J.C. Penney's comes to Detroit

[detwaa84]

Why doesn't the city and state consider giving the retailers the same incentives and tax deductions they grant condo and other risk-taking developers. Obviously retail is just as important as attracting/retaining residents to the city. Many pass on the chance to move to city just because it doesn't have basic retail stores, or even grocery stores (patriculary in downtown) to serve their needs and wants. Borders or Da Mode is not what I'd consider breakthroughs, particularly in Detroit's fastest growing -- Downtown.

[hudkina]

When the K-Mart closed in Lincoln Park, Meijer took a relatively big gamble by converting it into a store of their own. It was one of their first quasi-urban stores in a city that isn't particularly wealthy. Crime isn't bad but it isn't low either. I think if the city did aquire the land, clean it up, and create incentives for the company to build there they could go for it. And while safety and loss-prevention are probably big concerns, especially for such a large store, I think they would also see more than a few benefits of having the store there. (The customer base is larger, the wealth-density is higher in Northwest Detroit than it is near most of their other stores, and competition is basically non-existant.) You could also see a brand loyalty emerge amongst Detroiters who would be excited to see a major retailer enter the city.

[RustTown]

Why doesn't the city and state consider giving the retailers the same incentives and tax deductions they grant condo and other risk-taking developers. Obviously retail is just as important as attracting/retaining residents to the city. Many pass on the chance to move to city just because it doesn't have basic retail stores, or even grocery stores (patriculary in downtown) to serve their needs and wants. Borders or Da Mode is not what I'd consider breakthroughs, particularly in Detroit's fastest growing -- Downtown.

[Michi]

Did you read my post? I just said exactly the same thing. lol

[Rybak 187]

Here is an update on the Gateway Center:

Nathan Hurst / The Detroit News DETROIT -- An $80 million development that would bring a full-scale shopping center to the city will break ground later than originally expected but is still drawing strong support from local officials and interest from potential retailers, the project's developers said this week.The Shoppes at Gateway Park, an open air mall, is slated to bring more than 330,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to the intersection of Eight Mile and Woodward on the northern edge of Detroit, adjacent to the Michigan State Fairgrounds.Construction of the project, announced in March, was originally set to begin by the end of this year and was to be completed by March 2009. The groundbreaking now is planned for mid- to late spring of next year, with the opening date of the center still uncertain.The timetable was pushed back because the developer, General Growth Properties first wanted to secure enough tenant interest to ensure the project's success."Because we're attracting a number of big-name tenants, we're choosing to hold off on making any official announcement of tenants at this time," said Lyneir Richardson, vice president of urban retail development for General Growth Properties. "But I can say for certain that the interest is there, deals are happening and we expect to have work started on the center sometime in late spring of next year."The shopping center plan calls for one anchor store, five smaller "junior box" retailers, up to five restaurants and up to 40 smaller shops, likely to be a mix of locally owned stores and national chains.Investors in the project said in March that department store J.C. Penney had penned a letter of intent to serve as the anchor tenant for the project. Penney's officials confirmed that letter of intent was sent in March, but an official lease agreement has yet to be signed.Richardson confirmed that Penney officials were still on board, but he declined to name any other prospective mall tenants.Bernie Schrott of Bloomfield Hills, the largest of the center's minority investors, is confident the mall will be built, and that General Growth Properties will attract a healthy mix of retailers and stimulate other development in the region."I still think this is a great project for Detroit and it will be an instigator for even more growth in the community," said Schrott, who was a key player in getting the project off the ground. "This isn't a flash-in-the pan idea. It will happen and spur other great things to happen."The developer is now drawing up final site plans for city approval, a process Salisbury expects to be finished by year's end."There's a lot of momentum on this project," Salisbury said. "The city wants this and people around here need this."Salisbury said a study released Monday by Social Compact Inc. that estimated Detroit's population stood at nearly 62,000 people more than official Census estimates has boosted interest in the project."The study also showed that expendable income here is much higher than the Census estimated," Salisbury said. "Yet landing Penney's as the anchor store would go a long way toward ensuring the mall's development and success, one analyst said. "Penney's is trying to go after a higher line of customer," Birmingham retail consultant Ed Nakfoor said, "and they could provide this mall the traction they need to get going,"

[TheDetroitCity99]

Wow I really couldn't read that all. But anyway, I thought this thread was just started but then it said march 25 so I got really sad and thought oh no they backed out, but now this is great news!!Finally some real shopping that normal people can afford in Detroit. This will for sure spark new things in Detroit!!What doesn't anymore??Just where will this shopping area be??

[rbdetsport]

Southeast side of the 8 Mile and Detroit intersection, right next to the State Fairgrounds.

Here is the link to the article above. It has some pics, one being a map of the location.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...heme=Biz-Retail

[nofunk]

Glad to hear this is still in the works, but I wonder how many more delays we might see...

[Veloise]

I never said it was. But that doesn't mean Meijer doesn't think that way. Why don't more big box retailers make their home in the city? Simple. It's cost prohibitive and something the companies just don't want to get in over their head with.

Here is a map of metro Meijer locations. It should come as no surprise that it is in the shape of a "C".

http://www.meijer.com/storelocator/default.aspx

(just type in your zip code, or Detroit's: 48226)

[toog05]

Here is the site plan for this "open air mall". Looks more like a strip mall if you ask me.

http://www.generalgrowth.com/content/Docs/...esGatewaySP.pdf

Here is the website for Shoppes at Gateway.

http://www.ggp.com/Properties/NewDevelopments.aspx?smuid=59

[illmatic774]

meh, that is a strip mall

[hudkina]

I don't care.

1. It is at the intersection of two 8 lane highways on the edge of the city. It's far from urban and a strip mall isn't going to make it any "less-urban".

2. This is providing Detroit residents an opportunity to do their "shopping" within the city as opposed to going to Livonia, Southfield, Troy, etc. That means that instead of going to the Red Lobster in Dearborn or Livonia they can go to the one in Detroit. Instead of going to the J.C. Penny at Fairlane they can go to the one in Detroit.

3. This provides Detroit with much needed tax revenue. Right now that land is worth didley-squat, but after this is built it will provide the city with millions of dollars of tax revenue.

[wolverine]

It provides another option, but how far do the benefits go?

They are still going to do their shopping in other suburbs, where they can hit up more shopping at once as opposed to the limited selection of retail and food options at the Gateway.

If they were just going to Red Lobster, then yes, they will go to this strip mall.

Regardless, it's good for 8 mile, but from a larger perspective, it is just another strip mall.

I guess it ain't no Levis Commons

[Ramcharger]

This question is a bit off topic but wasn

[archy]

why did they feel it was nessary to put a fence around the entire property? Ornamental or not did they feel the had to match all the strip-clubs up and down 8 mile? Public gate...are we enforcing a curfue at night?

That said it really is a nice strip-mall...I think the failure of fountain walk may have had something to do with the more typical design. That and the fact that its not a destination, down-town-like mall...even if its on a semi-freeway. Bummer. That is a pretty large tenant at the woodward/8-mile corner though. I wonder if they have someone in mind. I've got to imaging JCPenny is in the middle.

[Michi]

It should be a lifestyle center like it was originally suppose to be. This is like building a Wonderland as opposed to a Partridge Creek, just because we didn't feel like keeping up with any trend or intent to be a modern development. Put Palmer Park/Woods, Sherwood Forest and "Huntington Woods-esque" suburbs anywhere else in the country w/ this opportunity, and the least you'd get is a well-designed, middle-to-upscale attraction. Why did the developer go backwards in his plan?

[Allan]

The fact that this thing isn't a lifestyle center doesn't bother me that much. Whether it's a lifestyle center or a traditional strip mall, it's still surrounded by acres of parking. 8 Mile & Woodward has never been walkable or urban, and will never be walkable or urban until we finally get some sort of fixed rail transit down Woodward.

The gates and fences around this thing are in existence to comfort retailers who are skeptical. The developers, city, and state have had to woo different stores and try to convince them that Detroit is a good location. A huge part of that is convincing the retailers that their stores won't be broken into every night. Trust me - everyone would like to do away with the gates and fences - but it is unfortunately the reality of Detroit. You can bet that they'll have security cars parked all over the parking lots, in addition to security stationed throughout all of the larger stores. It's a harsh reality we have to deal with until we can get the crime here under control. I'm no expert on Detroit retail, but I do know that shoplifting is a HUGE problem.

Detroit is on the radar of some major retailers...both for this development and another development elsewhere in the city that is in the pipeline. I cannot mention any details, but I think some of you will be pleasantly surprised as to who is considering opening stores in the city.

[toog05]

Here we go again with the teasing and keeping secrets...

[Allan]

LOL, sorry, I can't spill the beans if I want to continue to get a paycheck from my current job.

Keep on speculating, but I won't share any details until I'm no longer under a confidentiality agreement with the involved parties.

[hudkina]

I would think a lot of companies are interested in the Cadillac Centre retail, and I wouldn't doubt they are looking into the Woodward corridor through Midtown as well.

[Gangway1111]

The only thing that would suprise me is a Macys in the Cadillac Center.

Who else will be coming to this project beside J.C. Pennys?

[Michi]

The main reason I say I wish it remained more "lifestyle center" is because Detroit is a town of perceptions. If it's got the looks, it's bound to do better, whether the same retail exists or not. Whether either development (more strip mall or more lifestyle center) it will offer certain retail, but I see one being more successful over the other, given all other strip malls in Detroit are reduced to beauty stores, liquor stores, chicken shacks, and Mr. Allan's/Foreman Mills.

[hudkina]

The point is that this is meant to serve people in the suburbs as well as people in the city. If they built a Best Buy here (I'm not saying they will) then people in Ferndale will shop here instead of the one further out in the suburbs. This is more than your typical strip mall. The closest thing I can think of is Fairlane Green in Allen Park. That is what I hope this will turn out to be.

[toog05]

I recently saw a Shoppes at Gateway sign on 8 mile at Woodward. It was dark but I did notice the big bold letters. First time I have seen it but then again I am not in the city much so it could be old. Anyone else noticed it? What does it say?

[franko]

why don't retailers start thinking about developing in the actual city of detroit and not on 8mile its basically already the suburbs .