New retail for Detroit?

**Danny** · October-06-21, 07:52 AM

An axe alley! Let's hope anyone don't get axed.

**louis** · October-06-21, 10:47 AM

visited the new Meijers today. Its definitely far more than a party store. The wide selection of fresh fruits and veggies and cheap dairy products is a welcome addition compared to the local grocery stores. Though I'd argue it actually has a worse selection of dry goods than Lafayette Foods or Family Fare.

It feels like the midtown Whole Foods with about the same level of selection, but with a price point 2/3rds of Whole Foods.

**Satiricalivory** · October-06-21, 11:06 AM

I just hope this doesn't hurt Lafayette Foods. But I'm guessing they'll be fine.

**masterblaster** · October-11-21, 12:40 PM

Motown Records Gift Shop Pop-up in Greektown, through Spring 2022

https://www.freep.com/story/entertai...wn/5934256001/

Should make it permanent.

**Gistok** · October-11-21, 02:15 PM

It will be nice to see the Motown Museum finally being built!!

**K-slice** · November-13-21, 09:58 AM

Freep has an interesting story today about new retail in downtown Birmingham.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...rs/6337142001/

I am surprised that the Elliot hasn't found a retail tenant for their corner of Grand River and Woodward. The location is prime to say the least, with successful long standing shops on both sides along Woodward. And consider GR is one of the entrances to the retail and restaurants of Capitol Park.

Maybe they're waiting for something big like another Nike or UA to take that spot, but I say just get it filled!

**ShadowSoarer** · November-13-21, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Freep has an interesting story today about new retail in downtown Birmingham.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...rs/6337142001/

I am surprised that the Elliot hasn't found a retail tenant for their corner of Grand River and Woodward. The location is prime to say the least, with successful long standing shops on both sides along Woodward. And consider GR is one of the entrances to the retail and restaurants of Capitol Park.

Maybe they're waiting for something big like another Nike or UA to take that spot, but I say just get it filled!

Other prime spots without retail:
Where the Hard Rock Cafe used to be on the cornering of Woodward and Monroe in Campus Martius

1001 Woodward on the corner of Campus Martius where they used to do pop-up events like indoor rollerskating, right now it is just a storage for Thanksgiving parade

The Stott in Capitol Park

Space next to Capital One Cafe on Woodward and Larned is considered prime retail space, but every-time I walk by Capital One Cafe it is empty. That building renovation has been down for months now, but no retailer yet.

**stasu1213** · November-14-21, 11:11 AM

Birmingham leadership has it together when it comes to retail or businesses opening in that city. Detroit doesn't. Hard Rock should had been allowed to stay instead of them being forced out due to very high rent. I still believe that there are factions in this city that make it difficult for retail especially national chains to want to open business in Detroit. Plus there need to be free parking for employees working at these retail or free parking somewhere along Woodward from downtown to grand Blvd where employees could park and take the Qline downtown to their place of employment. Just show the your work ID to get on QLine for free. I think that a store such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond is much needed in Downtown Detroit or even midtown. That could easily fill up the spot on the corner of Woodward and Grand River easily. Lids could open in one of the smaller storefronts along Woodward.

**401don** · November-14-21, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Birmingham leadership has it together when it comes to retail or businesses opening in that city. Detroit doesn't. Hard Rock should had been allowed to stay instead of them being forced out due to very high rent. I still believe that there are factions in this city that make it difficult for retail especially national chains to want to open business in Detroit. Plus there need to be free parking for employees working at these retail or free parking somewhere along Woodward from downtown to grand Blvd where employees could park and take the Qline downtown to their place of employment. Just show the your work ID to get on QLine for free. I think that a store such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond is much needed in Downtown Detroit or even midtown. That could easily fill up the spot on the corner of Woodward and Grand River easily. Lids could open in one of the smaller storefronts along Woodward.

Hard Rock, like most of the themed restaurants, Planet Hollywood, Espn Zone, etc. have been closing all over the country. How do you know the rent was high? Gilbert has been keeping the rent very low on his downtown retail until there's a critical mass to sustain it. Why did he make an exception here?
I wouldn't worry about free Q Line fare. Hardly anyone pays anyway.

**stasu1213** · November-14-21, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Hard Rock, like most of the themed restaurants, Planet Hollywood, Espn Zone, etc. have been closing all over the country. How do you know the rent was high? Gilbert has been keeping the rent very low on his downtown retail until there's a critical mass to sustain it. Why did he make an exception here?
I wouldn't worry about free Q Line fare. Hardly anyone pays anyway.

I was told by an inside source. Hard Rock was doing good at that location and the restaurant had closed that restaurant long before the restaurants started closing nationwide. Hard Rock was looking for another location in the city of Detroit but I guess there were none available amongst the many of empty storefronts that are in the downtown midtown area. The reason why few people get away not paying to ride the Qline is due to there was hardly a person there to make riders pay their fare. The Qline was set up to fail from the start

**bust** · November-14-21, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

The reason why few people get away not paying to ride the Qline is due to there was hardly a person there to make riders pay their fare. The Qline was set up to fail from the start

All it would take would be contemporary equivalents of a "meter maid" employed to randomly require proof of payment and authority to issue a fine. Only a few of them. They can work in shifts to cover all hours, and even though most often you can board a car they don't check, there's a persistent small chance one will -- and consequences. Easy peasy.

Why don't they do that?

**K-slice** · November-15-21, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by bust

All it would take would be contemporary equivalents of a "meter maid" employed to randomly require proof of payment and authority to issue a fine. Only a few of them. They can work in shifts to cover all hours, and even though most often you can board a car they don't check, there's a persistent small chance one will -- and consequences. Easy peasy.

Why don't they do that?

They were doing this pre-pandemic. I would often get my ticket checked at peak operating times back then. The problem was, the people checking would just ask you to go buy one, no punishment for trying to avoid the fare.

In Toronto I saw police semi-restrain and escort off the train someone who was on the streetcar without a ticket. That's the kind of enforcement Detroit needs, both for the bums drinking beers on there, and the suburban sports fans who think "eh, it's Detroit, who cares".

More on topic though, Hard Rock was a Downtown pioneer who's time was over, as with the other chain theme restaurants noted here. They're basically an Applebee's with more expensive crap on the walls. That being said though, the physical hole they left in OCM is hard to ignore.

Walking downtown this weekend there seemed to be some activity in the building just north of Greyson, perhaps prepping for a new tenant.

They are also doing some demo work in What About Bob's over on Griswold.

The Fowler is also coming along. I imagine the retail space in that building is awesome.

**ShadowSoarer** · November-26-21, 07:09 PM

Looks like XHIBITION recently opened in Capitol Park so if you want to support local/small businesses especially from Cleveland go right ahead.

**masterblaster** · November-27-21, 04:07 AM

Originally Posted by ShadowSoarer

Looks like XHIBITION recently opened in Capitol Park so if you want to support local/small businesses especially from Cleveland go right ahead.

I don't care so much that this Xhibition store is not a local business. I think for Downtown Detroit to become a retail destination again, it must also offer stores/options that are not in the suburbs. This is the only location in Michigan for this brand.

Hopefully, downtown can draw in reknowned national/international retailers. Detroit [[and suburbs) doesn't even have a Cartier store, yet Cartier glasses are so cherished here. It would be cool if downtown could get some retailers like that.

**313WX** · December-02-21, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

I don't care so much that this Xhibition store is not a local business. I think for Downtown Detroit to become a retail destination again, it must also offer stores/options that are not in the suburbs. This is the only location in Michigan for this brand.

Hopefully, downtown can draw in reknowned national/international retailers. Detroit [[and suburbs) doesn't even have a Cartier store, yet Cartier glasses are so cherished here. It would be cool if downtown could get some retailers like that.

There *WAS* a Cartier at Somerset years ago. I'm guessing like a lot of stores, they closed shop when the auto industry collapsed.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/?cl...cCNtTSJ5gKl_kk

EDIT: There was also one in the Ren Cen...

https://books.google.com/books?id=Sn...etroit&f=false

How designer sunglasses have come to represent status and violence in Detroit.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rac...lasses-detroit

"Unlike Paris and New York, Detroit doesn’t see the volume of wealthy clientele necessary to maintain an official Cartier store. Residents may line up for entry-level luxury items like sunglasses, but stop short of purchasing $120,000 watches and 5-carat diamond rings.

Detroit doesn’t enjoy the traffic that musicians from New York or LA do, and its cultural isolation has been a hindrance for some of the artists here."

**Former_Detroiter** · December-05-21, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

I don't care so much that this Xhibition store is not a local business. I think for Downtown Detroit to become a retail destination again, it must also offer stores/options that are not in the suburbs. This is the only location in Michigan for this brand.

Hopefully, downtown can draw in reknowned national/international retailers. Detroit [[and suburbs) doesn't even have a Cartier store, yet Cartier glasses are so cherished here. It would be cool if downtown could get some retailers like that.

I would have to agree with you about Cartier eyeglasses being cherished in Detroit. On my last visit to Detroit in 2017 my "cherished" Cartier eyeglasses got snatched right off of my face.

**Gistok** · December-05-21, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Former_Detroiter

I would have to agree with you about Cartier eyeglasses being cherished in Detroit. On my last visit to Detroit in 2017 my "cherished" Cartier eyeglasses got snatched right off of my face.

Yes, and I remember the teen in Southfield many years ago, he was murdered when he refused to give up his pair. You might as well have hundred dollar bills taped to your forehead...

**Zacha341** · November-27-21, 10:05 AM

^^^ I am all for more downtown retail. I am thinking our politics/ policies would not affirm that explosion of orchestrated [and fully justified] mob looting as occuring in areas of California...

https://nypost.com/2021/11/22/mobs-o...plifting-laws/

**stasu1213** · November-27-21, 12:21 PM

Flash mobs had tried it in Detroit a few years ago during the Winter Blast. Thank God with police intel that the plot was quelled before it had really gotten started with few damages. Another plot that was foiled was during the demostrations and unrests last year when some demostrators tried raiding Under Armour and Nike but with the help of local civilians that plot also was quelled. Xhibition is a good addition to downtown Detroit but I think that the store could had used a smaller storefront for their merchandise. As long as we have a mixture of local retail and national retail the local retailers and civilians will probably quell any potental flash mobs plots that are planned for downtown Detroit.

**Satiricalivory** · November-27-21, 03:50 PM

A really nice Bodega market is coming to Brush Park. It's basically a small grocery store + Cafe.

https://www.instagram.com/bodega_mkt/

This is exactly what BP needed, and what neighborhoods across the city need. Goes a long way in making neighborhoods more walkable.

**ShadowSoarer** · November-27-21, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

A really nice Bodega market is coming to Brush Park. It's basically a small grocery store + Cafe.

https://www.instagram.com/bodega_mkt/

This is exactly what BP needed, and what neighborhoods across the city need. Goes a long way in making neighborhoods more walkable.

This is a great find. Seems like relatively good demand for the City Modern development. Wonder if Dan Gilbert is waiting for the City Modern development to be done before breaking ground on the adjacent Brewster Douglas development.

**NSortzi** · November-30-21, 04:41 PM

Dbusiness published an article today about Xhibiton’s opening.

**stasu1213** · November-30-21, 09:22 PM

Nice store. The clothes are pushed to the back of the store and should be spreader across the floor

**K-slice** · December-01-21, 11:07 AM

Certainly looks like a "destination" shopping experience.

Will the prices be too high for the current downtown shopper though? Unless I'm forgetting something this looks to be the new top level clothier in downtown.

**401don** · December-01-21, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Certainly looks like a "destination" shopping experience.

Will the prices be too high for the current downtown shopper though? Unless I'm forgetting something this looks to be the new top level clothier in downtown.

Yeah, not sure what "lifestyle" items are but I buy my toques at the dollar store.