Whole Foods in Midtown?

[Hypestyles]

...more quality food choices, the better.. there still needs to be a move to aggressively remove the blighted buildings from the area, there would be a better sense of what could be redeveloped for future retailers..

[Pushtina]

Fuck Whole Foods. I'd rather have lots of independent retailers than a Whole Foods. Cheering on the arrival of a Whole Foods just sounds so ... uncreative and ... more of an Ann Arbor thing.

You can't tell me that you wouldn't want to see this in Detroit:

http://sonoma.net/wp-content/uploads...roduce-800.jpg

[j to the jeremy]

It does seem like Ann Arbor, but...isn't Midtown just a college neighborhood anyway? Which already has the highest median income in the city? I think Midtown is the only place in Detroit I'd be OK with a Whole Foods. But only if they promise not to build a big ass parking lot. Then I will be seriously pissed.

[Detroitnerd]

No, I don't give a shit about Whole Foods. Sorry. Go ahead and have your little yuppie-gasm.

[j to the jeremy]

haha no 'gasm over here, just a quiet realization that Midtown has been destined for a yuppieville already for several years. I'm over it. [[I am annoyed that there are 3 yoga studios opening though... come on folks)

[Gsgeorge]

Wow. Some people just don't want to see this city succeed, do they?

A national retailer anchor like Whole Foods in midtown would do way more in the way of attracting both small [[homegrown) & large chain businesses to our city than, say, Kim's Produce or Avalon Bakery. "Sorry" but it's just true. No 'gasms, just the realization that any new business in this city, large or small, is a good thing.

[English]

Fuck Whole Foods. I'd rather have lots of independent retailers than a Whole Foods. Cheering on the arrival of a Whole Foods just sounds so ... uncreative and ... more of an Ann Arbor thing.

The one thing that Ann Arbor has that we could sure use more of in Detroit is indie businesses. Somehow, the presence of "uncreative" big box chains hasn't really harmed cool shops like the Tea Haus, Cake Nouveau, or Orchid Lane. I see the seeds of that planted around campus in the North Cass area, but they could use 5X the foot traffic and 10X the residents that they have now.

Whole Foods is like IKEA -- it's a destination store. Right now, I have some faculty colleagues who are very much commuters -- they go to work, and then they go home and spend their dollars in Grosse Pointe or Bloomfield. Well, that Grosse Pointe commuter might be encourage to drop by Whole Foods on the way home from work. If the WF is strategically placed, on a nice day and given free or cheap parking, that colleague of mine might walk around the neighborhood a bit and enjoy his/her WF gelato. Maybe they'd discover some of the other stores in the neighborhood. Maybe they tell their friends, and when they have out of town guests OR are doing faculty recruiting, they bring them back down. They walk, and they shop, and they spread the word.

Not only would this benefit Midtown if it happens, it will benefit city workers and residents. Most of my WSU colleagues who live in the city live in core neighborhoods that aren't directly in Midtown. Thinking of nearly a dozen off the top of my head, we're in Woodbridge, Corktown, Lafayette Park, East Riverfront condos, Riverfront Apartments, the Millender Center, SW Detroit, Indian Village, the New Center, Grandmont-Rosedale, and the University District. [[In fact, I'm sure that at least 50% of the faculty and administrators in my department live in the city.) Most of the rest live in bordering suburbs, including a fair number in the Pointes. A handful are further out, and a few commute from other metros. But all but a few are intentional about supporting the city no matter where you live, and are "raising" new professors to feel the same way. There is a real sense that the fate of our university is tied to the fate of Detroit, and as many have said to me, "If we don't do it, who will?"

Not only would a destination store serve Midtown residents, you'd have people like me, who's moving about 7-10 minutes' drive away, drop in a few evenings per week after work to grab lactose-free organic milk, or some of the cheap organic 365 brand dry goods, or a bottle of wine for faculty colleagues who will be coming over one evening for an informal gathering. This is what I did as a U-M grad student... the WF was between home and campus. I zip in and out, and it is stress-free. I don't do major shopping there, but I was there every week, usually spending around $15-30. In contrast, I don't get out to the WFs in Oakland County because they're out of the way. While I like the store at Orchard Lake and 14 mile, that is one of the most stressful intersections in metro Detroit. It's out of the way for me now, and will be even more so after May 1.

In an era of $4 gas, you will have many WSU, DMC, Henry Ford, and City of Detroit workers [[among others) who will happily pop into the Whole Foods on their way home from work. If it can manage to stay open until 9 pm, then those of us who teach evening classes might drop by the hot bar for a quick and hassle-free bite. That doesn't mean that I'll stop dropping by TJ's after work... that means that there will be dozens and eventually hundreds more like me in the TJ's vicinity.

Strange that every other desirable city seems to have a mix of chains and indies that work for them. Let's see if it happens before we shoot down the idea.

[Detroitnerd]

Haha. If I think Whole Foods is lame, then I obviously don't want to see Detroit succeed. Hahaha.

No, I just think Whole Foods is lame. I laugh at the type of people who shop there. Same with Trader Joe's. Like, OMIGOD, I'm sooooo fuckin' geeked to pay my whole paycheck to Whole Foods and their anti-union owner. Oooooh! I'm creamin' in my elastic pants right now.

Anyway, thanks, J, for getting my tone. Let them put up whatever yuppie shrine they want, but I don't want to see another big parking lot in Midtown. On that we apparently agree.

[Augustiner]

haha no 'gasm over here, just a quiet realization that Midtown has been destined for a yuppieville already for several years. I'm over it. [[I am annoyed that there are 3 yoga studios opening though... come on folks)

True enough. Whenever Midtown gets too dewshey and pretentious, the We Were Here Before It Was Cool crowd can just go maintain the authenticity at Dexter and Fenkell or something.

[Detroitnerd]

true enough. Whenever midtown gets too dewshey and pretentious, the we were here before it was cool crowd can just go maintain the authenticity at dexter and fenkell or something.

Yuppie go home!

[j to the jeremy]

True enough. Whenever Midtown gets too dewshey and pretentious, the We Were Here Before It Was Cool crowd can just go maintain the authenticity at Dexter and Fenkell or something.

ahahahahaha i've been telling people this

Or, as the rents get higher, they will create an outward push of development. OR, if we have an 8 mile rail line, eventually the neighborhoods near stations will become just as desirable.

[English]

True enough. Whenever Midtown gets too dewshey and pretentious, the We Were Here Before It Was Cool crowd can just go maintain the authenticity at Dexter and Fenkell or something.

From your lips to God's ears. May we all live to see the day when my old 'hood gets gentrified.

[stinkytofu]

I could see it on the corner of Hancock and Woodward, where the old police precinct? is.

This probably went the way of so many other projects, but whatever happened to the proposal over a year ago to make the old precinct a restaurant/bar?

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/20567727/detail.html

[bartock]

Augustiner you've been cracking me up the last couple of days.

[Pushtina]

This probably went the way of so many other projects, but whatever happened to the proposal over a year ago to make the old precinct a restaurant/bar?

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/20567727/detail.html

What happened was the Gratzaros were involved. They're also the ones responsible for tearing down the building that Hella's was located in and leaving an empty pit in its place.

[English]

Another thing. Look, the Midtown neighborhood IS supposed to be a yuppie neighborhood. It's a college town within a city. I've heard our provost mention the University District in Philadelphia on several occasions: http://www.universitycity.org/

As a recent grad of both WSU and U-M, I'm not too worried about it mirroring Ann Arbor. I'm also not worried about "pretentiousness," who's being "fake," or anything silly like that. Neither do most people who are being attracted to a new, revitalized Midtown.

If Midtown is getting too crowded or commercial, there are plenty of neighborhoods that would love new residents. My prediction is that Corktown is going to be the new hipster frontier by 2015... well, good! Detroit doesn't have the problems that other major cities do when they gentrify... there's enough available housing and space to build your own commune if you'd like.

[detroitbob]

Fuck Whole Foods. I'd rather have lots of independent retailers than a Whole Foods. Cheering on the arrival of a Whole Foods just sounds so ... uncreative and ... more of an Ann Arbor thing.

I won't use the work "ignorant" with regards to this quoted text...lets go for a subtle "just stupid".

[Detroitnerd]

First of all, I think it's very sweet that the residents in and around Midtown think they rate a store like Whole Foods. I know, you're all coming up and have lots of faith in the city and that's encouraging.

But the thing is:

1) It's not going to happen. Despite what you think and your hopes and dreams, I very much doubt a self-interested corporation is going to open up a Whole Foods in the mid-city area. Not with all the homeless people around there. Not without many more high-income people living there.

2) Also, Whole Foods is overrated. If I hear one more person say that the answer to Detroit's problems is to have a big-box retailer like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, I'll puke. Why? I'll keep my business with the people who've moved in early and wanted to make a difference, like Avalon. For that matter, I don't want to shop in a chain owned by a virulent anti-unionist.

3) Opening a Whole Foods would foreground a lot of the problems we have with inequality. Sure, you can go in and buy your lactose-free beverage [[for $6.99). But no way they would let homeless people in to return cans. Unless you want crazy, drug-addled people with chapped lips and perpetual visions trying to get in and return cans, trying to get in the back to crap all over the toilet. All while hallucinating that your child in the stroller is actually a baked ham. I'm just not seeing it.

I believe that you can root for the city while still not seeing Whole Foods as some kind of Holy Grail of Urban Gentrification.

[GUSHI]

I hope they do open a Whole Foods in Midtown, i'm just surprised that there isn't one on the eastside in Macomb county. I think it would make a killing by Lakeside or Partridge Creek.

[Nee]

I'll patronize them if they have ample parking. I loved that gourmet grocery shop that was on Woodward, but parking made it unaccessible for me. I hate looking for parking or having to park at meters.

[Augustiner]

I'll patronize them if they have ample parking. I loved that gourmet grocery shop that was on Woodward, but parking made it unaccessible for me. I hate looking for parking or having to park at meters.

You mean Zaccaro's? The store with the free 20-odd-space parking lot out back that was never full? Does the parking really have to be right there on Woodward staring you in the face for it to count? Because honestly, I walk to University Foods sometimes and I always feel like I'm taking my life into my hands walking through that giant goddamn parking lot. I'd much rather have the parking behind the store than in front.

[Gsgeorge]

You mean Zaccaro's? The store with the free 20-odd-space parking lot out back that was never full? Does the parking really have to be right there on Woodward staring you in the face for it to count? Because honestly, I walk to University Foods sometimes and I always feel like I'm taking my life into my hands walking through that giant goddamn parking lot. I'd much rather have the parking behind the store than in front.

Totally agree.

[hybridy]

I hope they do open a Whole Foods in Midtown, i'm just surprised that there isn't one on the eastside in Macomb county. I think it would make a killing by Lakeside or Partridge Creek.

have you heard of nino salvaggio's?

[Nee]

You mean Zaccaro's? The store with the free 20-odd-space parking lot out back that was never full? Does the parking really have to be right there on Woodward staring you in the face for it to count? Because honestly, I walk to University Foods sometimes and I always feel like I'm taking my life into my hands walking through that giant goddamn parking lot. I'd much rather have the parking behind the store than in front.

Let me clarify, relatively safe & secure parking.

[Bham1982]

My understanding is that Whole Foods no longer produces its smaller format stores, unless we're talking highly, highly desirable areas with extreme barriers to entry.

Knowing this, I don't understand how Midtown [[at least as of now) would be remotely close to Whole Foods demographics. They need tens of thousands of high-income folks [[100k+ salaries) in close proximity.

I mean, the Pointes apparently don't have enough wealth for Whole Foods. The Novi-Northville-Plymouth corridor doesn't have enough wealth for Whole Foods.

There are only three WF in all of Metro Detroit: Birmingham/Troy border, West Bloomfield and Rochester Hills.

Given that the Pointes don't have adequate demographics, how can Wayne State/Cass Corridor rank higher? Are there many thousands of 100k+ households around Wayne? I would think no. I would think there are very few such households.

I would love to see WF in Detroit, but I think Midtown isn't ready yet. Give it a few years, and we'll see.