Could Borders move to Detroit?

[catch22]

This may just be a arm-twisting bargaining ploy to get better terms from their current landlord.

I've been through this before -- I worked in the IT department of an auto-parts company that filed Chapter 11 about 10 years ago and announced to the HQ staff that we were moving to a new location about one mile distant, breaking the long-term lease with the current landlord. We had gotten to the point of designing the networking infrastructure in the new digs and were days away from ordering the equipment when, lo and behold, the existing landlord caved and offered new lease terms at about 1/3 of the old amount. We stayed put [[and the company is still there today).

[Gistok]

Visteon Corp. was having troubles... and what did they do... they had that green monstosity built in Campus Martius.... just how many Visteon employees are in that location today??

[DetroitPlanner]

They could design their office similar to Quicken [[casual/silicon valley style with couches and soda stations) to encourage employee innovation and social interaction.

And they could open a new flagship store that is oriented around the multimedia and the internet.

Plus, rent is cheap Downtown and I'm sure they would get the cheapest possible tax rate of anyplace in the US.

Plus, it is only 45 minutes from downtown Ann Arbor, so thats not too much of a drive, and many of their employees [[only 500 of them) could move to the city.

I am sure that those are all ideas that the creditors and bankruptcy judge would approve of!

[DetroitPlanner]

Visteon Corp. was having troubles... and what did they do... they had that green monstosity built in Campus Martius.... just how many Visteon employees are in that location today??

Visteon also had that monstrosity built out past the airport by Belleville at the same time... you know the one full of GE workers?

[Mr. Houdini]

Whatever is being smoked by many of the posters on this thread.... I want some.

I agree. That must be some good Turkish these guys are on.

[Gistok]

Visteon also had that monstrosity built out past the airport by Belleville at the same time... you know the one full of GE workers?

Yes, I was Googling Visteon before I posted and saw that GE employees had moved into the "Visteon Village". What was the logic of a struggling company building on 2 sites simulaneously??

[1KielsonDrive]

Yes, I was Googling Visteon before I posted and saw that GE employees had moved into the "Visteon Village". What was the logic of a struggling company building on 2 sites simulaneously??

It's the 'Free Market' in action. Our brilliant corporate leaders leading us down the path of .............

[rencense]

I wouldnt be too hopeful but it would be awesome if they considered downtown. I think borders can survive if they have good leadership and are willing to make some serious changes. Moving downtown, i think, would allow them to change and improve their image as a place for creative professionals who are the best hope for the company. Ann arbor can kinda fit that bill too but not in a boring corporate campus.

<rant>
I don't fully understand the e book/kindle phenomenon except maybe for the hard core bookworm who wants to read everything and not buy/store it or doesn't have a library nearby [[which coincidentally applies to a growing number of us)

e books will never completely replace books. I'm not a much a reader but i'm working on a classic right now that i bought used. It may sound cheesy but theres something special about reading a 1000+ page classic thats worn and dog-eared from decades of reading and notes. Honestly i doubt I'd read the whole thing on an electronic book; it just seems a bit cheesy.

I don't want to offend any kindle fans I just don't think that the paper book is in danger of extinction anytime soon.

[1KielsonDrive]

Yes, Borders could move to Detroit. But, why? They're trying to cut costs and hassles. Moving to Detroit, paying high taxes, high insurance, high commuting costs, dealing with city hall, city services [[an oxymoron in Detroit), the DPD, etc, etc, would negate everything. If Detroit is the only choice, stay where you are Borders. It is truly unfortunate, because I'd love to see Borders in Detroit, but the city [[administration) is just not ready for the big time. After city hall and administration has been gutted and rebuilt, Detroit will see an upswing in businesses relocating here.

[iheartthed]

Yes, Borders could move to Detroit. But, why? They're trying to cut costs and hassles. Moving to Detroit, paying high taxes, high insurance, high commuting costs, dealing with city hall, city services [[an oxymoron in Detroit), the DPD, etc, etc, would negate everything. If Detroit is the only choice, stay where you are Borders. It is truly unfortunate, because I'd love to see Borders in Detroit, but the city [[administration) is just not ready for the big time. After city hall and administration has been gutted and rebuilt, Detroit will see an upswing in businesses relocating here.

Gee, you make it sound like there are no big corporations located in Detroit already.

[Gistok]

Just recently I heard 2 horror stories about being a business owner in Detroit... as big of a Detroit booster as I am, I would definintely have 2nd thoughts about opening a business in the city, until they ACTUALLY become business friendly to small firms.

1) a Detroit business owner mentioned to me that someone from the city comes out once a year to inspect his dumpsters [[he has 4 of them)... that takes all of 2 minutes... the charge... $350 per dumpster. WTF??

2) another Detroit business [[on a very shabby stretch of Harper Ave. near Chalmers)... said that the city discovered that his front sign is overhanging city property [[it's more like a marquee). So the city is assessing him thousands of dollars for years of rental type fees. His business has already declined by 70% since the area started its' downhill slide 30 years ago. He's old, and tired of the city's harassing ways, and will likely just pack up and abandon his property.

[Jason]

"Therefore we will be exploring opportunities to relocate our headquarters within the Detroit Metro area to a more cost-effective location, mindful of our corporate employees' commute and other factors."

This is the actual quote, and to me it seems like they consider Ann Arbor as part of metro Detroit.

I also get the impression that they'll move to another suburban office building, because if they were moving to a downtown, they would be trying to sell the rebranding angle.


I do think though, that moving to a downtown [[Ann Arbor or Detroit) would improve the company's image, especially with the younger demographics. I think it could also help with recruiting efforts for if they ever have to rehire people. Moving to a downtown would be more expensive though, those vast suburban office parks exist because they're cheap.

[ghettopalmetto]

"I do think though, that moving to a downtown [[Ann Arbor or Detroit) would improve the company's image, especially with the younger demographics. I think it could also help with recruiting efforts for if they ever have to rehire people. Moving to a downtown would be more expensive though, those vast suburban office parks exist because they're cheap.
[/COLOR][/LEFT]

It would also allow Borders to get back in touch with the kind of character that made it a great store in the first place. Ever since they moved out to that piece of shit box off Eisenhower, its stores became just another one-size-fits-all box of generica.

[1KielsonDrive]

Gee, you make it sound like there are no big corporations located in Detroit already.

I made it sound like no such thing. YOU, interpreted it as you wanted.

[iheartthed]

I made it sound like no such thing. YOU, interpreted it as you wanted.

I'm not trying to pick a fight...

It is truly unfortunate, because I'd love to see Borders in Detroit, but the city [[administration) is just not ready for the big time.

Your words, not mine. Detroit is home base of GM, which is still the largest private employer in Michigan, so I'd call that about as big time as anything Michigan can comprehend. So if Detroit can host a few thousand GM workers then why couldn't it handle a couple hundred people from Borders?

[1KielsonDrive]

It would also allow Borders to get back in touch with the kind of character that made it a great store in the first place. Ever since they moved out to that piece of shit box off Eisenhower, its stores became just another one-size-fits-all box of generica.

Agreed. Unfortunately, having owned businesses and properties in Detroit, and having experienced doing business with city hall, I'd almost never suggest moving back into the city. Most of the people and businesses are great. But they take much abuse. Until city hall becomes fair, professional and user friendly, you could easily go ballistic and have a stroke attempting to accomplish anything.

[Fnemecek]

Does anyone think Book, Video or Music stores will exist 10 years from now?

Yes, the industry will continue to evolve but there will always be a place in the market for them.

For starters, customers always have a desire to meet the authors behind the books. A brick and mortar store is ideal for doing said events. It's also something that Amazon.com really can't do effectively. [[They can host a chat, but you can't get your book autographed, pose for photo with the author, or shake his/her hand in an on-line chat.)

[bailey]

Yes, the industry will continue to evolve but there will always be a place in the market for them.

For starters, customers always have a desire to meet the authors behind the books. A brick and mortar store is ideal for doing said events. It's also something that Amazon.com really can't do effectively. [[They can host a chat, but you can't get your book autographed, pose for photo with the author, or shake his/her hand in an on-line chat.)

Well, yeah, but what is stopping that book signing from happening in a random coffee house, Costco, or empty storefront space?

Your words, not mine. Detroit is home base of GM, which is still the largest private employer in Michigan, so I'd call that about as big time as anything Michigan can comprehend. So if Detroit can host a few thousand GM workers then why couldn't it handle a couple hundred people from Borders?

You mean the few thousand GM workers that can't be convinced to stay in the city long enough after work to support a small mall right in its HQ? 5 years on, what is the occupancy rate there? 15%?

[Fnemecek]

Well, yeah, but what is stopping that book signing from happening in a random coffee house, Costco, or empty storefront space?

A random coffee house doesn't have enough square footage to accommodate a significant crowd, which limits the desire that an author would have to participate in said event.

Costco has the square footage to hold it, but much of it is dedicated to non-book merchandise. A meet and greet with J.K. Rowling loses some of its appeal when you're in the lawn & gardening section. It could be done, of course, with some clever re-arranging but it would still be a challenge.

An empty storefront doesn't have any of infrastructure one needs to support the event. You'd have to essentially build a bookstore for every event and then dismantle it after. Those added expenses dramatically eat into the overall profitability of the endeavor.

[JBMcB]

Sure! Why browse for books when you can just purchase from the pre-approved list?

I can put any PDF or MOBI on my Kindle I wish. Just upload it via USB. I can download PDFs from stores other than Amazon.

As soon as we let all media go exclusively into electronic format, it's that much easier for our corporate masters to determine the media they will let us access.

This leads me to believe you don't really understand how computers work. You can get *anything* on the internet, if you know how to find it. Bans, firewalls, domain seizures - it's all academic. There are ways around everything.

Check these out:
http://www.gutenberg.org/
http://www.scribd.com/
http://www.wepapers.com/
http://www.archive.org/details/texts/

[iheartthed]

You mean the few thousand GM workers that can't be convinced to stay in the city long enough after work to support a small mall right in its HQ? 5 years on, what is the occupancy rate there? 15%?

Not sure what mall occupancy rates have to do with the price of tea in China... But yeah, I guess those thousands of people who work in that HQ.

[illwill]

Wait a minute now...

I'm not so sure that they'll leave Ann Arbor. Many businesses play the "Bluff role" in hoping to get better incentives to help them stay. Ann Arbor is the life long home of Borders Books and their longtime employees. I'm not even sure that a new deal can't be worked out at their existing building with Agree R.E. Although I kind of find that unlikely.

I'd find it hard to believe that a city like Ann Arbor is simply going to let a corporation such as Borders Books walk away because of affordabilty.

I think they'll stay in A2.

[1KielsonDrive]

I'm not trying to pick a fight...



Your words, not mine. Detroit is home base of GM, which is still the largest private employer in Michigan, so I'd call that about as big time as anything Michigan can comprehend. So if Detroit can host a few thousand GM workers then why couldn't it handle a couple hundred people from Borders?

Face it, there are businesses presently in Detroit that have learned how to deal with the city administration, have unprecendented access or are too large to just pick up and move. GM being the best example. If not for their size and clout, they might not be here. Little Caesars is a good example. If Mike Illitch says jump, they ask how high. That's not necessarily a bad thing and probably fairly common in any city. But for newcomers, blowing the right people for a couple dozen years just doesn't cut it. And you missed my main point: if you're new and going to be insulted and manhandled on a regular basis, why be here? I doubt Detroit city hall would be willing or able to handle a new business of any size. And that's from mine and friend's experiences - first hand.

[1KielsonDrive]

I'm not trying to pick a fight...



Your words, not mine. Detroit is home base of GM, which is still the largest private employer in Michigan, so I'd call that about as big time as anything Michigan can comprehend. So if Detroit can host a few thousand GM workers then why couldn't it handle a couple hundred people from Borders?

Have you ever conducted business at Detroit city hall?

[rooms222]

[QUOTE=iheartthed;236493 Detroit is home base of GM, which is still the largest private employer in Michigan, so I'd call that about as big time as anything Michigan can comprehend. So if Detroit can host a few thousand GM workers then why couldn't it handle a couple hundred people from Borders?[/QUOTE]

Wasn't GM forced to stay in Detroit during the bankruptcy?

http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/...7170958444.txt