Kresge Shops

[stasu1213]

A friend of mine had spoken to one of the retailers in the Kregsge Building downtown. The retailer is becoming discouraged about keeping her shop open in the building for the owner keep prolonging the opening of the bar and restaurant. He had just recieved his liquor license. He is talking his time and getting the building together. Retailers in the building are not making money. There is nothing going on in the building to attract customers. The building is cold at times. My friend was told that the owner is not using the best contractors for the job. That is why he is not fully open. Has anyone else heard this?

[Toolbox]

I wonder if there is a C of O for that building. This is not a suprise based on who owns the building and past track record.

[DetroitZack]

You could of posted this in my thread about the Kresge Shops
http://detroityes.com/mb/showthread....uilding&page=2

But that's a bummer. When I first went in there I was a little worried that there wouldn't be that much business. Is there still just the bakery and jeweler who seemed to not be there often?

[DetroitDad]

The bakery never seems to be open, or have hours posted.

[DetroitZack]

That's weird because she use to have it open all the time. Whenever I drove by she was there. I went in twice to get a cookie.

[stasu1213]

That's weird because she use to have it open all the time. Whenever I drove by she was there. I went in twice to get a cookie.

She is losing business for there is nothing to draw customers inside the building. It is sometimes cold in there. The jewelry store had almost giving up for she see that the owner is not serious about finishing the place. The lady at the door I was told keep informing would be shoppers that the bar will open up the next week. When the next week comes she would say it will open up in another week.

[vivadetroit]

Well, b-sing people is how the Kefallinos empire works. They tell people what they want to hear and do just the opposite. I know since I lived in his "lofts" and they promised so many things, but nothing ever panned out. His buildings have incredible turnover since they're shoddily built w/ subpar materials, and problems are never fixed, just have band-aid "this will do for now" patches.

If I was a small business owner, I would never go anywhere near a building that is part of the Kefallinos/Dionysia group. I feel badly for those who have signed contracts with them.

[n7hn]

the pictures posted right away showed lack of desire to make a honest effort to open a functional alluring place. It looked like some handyman special sh*tjob. No public place should even open in that condition. Any sucessful relaunch has to all be ready at the same time, no staggering in opening dates of outlets and shops. People loose interest, investing shops loose money and interest on the location meanwhile. Possibly when something is more upscale and higher quality and a great/high traffic location people may be more forgiving, but the pics posted didnt look like anything worth waiting or going out of your way for ....but its too bad for all involved. Especially the small businesspeople who made an honest and true effort and investment

[Mackinaw]

I agree with n7hn. The building is better off than before, but because the owner lacks either taste or money, he's really disgracing his own effort and not doing downtown any big favors. The photos I saw before xmas looked like it was still undergoing renovations and simply opened early...but it sounds like it remains in the same condition.

[PQZ]

Oh gee golly! Tell me its not true! A Dennis K building has turned out to be a sham and a failure? Never heard of such a thing.

The asshole is a complete slum lord. There is no way he is getting away with what he does without having some one on the take. I was hoping that with Amru Meah gone, perhaps the heat woul;d be turned on him to at least, well, turn on the heat.

Oh, and a big F U to the knuckleheads who thought the DEGC was being irresponsible for not entertaining DKs proposal for doing some retail in the Lafayette Building. Thats the same as enterianing proposals from Matty Maroun to build better neighborhood access around the Ambassador Bridge.

The Kresge buidling was in far far better shape and the execution is horrible. Good governance and policy sometimes involves not repsonding to known slum lords and bad proposals.

True story: The DDA lent about $250,000 to Rootlevel back in the day to buy equipment and do some upgrades to expand from a 20 person to a 45person software company. About five or six pretty powerful desktops and their monitors purchased with the loan were stolen out of their offices in the Boydell building. Five days later, they found them being used by DK employees in the managment offices in the Boydell. With serial numbers and Rottlevel identifying tags still on them.

None of the Kresge issues should surpise any of you.

[mikeg19]

This is really disappointing to here.