Meijer to replace 28th/Kalamazoo Ave store

[lstmk]

I'm glad Chris came out and said it. Our city commission and planning commission seem all to quick to let the 28th and KZoo Meijer rot in favor of one neighbor. It's completely backwards and I think seems to be a repeating pattern these days (ahem, West Side). ...

Joe

It looks like Grand Rapids may have dropped the ball. Wyoming certainly seems interested.

From Wood TV "Meijer interested in Studio 28 site"

"Meijer appears interested in buying the plot of land where the now-closed Studio 28 sits, according to information obtained by 24 Hour News 8 through a Freedom of Information Act request. 24 Hour News 8 used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain an email exchange between Meijer Real Estate and the city of Wyoming."

read more

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/Meijer_inte..._Studio_28_site

[Grandrapidsne]

Way to go planning commission like that section of 28th street needs another abandoned store. One thing that worrys me about Meijer moving to that section of 28th is. There is a Family Fare, Duthlers, and Aldis right down the road I would say that one or several could possibly be put out of bussiness if Meijer were to move in.

[jbr12]

I wouldn't expect Meijer to close the Kzoo / 28th St Store. As others have mentioned in previous posts, this just increases the Meijer Coverage to the ideal 3mi radius they are looking for. Plus, it keeps Wal-Mart out. I'd rather another Meijer over a Wal-Mart anyday!

[tamias6]

I wouldn't expect Meijer to close the Kzoo / 28th St Store. As others have mentioned in previous posts, this just increases the Meijer Coverage to the ideal 3mi radius they are looking for. Plus, it keeps Wal-Mart out. I'd rather another Meijer over a Wal-Mart anyday!

I'm incline to agree. One of the primary reasons Meijer phased out its 207,000 sq. ft. store prototype such as the Standale store and the M-6/ K'zoo store in favor for its 156,000 sq. ft. current prototype is that their current business model calls for a store for every three miles where ever possible. The distance between the 28th Street/ K'zoo store and the Studio 28 site is just a hair under 3 miles. So there stands a good chance that Meijer will keep the 28th street/ K'zoo store open even if a new Meijer pops up at Studio 28.

[Rizzo]

I'm incline to agree. One of the primary reasons Meijer phased out its 207,000 sq. ft. store prototype such as the Standale store and the M-6/ K'zoo store in favor for its 156,000 sq. ft. current prototype is that their current business model calls for a store for every three miles where ever possible. The distance between the 28th Street/ K'zoo store and the Studio 28 site is just a hair under 3 miles. So there stands a good chance that Meijer will keep the 28th street/ K'zoo store open even if a new Meijer pops up at Studio 28.

Actually, it's 3.5 miles in distance. I wonder if Meijer will move their existing Burlingame gas station east to this location if a store is built?

[blueradon]

It's unlike Meijer to shut down gas stations - when we moved the Meijer in Greenville to the other side of the town - they kept the gas station open and still exists today.

I personally think this would be a great move for Meijer - and also a blow to the NIMBY's at the 28/kzoo location - they didn't want a brand new nice looking Meijer store? Fine...be stuck with whatever else wants to come in instead. - Maybe a strip mall with a Dollar General - the dreams are endless.

Not to mention it's probably an added bonus to be a tad bit closer to 131 at that location - easy access.

[tamias6]

It's unlike Meijer to shut down gas stations - when we moved the Meijer in Greenville to the other side of the town - they kept the gas station open and still exists today.

I personally think this would be a great move for Meijer - and also a blow to the NIMBY's at the 28/kzoo location - they didn't want a brand new nice looking Meijer store? Fine...be stuck with whatever else wants to come in instead. - Maybe a strip mall with a Dollar General - the dreams are endless.

Not to mention it's probably an added bonus to be a tad bit closer to 131 at that location - easy access.

The nimby's would gripe about the dollar general store or anything else that try to move in saying that it would attract rift raft into the area or some other bogus excuse. IMO the 28th St/ K'zoo store site would become untouchable if Meijer left mainly because developers aware of the PC rejecting Meijer despite them bending over backwards to revitalize that location, would steer clear of that site fearing the same NIMBY's swaying the PC to shoot them down as well.

[lstmk]

I'm incline to agree. One of the primary reasons Meijer phased out its 207,000 sq. ft. store prototype such as the Standale store and the M-6/ K'zoo store in favor for its 156,000 sq. ft. current prototype is that their current business model calls for a store for every three miles where ever possible. The distance between the 28th Street/ K'zoo store and the Studio 28 site is just a hair under 3 miles. So there stands a good chance that Meijer will keep the 28th street/ K'zoo store open even if a new Meijer pops up at Studio 28.

If Meijer did build on the studio 28 site and planned to keep the K'zoo street store I wonder if Meijer would just close the K'zoo location and rebuild once the studio 28 location was open. I don't like this option mostly because the stubborn neighbor wins but I'm just throwing it out there.

[MuskeMI]

I'm hoping that they close the old Meijer and it turns into a festering, decaying pile of concrete, only to spite the 2 or 3 people who objected to the new store.

[tamias6]

I'm hoping that they close the old Meijer and it turns into a festering, decaying pile of concrete, only to spite the 2 or 3 people who objected to the new store.

As much as I would like to see that happen to get back at the idiots in the PC and the nimrod NIMBY's I hope that does not happen. Should Meijer pack up and go, it would leave many in Alger Heights without a viable grocery store. Also the mayor did try to fight the PC to get meijer's plans through so not the entire city was against meijer. Plus most people in the area supported Meijer's planns. It was just the PC and those NIMBY's that put the screws on the process. So I would not want a budget strapped city to lose the tax base generated by the 28th/K'zoo store.

[aowwt]

The funny thing is the PC is not an electable position. Hence why would they give a $$$$ about one neighbor when everybody else agrees. BTW the option of closing the Kzoo store would be possible if it were to be a rebuilding. Here is my thoughts. If Mejier were to buy the properties next to the store and just open a grocery only store for a time after the Rogers Store is opened. They could in essence rebuild it and still keep folks getting their groceries. The kzoo temp store could then become a new outlet area and hopefully some new connections to the rest of new mejier store. The would be my prime hope.

BTW as for the impact of Meijer to open at Rogers area. Well that would uhm close Duthlers in a Heartbeat. It would also close the Big Lots I think. The Family Fare at Burlingame would also be closed. The one at Rogers Plaza will stay open though. Frankly I am not sure how much of a win - lose sceniro that is but this my feeling.

[Veloise]

...If Mejier were to buy the properties next to the store and just open a grocery only store for a time after the Rogers Store is opened. They could in essence rebuild it and still keep folks getting their groceries. The kzoo temp store could then become a new outlet area and hopefully some new connections to the rest of new mejier store. ...

BTW as for the impact of Meijer to open at Rogers area. Well that would uhm close Duthlers in a Heartbeat. It would also close the Big Lots I think. The Family Fare at Burlingame would also be closed. The one at Rogers Plaza will stay open though. Frankly I am not sure how much of a win - lose sceniro that is but this my feeling.

Hey, I thought of that too. Fred builds at the theatre site. Closes 28th & K'zoo, razes the site, rebuilds (utilizing the strip of properties directly west; see my pics from 10/31). Re-opens with setback from residential NIMBYs.

Not sure how a Meijer would impact a Big Lots; completely different offerings.

(watching to see if Wyoming's planning department develops an opening)

[aowwt]

Granted the Prices at Big Lots are less than Meijer I just dont think they will be able to keep going but who knows. As for the two grocery stores, yeah those are dead upon Mejier opening the Rogers store. The thing is that even if Meijer were to buy the land. I do not see Meijer forking over the cash and having it built next year. I think they would be more than likely looking at a few years down the road. I would imangine something in the order of 3 years from the now if they were to buy the property next year.

[tamias6]

The funny thing is the PC is not an electable position. Hence why would they give a $$$$ about one neighbor when everybody else agrees. BTW the option of closing the Kzoo store would be possible if it were to be a rebuilding. Here is my thoughts. If Mejier were to buy the properties next to the store and just open a grocery only store for a time after the Rogers Store is opened. They could in essence rebuild it and still keep folks getting their groceries. The kzoo temp store could then become a new outlet area and hopefully some new connections to the rest of new mejier store. The would be my prime hope.

BTW as for the impact of Meijer to open at Rogers area. Well that would uhm close Duthlers in a Heartbeat. It would also close the Big Lots I think. The Family Fare at Burlingame would also be closed. The one at Rogers Plaza will stay open though. Frankly I am not sure how much of a win - lose sceniro that is but this my feeling.

If Meijer built on the Studio 28 site, Dutler's would be first to go. It's very small and very dated looking. In fact I'm surprised that Duthlers is able to remain open in the presence of the Rodger's Plaza Family Fare which is a much bigger and far nicer supermarket. The other place that might shutter is the D&W store across the street from the Classic Chevrolet dealership. (That might have hapen already.)

As for Family Fare, I would not sign them off quite yet. The Rodger's Plaza Family Fare is a large modern up-to-date grocery store. Also the Lake Michigan Family Fare is quite busy all the time despite the presence of the Standale Meijer not too far away. The Rodger's Plaza Family Fare is a very impressive Supermarket that caters both to customers looking for mainstream staples as well to the latino population from the Southwest portions of Grand Rapids. Their produce dept. is quite extensive while over the counter services seem to be well laid out and well displayed. Grocery offerings are extensive while price points are not that far off from those at Meijer. The only draw back is the store's odd one way labyrinth layout making Navigation a bit of a chore. Overall, if Meijer opened at the Studio 28 site we would indeed see the shuttering of two of the near by grocery stores. But Family Fare would be more than able to hold its own and provide much needed competition to keep Meijer on its toes.

[concretepoem]

Excepts from a story in the online version of today's Chicago Tribune:

The Walker Zoning Board of Appeals is to meet Thursday evening and consider Meijer's request to put in six turbines at its headquarters.

Meijer's corporate campus is partly in the city of Grand Rapids and partly in the suburb of Walker.

Meijer Inc. officials tell WWMT-TV in Kalamazoo they also hope to install wind turbines to help power stores in Grand Haven and Norton Shores.

[Raildudes dad]

The Walker Zoning Board of Appeals is to meet Thursday evening and consider Meijer's request to put in six turbines at its headquarters.

Meijer's corporate campus is partly in the city of Grand Rapids and partly in the suburb of Walker.

Better recheck a map. the House of Fred headquarters (both office buildings and both warehouses) is entirely in the City of Walker.

[concretepoem]

Better recheck a map. the House of Fred headquarters (both office buildings and both warehouses) is entirely in the City of Walker.

Like I said, raildudes dat, these statements come from an Associated Press story in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-...0,4329085.story

Geography aside, it's the idea of Meijer pursuing wind energy both for its HQ and some of its stores that's the refreshing bit of news, don't you think?

[GRDadof3]

Like I said, raildudes dat, these statements come from an Associated Press story in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-...0,4329085.story

Geography aside, it's the idea of Meijer pursuing wind energy both for its HQ and some of its stores that's the refreshing bit of news, don't you think?

I think I heard that Meijer hired the Sustainability Director away from Haworth. It is very interesting.

[Raildudes dad]

Like I said, raildudes dat, these statements come from an Associated Press story in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-...0,4329085.story

Geography aside, it's the idea of Meijer pursuing wind energy both for its HQ and some of its stores that's the refreshing bit of news, don't you think?

Didn't read the link sorry about that, but it's all in walker. It will be interesting to see how it works out, hope it's successful .

[Coleco]

Excepts from a story in the online version of today's Chicago Tribune:

The Walker Zoning Board of Appeals is to meet Thursday evening and consider Meijer's request to put in six turbines at its headquarters.

Meijer's corporate campus is partly in the city of Grand Rapids and partly in the suburb of Walker.

Meijer Inc. officials tell WWMT-TV in Kalamazoo they also hope to install wind turbines to help power stores in Grand Haven and Norton Shores.

Because it bugs me when these links are picked up while the original reporting source get ignored, here's the original story that spawned both the WWMT story and the AP story picked up in the Trib.

It was the GR Press and Muskegon Chronicle that first reported this story on Feb. 20.

It never ceases to amaze me how much of what we hear from media outlets never would get reported if it didn't first originate in the good old newspaper.

[concretepoem]

Because it bugs me when these links are picked up while the original reporting source get ignored, here's the original story that spawned both the WWMT story and the AP story picked up in the Trib.

It was the GR Press and Muskegon Chronicle that first reported this story on Feb. 20.

It never ceases to amaze me how much of what we hear from media outlets never would get reported if it didn't first originate in the good old newspaper.

Thanks for the link to the original article......much better info than what the AP wire story had...I must've missed it when it ran in the GRPress (not a big fan of mlive.com's new format...too hard to find stuff)

[Gorath]

The 28th Street /Kalamazoo Ave. Meijer will be back before city Planning Commission on April 23.

[Allison Slater]

Oooh? This is unexpected, I thought they had dropped the idea.

[Veloise]

Oooh? This is unexpected, I thought they had dropped the idea.

Only for the holiday retail season. Their headaches at the site continue.

I sure hope they've rearranged the building layout and will move closer to the streets.

[GRDadof3]

Only for the holiday retail season. Their headaches at the site continue.

I sure hope they've rearranged the building layout and will move closer to the streets.

I wouldn't count on that. There might be some rearranging a bit, but nothing that radical.