Compuware Retail Update

[Allan]

Retail spaces fill up at new headquarters

DETROIT - Compuware Corp. is close to filling the retail space inside its $350 million headquarters and neighboring parking deck at Woodward and Monroe in downtown Detroit.

The computer software and services firm, which has 4,100 employees in its downtown offices, is adding a ladies' fashion store called Rio Boutique, Heritage Optical, Cingular Wireless, a men's clothing store called Hot Sam's, a jewelry store known as Donna D Designs and Woodward Grill, a 200-seat restaurant.

The merchants are scheduled to open by year's end.

"We've been in the position of having too many merchants who want to lease space from us, which is encouraging," said Denise Knobblock, Compuware's executive vice president. "The merchants we've signed already are doing well and we only have two or three spots left."

About half of the available retail space is filled by such tenants as Hard Rock Caf

[ColinSuperCool]

great news for the new woodward retail district, this means we may start to see more renovations and maby a new building on the hudson block.

[Allan]

The Hudson Block is rumored to be residential. It would probably have some sort of retail component, however. I could see some awesome looking residential towers on the site. Just as long as they don't try to put up a box!

I really want to see the monroe block developed. I know they were thinking of some tiny little 2-3 floor building. I hope a midrise of 15-20 stories eventually gets developed there. Anything shorter than Compuware is too short for that block.

[ColinSuperCool]

true i the building needs to be atleast 15 floors 3 or 4 would look so stupid and out of place, it would end up looking like that little box by the side of the gaurdian

[Allan]

Ugh...don't even get me started on that hideous glass box! There used to be a nice late 19th century commercial strip there. It was 3-4 stories tall and had some pretty amazing detail. However, sometime after the 1950s the buildings were demolished and that awful glass box was built.

[ColinSuperCool]

well who wouldnt want a 3 floor glass box with no ground floor retail that feels like a utility shed.

[Allan]

LOL!!! One nice thing about Detroit is that there is never any shortage of things you can be sarcastic about. That glass box fits in on Lower Woodward about as well as the Sears tower would fit in over on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Actually, space in the glass box is for lease. Maybe we should start up the Detroit UrbanPlanet.org headquarters in the building.

[ColinSuperCool]

or how about the hub of detroits new regional mass transit system.

[Allan]

Haha. By the time we get a decent mass transit system that little glass box will have been torn down. It is built with such poor quality materials that it just isn't going to last. Then again, it's lasted 30 years so far, so who knows.

On a similar note, I still think the best use for Campus Martius Park is as a main hub for our new subway system, since it is where the Woodward, Michigan, and Gratiot lines converge.

Detroit's Subway system: Grand opening in July 2048!!

[bobliocatt]

Woodward sounds like its on the verge of becoming a vibrant spot for retail activity again. Be sure to post pics when these shops open up.

[Allan]

Will do! Downtown photography has become an addictive hobby for me...I go there 3+ times per week.

[baldy]

3+ times a week?!?! Man, I wish I had that much time.

I drove down woodward on our way back from Eastern Market this weekend and noticed MR at street level is starting to get cleaned. I guess this means most of the gutting is completed. One of the building's facades is coming along nicely and is about 1/3 of the way down the building. I was just curious why they started from the top down. I guess it has to wish how the gut the building and don't want to be dropping stuff over the new walls.

[Allan]

Yeah, I know three times is a lot. I don't reallyhave the time though. I just cut some time out of my sleep time to make up for it, LOL. I'm going downtown tomorrow (skyscraper tour) and again on Wednesday (for my basic design class). I'm also thinking about going this weekend, although I need to see what my schedule looks like. Actually, I need to get to Brush Park since I never finished photographing it two weekends ago.

I never noticed that they started from the top before, but after looking at my photos from last week's photo shoot, you're right.

[baldy]

I really want to make it down there for the skyscraper tour, but 5:30 on a weekday is tough for me. This is the last one of the year if my memory serves me right. They did mention that if I got enough people we could set one up for a weekend. Any takers? I want to plan on another Saturday to just walk around down there and maybe we could get some people together for that.

So Alan, I take it you got a new camera. What did you get? Let's see some updates on Merchants Row! Also, could you take a picture of where the Athlete's foot and the other shoe store are going. I'm not sure which building it is and I heard they are going to start this week and hoping to be open for the holiday shopping season.

[Allan]

I would go to the Penobscot Building on a Saturday. I could try to round up a few people from school although I have no idea how many I could find who would want to go.

Athlete's foot has a sign on the door. They are definately getting ready to begin. I'll see if I have a photo of it or not. I've got 800 photos to post on UP, but no reliable place to host them...at least not that many of them!

[Allan]

Bah!! I just realized that I do not have a tripod. So it looks like the Penobscot Building thing isn't going to happen tomorrow night. There isn't sense in me paying $10 + parking to get blurry shots of the city.

I have two other people who have expressed interest in going up to the top of the Penobscot Building. If we are going to do this, we have to talk about dates and times...it is getting to be fall, and therefore cooler. I don't really want to be out and walking around when it's like 55 out!