Lafayette Towers Center Mall

**stasu1213** · October-11-10, 08:58 AM

Does anyone remember a Hagen Daz icecream in in the Lafayette Towers strip mall? Does anyone remember what store were in the mall from the 1960s to the 1990s when the strip mall really catered to the community. Any ideas of what is being planned for the mall in the near future?

**Islandman** · October-11-10, 10:10 AM

There was an A&P there in the 80s.

**EastsideAl** · October-11-10, 10:29 AM

Like Islandman said, there was an A&P there for a long time, certainly throughout the '60s and '70s. Richard's Drugs right next to the A&P was a mainstay of the community for a very long time and was there from the time the center opened until very recently. There was an NBD bank in the small office building that was torn down several years ago to create more parking [[for what?). There were a few doctors and dentists in that office building. I used to go to one of them there when I was a kid. For a number of years there was a bar/restaurant in the back part of the center [[Orleans or something?) that was a big hangout for a bunch of regulars who lived in the area, many of them lawyers. There was also one of the early Thai restaurants in the Detroit area and a dry cleaners.

Given the population around that shopping center, its proximity to downtown, its location on or very near main commuting routes, and its free parking, I really don't know why it hasn't done better. I do know that it was managed pretty terribly for a number of years, a situation that some shop leaseholders I knew complained bitterly about. And the open again - closed again, chronically understocked and dirty, and incredibly amateurishly run supermarket operation that has been there for the past several years certainly hasn't helped matters at all.

**detroitbob** · October-11-10, 11:07 AM

Ye Olde Butcher Shop was a mainstay for years...great butcher counter and deli, upscale groceries and odds and ends...can't wait for the long delayed reopening over on Woodward in Brush Park

**JJD** · October-11-10, 11:17 AM

If I am thinking of the correct place - At LAfayette and St. Aubin [[dequinder cut), I used to work there at Box Seat Video while in high school. They are no longer there, currently there is a cottage inn pizza place and and a Thai Restuarant along with the aforementioned supermarket.

**detroitbob** · October-11-10, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by JJD

If I am thinking of the correct place - At LAfayette and St. Aubin [[dequinder cut), I used to work there at Box Seat Video while in high school. They are no longer there, currently there is a cottage inn pizza place and and a Thai Restuarant along with the aforementioned supermarket.

That's the right spot...

**EastsideAl** · October-11-10, 11:57 AM

Forgot about the butcher shop. That was a really nice place.

**stasu1213** · October-11-10, 12:57 PM

I would be nice to have more stores in that strip mall that could serve the surrounding communities. I remember Paris Cafe which I though was a pretty decent coffee shop. I was sad to see it close. A good mom and pop little grocery store could open in the mall and probably another coffee shop or cafe.

**Neilr** · October-11-10, 01:35 PM

The strip of stores running parallel to Lafayette consisted of the A&P [[later a Spartan Store), Richard's Drugs and the Lafayette-Orleans bar. The Lafayette-Orleans closed down and then was burned out and stood vacant for years.

The perpendicular strip had a changing groups of establishments. Over the years: a cleaners, a deli restaurant, the 1st Sala Thai, a doctor's office and one mostly vacant office space that was rented by various Democratic candidates every election cycle. When Box Seat returned to the mall, they leased a small space in this strip. Paris Cafe was in this strip.

As has been mentioned, the free-standing building contained a bank branch and Ye Olde butcher Shop which was a small, high-quality market that catered to the middle class segment of LP. When it closed, Box Seat Video took over the space. The second floor contained office space. This building was torn down because it was in very poor shape, had no architectural significance in the Mies van der Rohe tradition of LP and, importantly, no one needed or wanted the space.

When the shopping center was restored several years ago, the plan called for the construction of new townhouses along the eastern edge of the property. Alas...

The center was the site of the Lafayette Park Art Fair held yearly in the 70's.

EastsideAl has given a good description of the center.

**stasu1213** · October-11-10, 02:00 PM

That area has great potentialx. Many empty spaces with a large parking lot intact. I had always felt that a police or sheriff min station could lease a space in the spot. The biggest flaw is that Labor Ready office.

**kraig** · October-11-10, 02:17 PM

The owner blew it when he kicked just about everyone out. They lost their market. The places that were there before had character, the new stuff is too generic.

**GoGrixdale** · October-11-10, 09:07 PM

There was also Jack’s Barber shop. I remember Jack would cut hair while he tossed back snifters of cognac. He was [[per Jack) Coleman A. Young’s personal barber.

**stasu1213** · October-12-10, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by kraig

The owner blew it when he kicked just about everyone out. They lost their market. The places that were there before had character, the new stuff is too generic.

Who is the owner and how can I get in touch with this person or persons?

**manualshift** · October-12-10, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by JJD

I used to work there at Box Seat Video while in high school. They are no longer there

I tried to set up an account at Box Seat and they demanded a pay stub. Ugh I don't have a job. How about a credit card? No can do. The place is gone and I am still carrying a grudge