…

[Scottathew]

I'm not happy with having empty surface lots downtown and would rather see them a block or two off the arterial avenues funneling people downtown. Google "texas donut building" to see what I think would work.

That is an awesome concept! I think it could work in a lot of locations, not just downtown.

[hybridy]

I'm not happy with having empty surface lots downtown and would rather see them a block or two off the arterial avenues funneling people downtown. Google "texas donut building" to see what I think would work.

Sorry for the drift off topic. H&M and a few other mid priced stores should be part of the draw downtown…

do you mean traditional city planning akin to say barcelona?


we shouldn't copy texas

[Warrenite84]

No, not everywhere. I think it can help increase density at the edge of walking distance to transit stations along Woodward for an example. The residences around the garage can add to QLine usage and greater use of shops and businesses along Woodward. With cheaper parking at the periphery and higher prices in the CBD for parking, the city can attract wealthier and value-conscious customers to stores, restaurants, and businesses, IMHO.

Barcelona looks interesting but has the same kind of constraints Washington D.C. has that we don't.

[Jason]

In terms of parking and having to walk, I think having a realistic comparison to malls is beneficial.

Great Lakes Crossing is a bit longer than the distance between Grand Circus Park and Campus Martius. Depending on how close to the mall you park, walking through the parking lot can be a little bit of a walk as well.

In actuality I don't think there's much of a difference between driving to the mall, parking, and walking around the mall, and driving downtown, parking in a garage and/or take the People Mover, and then walk around Woodward.

I think if people understand that comparison, they wouldn't demand having free street parking 15 feet from the front door of their destination.