What's the deal with the Gap? It used to be at GV... now it's not anywhere. Perhaps it could add some traffic for downtown.
Most of the downtown's that I've seen revitalized have the same stores as malls. This is good and bad... bad because I'm not (in theory) big into chain stores... but it's good because it might bring some people to the area who wouldn't otherwise frequent it.
What I really want to see in downtown Flint is pedestrians... people walking. The more people, the safer the streets will be... which will attract more people... etc.
I think people living above stores is an amazing start... now we need something that keeps them there... a coffee house, a bookstore, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, organic grocer, bars, dry cleaning, laundry, gift stores, children's stores.
As much as I hate chains, I do like Borders... I think it would be amazing to have Borders in the downstairs of the Durant with people living above it.