New retail for Detroit?

[bust]

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]

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]

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

[masterblaster]

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.

[Zacha341]

^^^ 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]

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]

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]

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]

Dbusiness published an article today about Xhibiton’s opening.

[stasu1213]

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

[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.

[401don]

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.

[Satiricalivory]

Wonder how long before the well known luxury brands start setting up a presence downtown. Feel like they're going to have in order to capitalize on the wealthy business tourist that stays downtown. Those people are not driving out to Somerset when they visit.

[401don]

Wonder how long before the well known luxury brands start setting up a presence downtown. Feel like they're going to have in order to capitalize on the wealthy business tourist that stays downtown. Those people are not driving out to Somerset when they visit.

What is a business tourist? If it's someone who shops while in town for business Detroit still has a very small and not diverse corporate presence downtown.

[Satiricalivory]

What is a business tourist? If it's someone who shops while in town for business Detroit still has a very small and not diverse corporate presence downtown.

You're kidding right? A huge portion of tourists in the city are here on business travel. The city also has tons of events that bring in travelers with money. Detroit has a small downtown corporate presence? Is that a joke?

[313WX]

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."

[401don]

You're kidding right? A huge portion of tourists in the city are here on business travel. The city also has tons of events that bring in travelers with money. Detroit has a small downtown corporate presence? Is that a joke?

No. Compared to other cities Detroit doesn't have much diversity in medium to large corporations downtown. It's still primarily the banks and utilities, [[neither of whom generate much corporate travel) GM & Rocket. Who are the corporate employers with 500 plus employees downtown?

[stasu1213]

I remember the United States Army was looking for another site for one of its headquarters. For some reason Detroit didn't qualify. It was said that Detroit didn't have enough qualified people to be employed. Was the Army told that they have to hire 51% Detroiters in order to set up shop here especially in ir near the downtown area? If so, that 52% rule should be lowered to maybe 20% and any corporate, military, or private business who want to have a location in Detroit could also leach out into the surrounding suburbs for potential employees

[313WX]

No. Compared to other cities Detroit doesn't have much diversity in medium to large corporations downtown. It's still primarily the banks and utilities, [[neither of whom generate much corporate travel) GM & Rocket. Who are the corporate employers with 500 plus employees downtown?

Rocket doesn't generate much corporate travel either. Let's call it for what it is, primarily a glorified call center for homeowners with mortgages and homebuyers.

GM also doesn't generate nearly as much travel as it did years ago, since it's a much smaller company today and has shut down / greatly reduced its operations in every place not named the US, China or Mexico. That's why they sold their interest in the Courtyard Marriott.

[401don]

Rocket doesn't generate much corporate travel either. Let's call it for what it is, primarily a glorified call center for homeowners with mortgages and homebuyers.

GM also doesn't generate nearly as much travel as it did years ago, since it's a much smaller company today and has shut down / greatly reduced its operations in every place not named the US, China or Mexico. That's why they sold their interest in the Courtyard Marriott.

Exactly. Varvatos opened downtown because he was from Detroit. I'm guessing he got a great deal on rent as well. How long did he last? We're just hoping stores like H & M can hang in there. To think that current downtown demographics can support national luxury retail chains is absurd.

[stasu1213]

Smaller mid level stores would do the trick to generate high pedestrian traffic

[Gistok]

I remember the United States Army was looking for another site for one of its headquarters. For some reason Detroit didn't qualify. It was said that Detroit didn't have enough qualified people to be employed. Was the Army told that they have to hire 51% Detroiters in order to set up shop here especially in ir near the downtown area? If so, that 52% rule should be lowered to maybe 20% and any corporate, military, or private business who want to have a location in Detroit could also leach out into the surrounding suburbs for potential employees

I do believe you have that wrong... for jobs moving into the city there is no "quota". It's for construction in the city that includes at least some city funds that require city residents.

[ShadowSoarer]

Looks like The Statler restaurant might be opening soon. Meanwhile signs for Premier Pet Supply nearby still says coming early 2021.

Attachment 41848

[Former_Detroiter]

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]

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...