Over 15 New Retailers, Restaurants, Offices, & Bars Open on Lower Woodward Avenue

[casscorridor]

Though there was a lot of big news about big names moving out or ceasing to operate in the last year, it seems that a lot of replacement businesses are taking their place in fairly rapid fashion. It seems to me that downtown is becoming more practical and functional. As far as restaurants and food go, it seems that that the supply of high priced stuff is dwindling but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of options in the near future.

For the insiders: is rent on lower woodward finally coming down? That would also explain alot.

In the end this all bodes well for people that live and work downtown. I'll exchange high end destination-type venues for a more functional downtown.

Totally agree, and there was a lot of high priced places opening, such Roast in the Book Cadillac. I think the higher priced places that stick around will probably do better now that there is less of them. But I think the Fish Market thing wasn't because of lack of customers, it was because of shadiness. But I don't really care, because I never went there anyway. But I am totally going to most of the new places that are opening, so yes, it is a good trade off.

[p1acebo]

Totally agree, and there was a lot of high priced places opening, such Roast in the Book Cadillac. I think the higher priced places that stick around will probably do better now that there is less of them. But I think the Fish Market thing wasn't because of lack of customers, it was because of shadiness. But I don't really care, because I never went there anyway. But I am totally going to most of the new places that are opening, so yes, it is a good trade off.

It has everything to do with management and marketing. The high price places have the ability to stick around as long as it is run properly.

[stasu1213]

Though there was a lot of big news about big names moving out or ceasing to operate in the last year, it seems that a lot of replacement businesses are taking their place in fairly rapid fashion. It seems to me that downtown is becoming more practical and functional. As far as restaurants and food go, it seems that that the supply of high priced stuff is dwindling but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of options in the near future.

For the insiders: is rent on lower woodward finally coming down? That would also explain alot.

In the end this all bodes well for people that live and work downtown. I'll exchange high end destination-type venues for a more functional downtown.

Do you think we will actually see a major retail store downtown or would the Midtown-New Center area be the new retail district for shoppers?

[Sarah]

I picked up lunch at the Fountain Bistro today. The salads are terribly over-priced for the size.

[Mackinaw]

P1acebo, I would also put the same premium on the talent of the management...and also on the savvy/flexibility of any building's owner.

Stasu, this is total conjecture, but I think it depends on how you define that. If a chain drugstore counts-- which isn't much-- then both locations have already taken the right steps. If we're looking for Targets and other urban adaptations of bix boxes, then I'm really not sure. I think that demand is palpable up near Wayne State and that the chains would succeed there, but spatially speaking I think there are more sites downtown where something like this would be factored into a large new development [[the likes of which could only be in the pre-publicity planning stage right now, and thus several years away). If we're talking boutique-type independent retail, then I again vote for midtown, where it's already kinda sorta happening [[as much as I'd like to see downtown have this.)

[SaintMe]

I picked up lunch at the Fountain Bistro today. The salads are terribly over-priced for the size.

Yeah about Fountain Bistro . . . I called there twice today and the phone rang and rang and rang . . . no answer. I called about a week or so ago and a recording said the number was not in service. Did they go under already?

[artds]

With new office tenants coming to Campus Martius and Grand Circus Park,

Can someone help me out? I've been preoccupied with for the last couple of months and haven't been keeping up with downtown developments.

Who is moving into office space in GCP, and what building are they occupying?

[DetroitDad]

Woodward Avenue Retail Development Activity

November 13th, 2009, 09:19 PM
DetroitDad

Just got back from a stroll to Campus Martius and a swing by the Downtown CVS. I was surprised to see so many toys and new gadgets in their window display. Apparently they are selling Wii Fit, or something very similar [[some sort of video super fit game).

Meanwhile, work of some sort appears to be going on at the former Woodward Restaurant in the Compuware Building. I could see neon through the windows. A little further down the street you can peer into the windows of the Kresge Shops to see the progress slowly but surely happening. The new bakery in particular is coming along nicely, surprisingly with goodies already in the display case. On the State Street side of the Kresge Buildings, one can see what appears to be a woman's shoe store that definitely seems much nicer than what was going on over at the Russell Bazaar. The Kresge Shops seem more like upper end mini boutique stores rather than kiosks or lower end retail. I am becoming pleasantly surprised by the progress at the Kresge Shops.

Next door to the Kresge Shops is the new 5 and 10 Bar, with a flashing open sign in it's windows, though it did not appear to be open. Further down the street is the new nightclub; Vain, across from Oslo's Sushi and Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes. The new lights on that building are at least a shot of life to that block, if nothing else.

Still high vacancies and no sense of flow or cohesion, but it is nice to see that the Woodward Avenue Shopping District is more stagnant than anything else, or even moving forward, and not moving backward, as it had momentarily appeared to be with the rash of closings earlier this year.

As Gannon always says; Cheers!

[fryar]

I'm glad to see on the Salad Creations website that their downtown location is still open. That was always a good way for a lazy shlub like me to work in a healthy version of fast food. :-)

[Focus313]

I worked for the flower shop in the First National Building a few years back. They jacked their rent from approx $2,500 per month to $6,000.

You guessed it, they moved two blocks away for half the price they were paying originally. Lower Woodward will be vacant until property owners get real and realize that Detroit is not NYC.

[fryar]

I worked for the flower shop in the First National Building a few years back. They jacked their rent from approx $2,500 per month to $6,000.

You guessed it, they moved two blocks away for half the price they were paying originally. Lower Woodward will be vacant until property owners get real and realize that Detroit is not NYC.

That doesn't surprise me one bit. From what I have read here, that is really a pattern in downtown Detroit. It doesn't seem to make any sense. If you more than double the rent like that, and they leave, don't you just end up sitting on empty space that you have to rent out at low teaser rates, completing the circle? So how does that make sense?

[BrushStart]

That doesn't surprise me one bit. From what I have read here, that is really a pattern in downtown Detroit. It doesn't seem to make any sense. If you more than double the rent like that, and they leave, don't you just end up sitting on empty space that you have to rent out at low teaser rates, completing the circle? So how does that make sense?

I mean, it doesn't. The only thing I can think of is that the landlord is trying to keep the value of his property up by suggesting that his vacant storefront can fetch nearly $6k/mo in rent. Even though that is a flat out lie. I can't imagine how much money these property owners have lost over the years for pricing themselves out of the market by ignoring simple supply/demand principles.

[DetroitDad]

Attachment 7606
A wood construction fence has been erected around the front of the Pepper's Shoes Building. Construction signs advertise a J.C. Beal Construction project.

[DetroitDad]

Attachment 7607Cranes working at the Kales and Adams Facade on October 9th, 2010. I have no idea what they were doing... sorry, I was running late for work.

[DetroitDad]

While meating a friend to take pictures of the Pepper's Shoes construction site, I came across something else.

There is a coming soon sign hanging in the red brick building across from the Pepper's Shoes Building construction site. Every picture I took produced a horrible glare. If no one beets me to it, I'll try to get some better pictures before the weekend.

I know this is probably going to drive some of you bananas, but can anyone guess what the sign is for? This surely is a recipe for something grape... er, I mean great.

A coming soon sign hangs in the windows of this lower Woodward Avenue building, across from the Pepper's Shoes construction site. The red brick building that once housed a Nike Store as part of an Athlete's Foot, has been installing shelving and an aisle of food coolers. I'm not sure if this will be a full grocery store, a local market, or just something small for the nearby bus stand, which does see a nice amount of use and foot traffic.

[DetroitDad]

It appears two retail stores on the same block as the Pepper's Shoes building are going out of business, or so their signs read.

[BrushStart]

It appears two retail stores on the same block as the Pepper's Shoes building are going out of business, or so their signs read.

Yeah, there was a clothing store that my girlfriend bought a dress from about a week ago. They are leaving Lower Woodward, but moving to 8 Mile somewhere, so a loss for downtown, but not for Detroit proper.

I am also curious as to what's happening at 5/10 Bar... they have cut their hours back pretty drastically. And then there's Breakfast House, which seems like it could be reopened with minimal effort, but who knows?

The problem with lower Woodward is that it is has no anchor. There's not enough foot traffic over there to sustain small boutiques. You need, shall I say, a big box store or the like that draws other shoppers in. If you had that, you would [[a) get more residents downtown, and [[b) generate more foot traffic to support small retail shops. Woodward is not a car-friendly shopping district. I don't care how much traffic you have on lower Woodward, it's worthless unless it's foot traffic.

[DetroitDad]

Yeah, there was a clothing store that my girlfriend bought a dress from about a week ago. They are leaving Lower Woodward, but moving to 8 Mile somewhere, so a loss for downtown, but not for Detroit proper.

I am also curious as to what's happening at 5/10 Bar... they have cut their hours back pretty drastically. And then there's Breakfast House, which seems like it could be reopened with minimal effort, but who knows?

The problem with lower Woodward is that it is has no anchor. There's not enough foot traffic over there to sustain small boutiques. You need, shall I say, a big box store or the like that draws other shoppers in. If you had that, you would [[a) get more residents downtown, and [[b) generate more foot traffic to support small retail shops. Woodward is not a car-friendly shopping district. I don't care how much traffic you have on lower Woodward, it's worthless unless it's foot traffic.

Glad to hear that they are staying in business. My wife shopped there. It appears Tall-Eez is the other one out. I do hope the new grocery store does okay.

[EastSider]

Cranes working at the Kales and Adams Facade on October 9th, 2010. I have no idea what they were doing... sorry, I was running late for work.

They were installing air handling equipment on the roof for the restaurant space on the first floor.

[guito13]

Very nice to see the new stores and such but, problem is, who has the money to buy these goods/services? :-[[

[esp1986]

Attachment 7606
A wood construction fence has been erected around the front of the Pepper's Shoes Building. Construction signs advertise a J.C. Beal Construction project.

Wonderful. Another JC Beal project that probably won't come to fruition. It is my recollection, that the building next door, 1403 Woodward I believe, is also a JC Beal project that has gone nowhere... seems to be a lot of those downtown these days... Broderick Tower and adjacent building, 1403 Woodward, now this. I think I'm missing a couple others... after seeing the Broderick go nowhere, with the scaffolding up for nearly five years now, I'm not even optimistic.

[lo_to_d]

They are part of DEGC projects to clean and light the vacant structures. The "grocery store" is a liquor store with some foor products.

[BrushStart]

They are part of DEGC projects to clean and light the vacant structures. The "grocery store" is a liquor store with some foor products.

How do you know this? That space seems too large to just be a liquor store. I need to take a walk over there and check it out for myself.

I want to remain optimistic, perhaps Beal Group is setting up to start multiple projects at once.