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The State of Downtown Grand Rapids Retail


GRDadof3

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I've bought tickets at the zone, but all they sell as far as apparel (I think) is Griffins, Rampage and Whitecaps stuff . The might have some stuff for Detroit teams, but I'm not sure. It looks to me that about half of that list are actual retail places within walking distance of downtown. And half of that half is actually in the core. A visitor who looks at that site and then goes for a walk around downtown is going to be disappointed.

I also saw that salons, such as Judes (are we allowed to mention Judes on here? :D (only a few of you will get that)) and that place on Ionia are not mentioned at all.

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Superior Watch Repair - I can't remember the last time I needed a watch repaired, I just bought a new one

Dodd Record Shop - Are they serious? Is this that burned out building on S. Division?

I know the owner of the watch repair shop in Petoskey. Something like 80% of his business is repairing grandfather clocks. Also I imagine people who buy $1k+ watches tend to get them repaired rather than buying new ones, unlike people who buy watches at Wal-Mart.

Dodd's is pretty cool, but he serves a niche market for sure. Record collectors will seek out stores like his, so location may be less important. Plus he's been at that location so long he probably owns the building and doesn't need to make much to keep the store open.

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That is strange. If you go to the website, it does individually list the hair salons and health & fitness places.

I transcribed the list for UP use with my exceptional cut&paste techniques (deleting the short descriptions of each retailer). Since I did not consider fitness, salons, medical offices, and the like to be retail draws, I did not include them.

Also, if you go to the KIAS website and look at each category, there is an interactive map that shows the physical location of each retailer listed.

Edited by Veloise
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Premier Skateboarding - where?

It's on Weston between Division and Sheldon. Even if you don't skateboard, they have cool shoes (Adidas!) and clothes.

Paul Collins Fine Art - where?

It's in the Amway Grand Plaza

The list that someone posted really illustrates that although Monroe Center is supposed to be a retail district - our retail is pretty scattered (all over) and unless you have a specific need or fit a specific niche, chances are you're not going to seek out many of the stores listed purely because of the fact of where they are and the fact that you're not tripping over them when you're walking to some other store.

*fish

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We need something like this. Someone get Cordish on the horn. If Secchia put his energy behind something like this, I'd collect pennies, sell backed goods, and collect pop bottles to help get it built.

Somebody spent some serious marketing dollars putting that together. Where would you envision this type of development in GR? Would it be along Monroe Ctr or along Ionia near parking areas 4/5? Or the old Sligh building?

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Somebody spent some serious marketing dollars putting that together. Where would you envision this type of development in GR? Would it be along Monroe Ctr or along Ionia near parking areas 4/5? Or the old Sligh building?

The only parcels big enough to make a retail "bang" like this, and be close enough to the city center (where it should be to capture the most workers, students, residents, conventioneers and visitors) would be the Lyon & Ottawa lot or Market & Fulton. I'm a firm believer that Market & Fulton would make a perfect indoor/outdoor "Festival Marketplace" with mostly retail, a few restaurants and a nightclub or two, with a riverwalk with outdoor seating along the river. Throw a condo and office tower up on the site too and you'd have a winner edit: scratch that, a condo and office tower would require too much parking and would destroy the much needed urbanity of this project. The hopes would be that the people coming down to this would spill over into the rest of downtown, or would at least make downtown a lot more desirable for more residents to live downtown, and therefore spurring other retail.

Area 4/5 I believe should house some kind of other entertainment or retail draw. It's a bit outside the city center to attract a lot of conventioneers, and I personally wouldn't be thrilled to have a skywalk that connects Area 4/5 with the rest of the skywalk system. Yuck.

How many people think this would be a better option than a casino?

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The only parcels big enough to make a retail "bang" like this, and be close enough to the city center (where it should be to capture the most workers, students, residents, conventioneers and visitors) would be the Lyon & Ottawa lot or Market & Fulton. I'm a firm believer that Market & Fulton would make a perfect indoor/outdoor "Festival Marketplace" with mostly retail, a few restaurants and a nightclub or two, with a riverwalk with outdoor seating along the river. Throw a condo and office tower up on the site too and you'd have a winner. The hopes would be that the people coming down to this would spill over into the rest of downtown, or would at least make downtown a lot more desirable for more residents to live downtown, and therefore spurring other retail.

...

I would spread this around. Bring Cordish in to use their apparently considerable resources to round out what we lack. F'instance, City Center lot (the grassy knoll-that-won't-become-a-surface-lot) with additional tenants. The vacant market storefront directly across Monroe Center from the new market. Olds Manor (just to cite a few). Fill in some anchor points and let the scooped ice cream-earmuffs-tape local marketeers infill the rest.

Plus it would be easier-quicker-more bang to get one existing vacant property back on-line than a huge project (six city blocks, did it say?). And it rewards the stalwart long-timers.

The video suggests that KC had a utility company/building on a large parcel, and land acquisition was pretty easy with one owner. (Something similar in Baltimore, with a large vacant factory right downtown. It became an entertainment venue in the mid-80s.)

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Herewith the complete list from http://www.downtowngr.org/biz.php?maincategory_id=4. I added the fitness, salons, shoe repairs, and dentists. (Funny: I think of the Y as being right DT, but I don't see Goodwill in the same area, at Division and Cherry.)

Also see http://www.downtowngr.org/map.php

* Art Galleries & Framing

Calvin College Center Art Gallery

Chic's Frame and Poster

De Graaf Fine Art

Eyecons

Gallery Ogi

Gifts at GRAM

Kendall Gallery

Paul Collins Fine Art

Perception

Ron Neihoff Fine Art Photography Gallery

Sanctuary Folk Art

Studio71South

The Grand Gallery

The Photography Room

* Bookstores & News

Brian's Books

Christian Science Reading Room

Elliot's News and Tobacco

Grand Rapids Public Library

Plaza Essentials

* Clothing & Shoes

All City Kicks

An'ginas Boutique

Boutique Emmanuel Pourelle

Emmanuel, Too

F. David Barney Clothiers

Goodwill Industries Retail Stores

Kicks Dance and Activewear

L.J. Bullian Clothiers

Little Bohemia

Plaza Men's Shop

Premier

Reynolds and Sons

Scavenger Hunt Vintage Clothing

The Shoe Boutique @ Little Bohemia

The Zone

Van Hoecks Shoes

* Dentists & Optical

Anderson Eye Care

Downtown Dentistry

Family & Pediatric Eyecare Center

* Florists

Eastern Floral & Gifts

Modern Day Floral & Gift Boutique

* Furniture & Home

EQ3

Goodwill Industries Retail Stores

* Gifts & Cards

Brian's Books

Eastern Floral & Gifts

Flute Boutique

Grand Central Market and Deli

Groskopfs

Imagination Creations

Little Bohemia

Modern Day Floral & Gift Boutique

Plaza Essentials

Preusser Jeweler's

Thingamajigs

* Grocery & Specialty Foods

Grand Central Market and Deli

Morton Party Store

* Hair Salons & Spas

ABC Nails

City Slickers Hair Company

Hair's Sherry

Hairacy Hairstying

Imagination Creations

Jude's Barbershop

Natural Solutions Salon

Philip Anthony Salon

Square Center Hair Styling

Tanaz Hair Boutique & Day Spa

The Bradley Salon

The Edge Salon

The Grand Salon

The Hair Cellar

* Health & Fitness

Curves

Ford Fieldhouse Health Club, GRCC

MVP Metro Club

Voice Up Studios

Dance Studio

* Jewelry

An'ginas Boutique

Herkner Jewelers Inc.

Little Bohemia

Preusser Jeweler's

Studio71South

Superior Watch Repair

* Music

Christian Science Reading Room

Dodd Record Shop

Vertigo Music

* Office Supplies

Brian's Books

Fedex Kinko's Copy Center

Groskopfs

Pallets Business Supplies

Typewriter Sales and Services

* Pharmacies

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy

* Specialty Shops

An'ginas Boutique

Bartrand's Shaver and Pen Center

Bookery Stamps & Coins

Elegance Wigs

Flute Boutique

Gerald R. Ford Museum

Gifts at GRAM

Groskopfs

Jade Rare Coin

Premier Skateboarding

Public Museum, Van Andel Museum Center

The Zone

Thingamajigs

* Sporting Goods

Reynolds and Sons

The Zone

* Tailoring Alterations & Shoe Repair

Benchmark Tailors

Charlie's Shoe Repair

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We need something like this. Someone get Cordish on the horn. If Secchia put his energy behind something like this, I'd collect pennies, sell backed goods, and collect pop bottles to help get it built.

I was in KC this spring. The P&L is not done yet....just getting started. It's HUGE...reminds me of that giant plant they're tearing down in Lansing.

That said, most of central downtown KC is less happenin' than G.R.

KC is a very geographically large city, spread out. They have the CC Plaza which is miles from downtown, they have Westport which is awesome but not attached to either.

P&L will transform their central city, but that's also a much larger area than GR to begin with. We could use something of that nature, but I think we'd need Duane Faust to put i together. ;)

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I was in KC this spring. The P&L is not done yet....just getting started. It's HUGE...reminds me of that giant plant they're tearing down in Lansing.

That said, most of central downtown KC is less happenin' than G.R.

KC is a very geographically large city, spread out. They have the CC Plaza which is miles from downtown, they have Westport which is awesome but not attached to either.

P&L will transform their central city, but that's also a much larger area than GR to begin with. We could use something of that nature, but I think we'd need Duane Faust to put i together. ;)

That's amazing to hear that downtown KC is less happening than GR. Is the central city mainly office buildings?

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That's amazing to hear that downtown KC is less happening than GR. Is the central city mainly office buildings?

It seemed that way....and in all honesty some of it was more like division and fountain than monroe and lyon if you know what I mean.

Just sorta dead and empty feeling.

I think KC is like many other cities that are newer...it can have a dead-feeling downtown but the city limits are so vast and the amount of space to develop still so large that we still read about tons of development projects going on.

That said, their P&L "district" project is going to be awesome. It's truly a sight to behold.

Their central train station is cool too...like "back in time" cool. It has IMAX in the basement, restaurants on the ground floor and some shopping. Overall the city as a whole is vibrant. I just meant that the central downtown felt completely dead. In GR, those vibrant parts would be in Walker/Grandville/EGR/Kentwood...but they still feel urbanized in KC unlike the suburban feel you get in metro-GR when you're 5 miles from the city center.

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We need something like this. Someone get Cordish on the horn. If Secchia put his energy behind something like this, I'd collect pennies, sell backed goods, and collect pop bottles to help get it built.

great vision by cordish. looks energetic and vibrant. doesn't mention residental development however. will the place continue to work after the glow is off and the place is busy at night only when there is an event at the new arena/hall?

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I've spent some time in downtown KC over the past few years, and it is mostly "dead", particularly after work hours, although I did notice some folks on a warm summer day sitting on the roof deck of a bar/restaurant located in what appeared to be a rehabbed older, brick building. But even during the day, there's not an energetic feel to the downtown streets. I was at a meeting at an office building and was dying for my morning "mocha". The locals who worked there couldn't tell me where to go to get one within a few blocks. Imagine, a major downtown without a Starbuck's, or other coffee place, within sight! Actually, I found one (an independent) when I went exploring at lunch time and I told the locals about it. I guess they don't get out much.

My co-workers who live/work in Topeka insisted we stay at a hotel in Westport and we hung out a lot in the Country Club area, since there weren't that many places to eat dinner downtown. They do have some major building projects in downtown (new HQ of H&R Block, maybe? and I know residential units are increasing) and perhaps with this big entertainment/retail project getting completed, things will improve for KC. This just shows that many cities in the country are trying very hard to revitalize their downtowns and most face really big challenges/investments to turn things around. GR is not alone....

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My co-workers who live/work in Topeka insisted we stay at a hotel in Westport and we hung out a lot in the Country Club area, since there weren't that many places to eat dinner downtown.

Westport had some great bars and restaurants and the Country Club was basically an upscale mall without a roof (think Somerset in Detroit but outdoors with cool-as-heck architecture)

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I've lived downtown since I moved here to go to Kendall in the summer of 2001. No way I'd move away from the city center. I'm interested in being on the task force, anything I can do to help let me know. I'm a major "Local First" supporter.

ps. used to work for the company responsible for KIAS, but I promise, I had NOTHING to do with it. I agree, not so good.

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I've lived downtown since I moved here to go to Kendall in the summer of 2001. No way I'd move away from the city center. I'm interested in being on the task force, anything I can do to help let me know. I'm a major "Local First" supporter.

ps. used to work for the company responsible for KIAS, but I promise, I had NOTHING to do with it. I agree, not so good.

Welcome to the Forum oakeslife! There are several members that are interested in this topic and also would like to get together in person to discuss/talk about downtown retail and what could be done. When a meeting is set up someone will post the information (when/where) on the site. I believe after you have 10 messages you will be able to Private Message (PM) some of the members on here if you would like to ask them specific questions. Again welcome to the group! :thumbsup:

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ps. used to work for the company responsible for KIAS, but I promise, I had NOTHING to do with it. I agree, not so good.

Do they realize the kind of damage it has on the perception of Downtown? I can't think of anyone who didn't pass a comment or funny on this whole thing. The only thing it seems to be good at is buzz about how stupid it was (and as consequence how stupid downtown is.) The kind of parodies on KIAS rival hilarity you see on Leno, O'Brien, and Letterman. Its almost like you they grabbed it from Leno's product-slogan parodies....

Edited by Rizzo
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Do they realize the kind of damage it has on the perception of Downtown? I can't think of anyone who didn't pass a comment or funny on this whole thing. The only thing it seems to be good at is buzz about how stupid it was. The kind of parodies on KIAS rival hilarity you see on Leno, O'Brien, and Letterman. Its almost like you they grabbed it from Leno's product-slogan parodies....

I think (though i left the co. during the campaign production) the ppl responsible for it think it's cool while some of the other emp. are embarrased. I'm glad I didn't have to work on the campaign, I heard the creative was killed internally before the city even saw the best ideas. :cry:

Thanks for the welcome DwntwnGeo. I've been spying on the site for months and finally decided it was time I get involved.

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I think (though i left the co. during the campaign production) the ppl responsible for it think it's cool while some of the other emp. are embarrased. I'm glad I didn't have to work on the campaign, I heard the creative was killed internally before the city even saw the best ideas. :cry: ...

Much is explained right there.

$50,000: KIAS.

$75,000: [something much better, exactly what we'll never know]

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I think (though i left the co. during the campaign production) the ppl responsible for it think it's cool while some of the other emp. are embarrased. I'm glad I didn't have to work on the campaign, I heard the creative was killed internally before the city even saw the best ideas. :cry:

Thanks for the welcome DwntwnGeo. I've been spying on the site for months and finally decided it was time I get involved.

Oakeslife, welcome aboard! I sent you an email. As soon as I can figure out a good date and time, I'll reschedule the meeting.

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Firstly, I apologize for my rant. It's becoming increasingly difficult in our current state of the economy to keep a retail venture going. The "brain drain" in this town is shocking as I've counted 25 customers who are leaving the state (in 07 already).

The evening of my initial rant was fueled by poor sales and a bit too much beer. Again, sorry.

As a local business operator, I make every effort to shop/eat/etc at locally owned businesses. I forego convenience to do this.

I'd like a city with a diverse retail mix and am willing to pay for this if in fact there is an upcharge.

I avoid the internet for purchases unless it's the only option.

I'd hate to live with the option for a book purchase only being Amazon.com.

And that was my drunken point...make the EFFORT to support what's already in your midst and the chances of local vibrant

retail increase. Really it's that simple.

I suspect that many of you could afford to spend $10 a week in the local downtown economy at whichever retail store you choose. Would that be a tough commitment to make?

Best, Herm

P.S. We're looking to hire a P.R. person...know of a good cheap one?

I think Herm has a valid point but probably needs a PR person. ;)

I think people here do support downtown retail. Now that doesn't mean I've been to your shop (I shopped at Vinyl Solution twice a week when I was younger, but I'm an internet guy now, sorry), but part of the problem is critical mass and getting all of the items I want in one trip. A diverse mix of retail, and more of it will help tremendously to keep me downtown.

Joe

Edited by Vertigo
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