Imagining that retail has a place in Downtown Detroit these days is rather like thinking that one can board the Bob-Lo boat midnite cruise this Friday. It's possible, but would take a lot of work to pull it off.

Note that I didn't say impossible. The "Merchant's Row" blocks will never become a retail presence in it's current form. Restaurants maybe. General retail? Not likely.

If I had a preference, I'd think that Detroit could remake itself through art galleries, limited specialty retail and restaurants through that area. Of course, that would entail the City subsidizing some of the startups with cash incentives, and possibly enabling the building owners to fix up their premises through creative tax structuring. Or demolition. Put out a RFP and see what comes out of it.