WSJ: Gilbert & Shinola teaming up for new boutique hotel in downtown detroit

[stasu1213]

Is it just me or is anyone upset by the loss of all of the Wig stores that used to exist in the lower Woodward Corridor? To see the downfall of these stores with their replacements being a mix bag of higher end retailers is depressing. Part of my childhood is being erased! I remember as a kid, mom and dad would take me downtown and I would see all of the Wig stores and even a few athletic apparel stores downtown. The boarded up JL Hudson building and the fancy people statues on Woodward in the 80s and 90s were always the signs that we were downtown! Also can’t forget the red metal pedestrian mall with the half burned out ball lights on Washington Blvd in front of the glorious abandoned Book Cadillac and Statler. Downtown was so relaxed and quiet back then. On the weekends it was said you could shoot a cannon down any downtown street and not hit a single person. Now those were the days..

I remember talking to a camera shop owner in the Penobscott Building during the week before the superbowl. I had asked him why he or other businesses don't open on the weekends especially this weekend before the Superbowl. His reply was "Downtown is a ghost town on the weekends and he and other businesses won't make any money. Many Superbowl participants were desperately looking for places to buy cameras, clothing, outerwear, etc only to be told that they had to travel to the suburbs to purchase those items. It was sad that Detroit after 10 years of the announcement that the Superbowl was coming wasn't even prepared for it. I remember the downtown of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. A place where there were places to shop and eat on the weekends as well. The boarded storefronts, panhandlers, and closed for the weekends businesses didn't appeared on Woodward until the 1990s.

[stasu1213]

I still feel that downtown doesn't need a big box store such as Hudson's was to make it a total downtown. More individual tasteful shops and boutiques would make it complete as well as a movie house or multplex. Little Ceasars Arena had enough space to have a multi screen theatre inside of it but opt out. I would love to see more midde end stores opening downtown such as H&M, Columbia, Levi Strauss or Guess, Urban Outfitters, and a See Optical. Also reserved or free parking should be given to employees of these stores. I had talked with one of the suburban stores of why it won't open a store in Downtown. She had said that the owner doesn't want his employees to have to pay for parking so he will not open a shop in the downtown midtown area. Dan Gilbert and city planners should work on that problem if they want to attract more retail into downtown and midtown Detroit

[EGrant]

Dan Gilbert and city planners should work on that problem if they want to attract more retail into downtown and midtown Detroit

It's not on Dan Gilbert and city planners to provide adequate regional transit. That's on the voters who keep rejecting anything other than a 10 lane highway.

[Hypestyles]

Is it just me or is anyone upset by the loss of all of the Wig stores that used to exist in the lower Woodward Corridor? To see the downfall of these stores with their replacements being a mix bag of higher end retailers is depressing. Part of my childhood is being erased! I remember as a kid, mom and dad would take me downtown and I would see all of the Wig stores and even a few athletic apparel stores downtown. The boarded up JL Hudson building and the fancy people statues on Woodward in the 80s and 90s were always the signs that we were downtown! Also can’t forget the red metal pedestrian mall with the half burned out ball lights on Washington Blvd in front of the glorious abandoned Book Cadillac and Statler. Downtown was so relaxed and quiet back then. On the weekends it was said you could shoot a cannon down any downtown street and not hit a single person. Now those were the days..

hmm... how prolific are wig stores now? something of a niche item, perhaps, sold at general beauty/hair stores, also online, of course.

[401don]

hmm... how prolific are wig stores now? something of a niche item, perhaps, sold at general beauty/hair stores, also online, of course.

.......wow!

[Danny]

Downtown Detroit, [[Gliberttown Detroit) does not have Bloomingdale's, Sears, Kerns, Crowley's, Hudson's, Federal's Winkelmann's, Kresge's,Parisian, Von Maur, Neiman Marcus, Macy's ect... But at least have a Shinola Boutique Hotel and shiny retail to go along with it.

[stasu1213]

I probably wouldn’t want a big box store to dominate downtown due to the way most of them offiling bankruptcy and closing their satellites stores around the country. Independent stores are best for downtown now. I still need a housewares store that sells items for the home including linen, bath towels and clothes and kitchen wares. No, a dollar store wouldn’t do

[SpartanDawg]

https://www.shinolahotel.com

website is up and running with tons of new info and pictures of the guest rooms. some of the rooms look absolutely stunning! this place deserves a staycation.

https://www.shinolahotel.com/gallery

also more news about their new restaraunts and bars opening in the hotel

1. san morello - main spot that is fronting woodward. italian fine dining, the marquee restaurant in the hotel

2. evening bar - hotel bar open late on weekends

3. the brakeman beer hall - this is the ground floor in the annex building facing farmer street

4. penny reds - didn't hear about this one before, it's a 'fried chicken' spot located somewhere right next to the brakeman beer hall

these restaraunts and bars, combined with the new good neighbor retail shop, new shinola store, le labo, madewell, drought, the new activated alley, plus [[what looks to be) a high scale five star hotel all activating a once complete dead zone downtown [[AND new construction on a parking lot!)... absolute dream scenario. looking forward to see it completely up and running. i would imagine the hotel should have a soft opening any day now, with being fully up and running in time for the auto show

[SammyS]

Superb. I feel proud and wish the developers the best of success

[dtowncitylover]

That's fucking amazing they named the alley after a man with such a story. Love it!

[EGrant]

That's fucking amazing they named the alley after a man with such a story. Love it!

Via the site:

"While currently nestled in the city’s shopping district, its namesake honors a history long before the bustling storefronts of Woodward. The alley name is an homage to Thomas Parker, a free black man who became one of the first black landowners in the city of Detroit. He obtained the lot for $1 in a land drawing after Detroit’s Great Fire of 1805, which decimated the city."

Absolutely brilliant.

[dtowncitylover]

Via the site:

"While currently nestled in the city’s shopping district, its namesake honors a history long before the bustling storefronts of Woodward. The alley name is an homage to Thomas Parker, a free black man who became one of the first black landowners in the city of Detroit. He obtained the lot for $1 in a land drawing after Detroit’s Great Fire of 1805, which decimated the city."

Absolutely brilliant.

Thanks! I was being lazy on my phone.

[p1acebo]

Via the site:

"While currently nestled in the city’s shopping district, its namesake honors a history long before the bustling storefronts of Woodward. The alley name is an homage to Thomas Parker, a free black man who became one of the first black landowners in the city of Detroit. He obtained the lot for $1 in a land drawing after Detroit’s Great Fire of 1805, which decimated the city."

Absolutely brilliant.

That's totally awesome, glad attention to history was made.

[Hypestyles]

... well, I guess it's pet friendly-- kudos-- but should the first thing they show is a dog running down the hallway and jumping on the bed? lol.. some people are feeling pets, some aren't..

[EGrant]

Yeah as someone who isn't a big dog person, I had to cringe a little when fido jumped on the bed.

[hybridy]

who's the target clientele? people who typically stay at the Townsend? Siren perhaps?

is DG targeting all the sports teams and musicians that will be playing LCA?

[masterblaster]

That San Morello italian restaurant was open restaurant last night and was already packed! Several other nearby bars were packed last night, including the Cornerstone, the Queens bar, and Punchbowl Social. Downtown is definitely looking up!

I can't wait for the other spots in this hotel to open up. The list of businesses in this development is impressive:

1. Madewells [[women's clothing)
2. Shinola store [[watches & bikes)
3. Drought [[juicery/smoothies)
4. Madcap Coffee [[a coffee cafe from Grand Rapids)
5. Evening Bar - Cocktail bar
6. Brakeman - beer hall
7. Penny Red's - fried chicken joint
8. Le Labo - fragrances
9. San Morello - southern Italian food
10. Good Neighbor - locally-owned clothing boutique

[SammyS]

^^
So exciting. I’ve been spending a bit of time down here lately working on the rental. Downtown is really alive.
Put your hands up for Detroit
https://youtu.be/SYs2HHYqmxw

[stasu1213]

That only ass backward thing that Shinola is doing I’d opening it’s hotel on January 2 instead of before New Years when they would had been well booked. I got the feeling that politics is involved for the reason of the delayed opening

[Atticus]

That only ass backward thing that Shinola is doing I’d opening it’s hotel on January 2 instead of before New Years when they would had been well booked. I got the feeling that politics is involved for the reason of the delayed opening

Maybe they want opening day to be on a less busy, lesser profile night. Much better and easier to get any opening night issues worked out on a slow day rather than over New Years Eve.

[stasu1213]

Maybe they want opening day to be on a less busy, lesser profile night. Much better and easier to get any opening night issues worked out on a slow day rather than over New Years Eve.

I would agree had they opened in the middle of November. Not in December where the hotel could had opened on the first of December and issues could had been worked out but Christmas. No highly advertised hotel would want to miss out on the opportunity to make a killing especially around the Christmas holidays. Hopefully they could get the auto show crowd that if politics don't step in to prevent that from happening

[SammyS]

I would agree had they opened in the middle of November. Not in December where the hotel could had opened on the first of December and issues could had been worked out but Christmas. No highly advertised hotel would want to miss out on the opportunity to make a killing especially around the Christmas holidays. Hopefully they could get the auto show crowd that if politics don't step in to prevent that from happening

What politics are you talking about?

[401don]

I would agree had they opened in the middle of November. Not in December where the hotel could had opened on the first of December and issues could had been worked out but Christmas. No highly advertised hotel would want to miss out on the opportunity to make a killing especially around the Christmas holidays. Hopefully they could get the auto show crowd that if politics don't step in to prevent that from happening

Hotels are dead in December. This isn't NYC. Just go on Priceline and check the rates for any night except New Year's Eve.

[stasu1213]

What politics are you talking about?

The stalling or prolonging of a business or retail way past expected opening date so that the favoured business or retail could make that profit for the holiday or event

[EGrant]

^That's a tinfoil hat conspiracy theory, not politics.