New Walgreens Development at Michigan and Fuller

[Thrillhouse]

I think its a wonderful thing for that area. I know everyone has different shopping habits. I'm not one to buy three weeks of groceries at a time due to sales and coupons so it would be convenient to take the bus there every so often and come back with a bag or two.

[GRDadof3]

Talk of that rail line has me thinking about my Medical Mile/Michigan Street/I-196/Creston light rail idea from last year, connected to or part of the streetcar system:

[NorthCoast]

I doubt its going to be truly urban in respect to street frontage and what not. The layout and function of grocery stores is not very condusive to parking in the rear. That is where primarily the loading docks/receiving bays/bottle trash/bailers and what not go away from the public eye. Although, I would imagine there will attempts to shelter these things with walls and greenery like the Grandville store has. It is possible that they could put a lot of that stuff on the sides of the building but the outer layout is going to follow the flow of the inner function. The inside layout of the store will play a huge role in how they outside is ultimately designed. I would expect some sort of parking lot unless they intend on building a garage in with it which I haven't heard talked about.

What I found most ironic about this whole thing is D&W had a presences in that area back in the early part of the decade just c. 3 blocks north of this site Leonard/Fuller in the Beckwith Center. What a difference a few new medical buildings and being on the other side of the highway will make.

[NorthCoast]

What's to happen to the Family Fare that's a mile away on Fulton? Status quo? (I would have to assume the target customer would be very different...)

I think the Family Fare will stick around in the short run of things at least. The Family Fare's are aimed at a different niche of consumer. Prices, in general, actually should be similar in terms of regular goods. The difference is going to be in product selection. The D&W's selection consists of brands that tend to be pricier and more eclectic. Family Fare's selection is more of your run of the mill stuff for the average shopper who just assume save money and get Spartan brand roast beef than Boar's Head. Fulton Heights is a small store but this helps because from what I hear Spartan takes into big consideration how much money a store makes in comparison to its size. A store like Fulton Heights can do only moderate business but as long as its being run efficiently can make a profit that is acceptable because it doesn't have a lot of squre footage to account for. Down the line I wouldn't be surprised to see them eventually 'give' that store away like they have Alpine and Madison but thats a long ways off yet (at least, I think it is).

[MAU]

I think there's a lot of people who will continue to shop at the Fulton Heights FF over the new Fresh Market. I'm sure i will still stop in there for certain things that i can't stomach paying extra prices for at the new FM. But i'm looking forward to the fresh produce. "Fresh" produce has always been extremely lacking at the Fulton Heights FF.

[Rhino6885]

Ah, that's right....the tracks do run between the two sites. I wonder what will come of the Buddy's/BK space then?

Rumor has it that the owner is going to open a BBQ place because Buddy's wasn't doing well.

I think there's a lot of people who will continue to shop at the Fulton Heights FF over the new Fresh Market. I'm sure i will still stop in there for certain things that i can't stomach paying extra prices for at the new FM. But i'm looking forward to the fresh produce. "Fresh" produce has always been extremely lacking at the Fulton Heights FF.

Yeah, I agree with you. I'll probably still frequent the Fulton St FF. I guess somebody has to if we want to see it stay open. Maybe after they have some success with Michigan/Fuller, they'll freshen up the Fulton Heights location. I hope so...

[Raildudes dad]

What I found most ironic about this whole thing is D&W had a presences in that area back in the early part of the decade just c. 3 blocks north of this site Leonard/Fuller in the Beckwith Center.

D&W was further east on Leonard where the Save-a- lot is. That was a Farmer Jack's originally. Family Fare is at Leonard / Fuller.

FF was Sy's before that, Daane's before that and was originally built as an A&P. The corner had a Spartan Store before that, "Bert's" where the CVS is today(Mobil station was on the corner- Gulf Station on the NE, Pure on the NE).

[NorthCoast]

D&W was further east on Leonard where the Save-a- lot is. That was a Farmer Jack's originally. Family Fare is at Leonard / Fuller.

I knew it was something like that.

[CK1]

Is Sheldon Cleaners staying put, or will that be either moved to another part of the property or torn down to make way for the new store? Not sure if it is an outlot under Duthler / Spartan control or a separately-owned parcel...would be nice to see the new store up to that corner and not built around a dry-cleaners.

[Floyd Z]

What a great development for the area, Duthlers is kind of a dump. I also hope its right up against the street.

I would think Sheldon would stay put. They just recently rennovated the building.

In regards to the Buddy's/BK site it might be possible that D&W will do something with it, because the article says the store will be visible from 196. It's too bad Buddy's closed, it was some pretty good food there, although every time I went there I was the only one there.

[GRDadof3]

The Buddy's site was purchased in Jan. 07 by a private individual not affiliated with the D&W site. Sheldon's parcel is also separate from the rest of the site. As much as I'd like to see it built out to the street, my guess is, based on the renderings, that the new store will take up pretty much the same footprint as Duthler's did, with the front portion being two-stories (upstairs cafe according to the article). D&W will probably argue that most of the buildings along Michigan in that area are not built to the street (it's not like Michigan St. looks like a neighborhood center like Easttown, Gaslight Village or East Fulton) and that they should be exempt from much of the new zoning code. And based on Heartwell's excitement for the project, I don't think they're going to put up much of a fight, unfortunately.

So based on that, here's my edumacated guess as to what the site plan will look like:

It'd be unfortunate if so, because this store could set the tone for future development up and down Michigan St. There are a lot of obsolete buildings and vacant land that would make for nice infill.

I'll keep an eye out for it in the planning commission agendas.

[grcitydog]

I think there's a lot of people who will continue to shop at the Fulton Heights FF over the new Fresh Market. I'm sure i will still stop in there for certain things that i can't stomach paying extra prices for at the new FM. But i'm looking forward to the fresh produce. "Fresh" produce has always been extremely lacking at the Fulton Heights FF.

I will keep shopping at the Fulton Heights store some of the time as well; this is because it is a smaller store and if I need only a few items, you can get in and out rather quickly. I think a lot of people use it as sort of a convenience store, you don't see a lot of full carts there (this could also have something to do with the time of day I usually go there). With 40,000 square feet of groceries in the new store, I don't see shopping speed increasing.

[MAU]

I don't understand how the new Fresh Market could have visability from 196. Not only is the old Burger King building next to it, but there's also the Elbow Room on the other side of that.

[twoshort]

This is cool I guess, but for us Wealthy area residents it's just another addition. We have EGR D&W. Breton Village D&W. Fulton Street Family Fare. They all seem pretty clustered to me.

[Ted]

I will keep shopping at the Fulton Heights store some of the time as well; this is because it is a smaller store and if I need only a few items, you can get in and out rather quickly. I think a lot of people use it as sort of a convenience store, you don't see a lot of full carts there (this could also have something to do with the time of day I usually go there). With 40,000 square feet of groceries in the new store, I don't see shopping speed increasing.

If this new one goes, I can't see how either the Fulton street or the Gaslight store doesn't go the way of the dinosaurs. My money is on the fulton store going bye-bye.

[john_denver]

If this new one goes, I can't see how either the Fulton street or the Gaslight store doesn't go the way of the dinosaurs. My money is on the fulton store going bye-bye.

Seems like Gaslight is a huge money maker...I know they have a taken a lot of money from me in past.

[GRguy]

Showing my age here, but I used to tag along with my Mom and go to Meijers at this location when I was kid. There was a dairy across the street where we would get milk until Meijer essentially put them out of business (one stop shopping). We would also stop at the Fulton Farmer's Market in the summer and get the rest of the food at Meijer. It was a great store, clean and convenient. I remember canned soda, $.09/can, and they had a small but impressive Matchbox car group in the toy area.

[suydam]

The article mentions serving downtown, but I also think this Fresh Market location is better than the 28th St store. It will not only draw a lot of people from 28th/Beltline going Northwest, but may also draw a lot of Northeasterners and Northwesterners who avoid 28th like the plague. I may be optimistic, but I think it will be difficult to find a parking spot when this store opens (2009 I believe it said).

Where is their 28th street store? There's "Fresh Market" that national chain thing at 28th/I-96 ... but where is the D&W Fresh Market on 28th?

[NorthCoast]

Where is their 28th street store? There's "Fresh Market" that national chain thing at 28th/I-96 ... but where is the D&W Fresh Market on 28th?

Further east past I-196 and Meijer by Cascade Road and Old 28th Street.

http://www.dwfreshmarket.com/StoreLocator/...0801221441{sodEmoji.|}{sodEmoji.|}{sodEmoji.|}{sodEmoji.|}{sodEmoji.|}

^(The picture is outdated...the building has since been re-modeled)

[GRDadof3]

Where is their 28th street store? There's "Fresh Market" that national chain thing at 28th/I-96 ... but where is the D&W Fresh Market on 28th?

I was mistakenly thinking of the Fresh Market in Waterfall Shoppes. Aren't they essentially the same thing? More of an upscale/gourmet grocery store?

[NorthCoast]

I was mistakenly thinking of the Fresh Market in Waterfall Shoppes. Aren't they essentially the same thing? More of an upscale/gourmet grocery store?

Sort of...sort of not.

D&W Fresh Markets have pharmacies and sell general merchandise/HBC goods...Fresh Market does not.

[starrfish]

The Fresh Market has roots in North Carolina. D&W's Fresh Market is an outgrowth of what used to be D&W Food Centers, which was an independent grocer that got bought out in 2005 by Spartan Stores.

*fish

[GRDadof3]

The Fresh Market has roots in North Carolina. D&W's Fresh Market is an outgrowth of what used to be D&W Food Centers, which was an independent grocer that got bought out in 2005 by Spartan Stores.

*fish

Yes, the whole thing is confusing to me. I understand what D&W used to be, as we did our shopping at one when we lived on the other side of town. What's the difference now with the D&W "Fresh Market" brand? Isn't it more upscale than even a Family Fare or the old D&W?

Also, do people actually do their weekly shopping at the Fresh Market on 28th Street (Waterfall)?

[twoshort]

I think D&W Fresh Market is just what they call D&W now. Simply an additional name. I haven't noticed any significant difference other than every store I've been in is recently remodeled.

[NorthCoast]

I think D&W Fresh Market is just what they call D&W now. Simply an additional name. I haven't noticed any significant difference other than every store I've been in is recently remodeled.

Yep. In the early 1960's when D&W incorporated, their company name was D&W Food Centers Inc. 'Food Center' is just another synonymn for supermarket but it sounds better from a marketing stand point. When Spartan bought out D&W, D&W Food Centers no longer existed and in order to reflect the change as well as launch the new marketing program and make the stores their own, Spartan labeled the stores as Fresh Markets.

After Spartan bought out D&W they went through all 20 stores the company had that time and decided which stores would stay open and which stores would stay closed. Once that was decided, they then decided which stores would remain D&W's and which stores would be converted to Family Fares. This decision was based upon buying habits and demographics. Stores in neighborhoods with higher incomes (Upper-middle class and higher) and that sold a lot of higher end product (gourmet/organic) stayed D&W's. Stores located in neighborhoods with lower incomes (Middle-middle class and lower) and which didn't sell a lot of higher end product were changed over to Family Fares. Both stores are intended to be one-stop shopping supermarkets. They are just marketed toward people of different incomes/tastes/buying habits. The Sunday ad for Family Fare differs from the Sunday ad for D&W b/c they are on different marketing campaigns, however there is some overlap. Here is the breakdown.

Of the original 20 D&W's Spartan bought:

-4 were closed (Northtown, Norton Shores, Walker, Zeeland)

-4 were converted to Family Fare (Alpine, Jenison, Kentwood, Burlingame, Breton Meadows, Fulton Heights)

-10 retained the D&W name (Caledonia, Breton Village, Cascade, Gaslight Village, Grandville, Holland, Grand Haven, Rockford, Portage, & Parkview)