Woodward Avenue Retail Development Activity

[Hermod]

Living in my "McMansion" in the eeeeeeevullllllll suburbs of Ft Lauderdale, I am within a mile walk [[on sidewalks) of two Publix supermarkets, a CVS, a Walgreens, two major banks, a Staples, a Sears, a JC Penney, a Ross Dress-for-Less, a Macy's, a Big Lots, a Lowes, a former Gold's Gym [[now an independent gym), and a dollar store.

Why did all of this money get invested around my relatively low density environment and not in beautiful downtown Detroit?

[stasu1213]

Detroit could have it's own Department Store such as Hudson's was a Detroit original. Nina Chanel perfume store had once resided in the Penobscott Building years ago. That building could be used for boutiques, restaurants, etc. The Kresge building could be used by Target if Target could by it from the slumlord who own it

[DC48080]

Detroit could have it's own Department Store such as Hudson's was a Detroit original. Nina Chanel perfume store had once resided in the Penobscott Building years ago. That building could be used for boutiques, restaurants, etc. The Kresge building could be used by Target if Target could by it from the slumlord who own it

The so called "Kresge Building" would not work as a Target store. The first floor of that building is too small. Target and stores like it do not want their operations spread out on multiple floors. Also, there is not enough free parking close enough to that building.

[Hermod]

The so called "Kresge Building" would not work as a Target store. The first floor of that building is too small. Target and stores like it do not want their operations spread out on multiple floors. Also, there is not enough free parking close enough to that building.

We have a Target close by that is on two floors with a parking garage to fit into a smaller footprint. The store is right on the street though the entrance is from the parking garage on the side. They have a little contraption in the center of the escalator so that your shopping cart goes up and downstairs while you use the escalator. You can enter, checkout, and exit at both levels.

[BrushStart]

It's not quite retail, but I noticed that construction was happening at Club Bleu the other day. The facade is updated, and a few nights ago, their sign was lit up. I checked out their website and apparently, Bleu will reopen this fall. This is great news for electronic music lovers. Bleu was a big venue for top talent. I saw some big name DJs there in the mid-00s.

[rjlj]

Imagine that, a multi story Home Depot in Lincoln Park Chicago. Big box stores are not a solution to anything but only a matter of convinience for an exisitng population that can support it.

www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/90214293/

[DetroitDad]

Put the new convention center with one of the casinos, and turn Cobo into Downtown's big box store, heheh!

[MrSam]

They do not work in an urban setting Whaaaat?

When I do bulk grocery shopping I take the subway. It drops me off in front of the store.

I also shop at my neighborhood Best Buy. It's just a couple blocks. It's extremely convenient

This Best Buy Store does not look auto-centric to me nor do tens of thousand of people have to drive to it. In fact it has 0 parking spaces:


Look at the acres of parking in front of this future downtown Target store

Source: wallyg on flickr

And this Aldi........how suburban!!!



That said, I hardly agree with that comment. Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, and Home Depot have all operated for over a decade now in dense urban settings, from downtowns filled with skyscrapers to neighborhood commercial districts. While some of the stores have parking on the roof, some of them don't have a single space. The bulk of their customers enter from a street side entrance and walk home with their purchases. While carrying bulky items might be a bit of a pain sometimes, you get used to it. You also find it's a good workout, and walking to the store is much healthier than driving

Of course that idiot would say something like that. Where have you been, don't you know this is the only region in the country where it individually weak suburbs ban together to keep its heart & head[[detroit) weak.
In return thats why the whole region is visually & internally weak, & not to mention a laughing stock.

This region is easily 20 years behind all the other top metros. That is also why our college grads & bright youth are leaving this backwards state in droves for other progressive states with a strong city core leaving behind a bunch of dumb, old, factory workers, receptionist, & clerks, like a backward deep south state.


In short the $2 billion plus that city folks spend at these suburban food retailers is what keeps most of those stores open and profitable.

So that's why you have these life losers spouting that garbage that it can't work. Where there're tons of examples[[cities) that says it does.

Most of these suburbs couldn't survive & would've failed with a strong city core & would've been annexed into the city along time ago[[like most other strong city have done).

[JimminyCricket]

The so called "Kresge Building" would not work as a Target store. The first floor of that building is too small. Target and stores like it do not want their operations spread out on multiple floors. Also, there is not enough free parking close enough to that building.

There are lots of Targets and Walmarts that are on two floors.

[hybridy]

There are lots of Targets and Walmarts that are on two floors.

indeed...madison, wi has a wal-mart superstore with parking below and a super target with the same format is starting construction later this year. downtown also has a full-service grocer with underground parking in the new university square development...its over priced, but has a couple hundred wealthy student in the service apartments above. and madison is less than 250,000 people. maybe if wayne state could get more students to live on campus...

[leland_palmer]

There are lots of Targets and Walmarts that are on two floors.

There's a 2nd floor Target on Telegraph in Bloomfield Hills.

[douglasm]

Note that the proposed Target for downtown Seattle is just over 100,00 sq. ft. spread over 2 floors. I don't know if parking would be an issue in a downtown Detroit store [[the Seattle location has a dedicated underground lot) but since they have at least 1 downtown store without on site parking [[Brooklyn, NY) I would assume it's not a deal breaker.

What's the square footage of the Kresge Building? Memory says it's huge.

[DetroitPlanner]

What's the square footage of the Kresge Building? Memory says it's huge.

It was big, but not huge. Retail operated on three floors [[excluding a mezz which I never remember open). Thefloors used were basement, main, and second. The second floor was mostly clothes, first floor was quick pick up items that you would need daily, and basement was toys, housewares, sports, pets, and the Kafe.

I'd guess it was about 60,000 sq ft, big for a kresgee, but small for a Target.