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"One Month Later, Super Efforts Fade"


wolverine

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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../603050359/1003

It's somewhat depressing, but you have to sort through the article to understand that this nothing short of what we expected. No one really believed there would be a huge splurge of downtown activity after the superbowl. Things like this take time.

First off, why would anyone from the suburbs or other cities want to go to the majority of the business downtown? Am I going to say to my friends, "Hey lets hop in the car and go to Ben and Jerry's in the compuware building!" when there's a Ben Jerry's just a few blocks from where I live? The same goes for Jimmy Johns, or the cell phone stores, Detroit sports stores, hair salons, and wig shops. Note that I said the MAJORITY. My friends and I drive all the way from Ann Arbor to have pizza in Greektown every week, so there are some places people DO want to go.

The only places that are likely to see quick increases (which are) are business surrounding Campus Martius such as the Hard Rock Cafe, and areas such as Greektown. These were mentioned in the article as doing really well.

So we aren't necessarily in a bad situation. The article makes things seem so hopeless, when in fact, nothing was done to attract major and permanent businesses downtown. Cleaning grafitti and having pretty storefronts isn't going to change too much. A lot of people won't mind them if all they care about is the specific place they are going.

It's time to start moving into creating retail districts that will be destinations. We've done some awesome work in setting up a good foundation with renovations and new residential downtown. Now I'd like to see more major stores moving into the city, which would eventually create an EXPERIENCE that will draw people to that area. This is why Greektown is so succesful.

Just ask yourself, Why do I want to be in this part of the city?

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The city is indeed building momentum, and it's getting stronger every. If you pay attention to the reporters in these stories, you'll notice it's always the same ones who make discouraging comments about the city. The same ones who said the Superbowl will be an embarassment to the region. And the same ones who will still be talking bad about the city when this is built...

http://www.rossetti.com/residential/river_east.html

I'm not claiming to be an urban planner of any sort, but I do know it takes time for a city to get back on it's feet. I definately think the next few years will be interesting in terms of development. Out of state developers have realized what a gold mine the city is (And they are making plans). This is another reason I think folks freak when Detroit gets good press, it makes the people who abandonned it look kinda stupid. It's just like any other American city, but with less investment, and more segregation.

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What downtown really needs to do is focus on the one-of-a-kind buisinesses to locate there. Think Hard Rock Cafe. Now that there's one in the Detroit market, another one isn't going to be build.

I was really hoping for the clothing stoer H & M to make its first location in the metro in downtown Detroit. Cheesecake Factory and Urban Outfitters would be two other great businesses.

The city needs to find ways to promote so that they can get known retail names to sign onto the downtown scene. The people are coming, now we just have to keep the scales balanced. Hey, maybe by taking chances on big-name retail will start off slow, but if all these restaurants can lure people to sell out all the new housing constructions, think of what viable retail can do.

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What downtown really needs to do is focus on the one-of-a-kind buisinesses to locate there. Think Hard Rock Cafe. Now that there's one in the Detroit market, another one isn't going to be build.

I was really hoping for the clothing stoer H & M to make its first location in the metro in downtown Detroit. Cheesecake Factory and Urban Outfitters would be two other great businesses.

The city needs to find ways to promote so that they can get known retail names to sign onto the downtown scene. The people are coming, now we just have to keep the scales balanced. Hey, maybe by taking chances on big-name retail will start off slow, but if all these restaurants can lure people to sell out all the new housing constructions, think of what viable retail can do.

I agree....in part...

Downtown can not make a come back by focusing on retail, which is plentiful and convenient in the suburbs.....reatil can be a seconday attraction, as in "people come down for XX, and stay for the retail"......but it will not work as the main draw.

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I read that article and was incredulous towards it. For anyone to have the expectation that the city would be able to maintain the efforts and look that climaxed with the Super Bowl was setting themselves up for disappointment, because such an expectation is totally unrealistic. One of the primary causes of disappointment is one not properly managing expectations. In other words, being unrealistic can initiate or become the catalyst that creates a failed or defeatist attitude...which then becomes contagious if such an attitude is spread by the press.

The media's naysayer

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That was nothing more than hack journalism . To imply the Super Bowl efforts were failure because all temp spaces weren't filled and all businesses haven't big just jumps sales after a month is just stupid, but not suprising. This is same paper that during its coverage what was being about Detroit during the Super Bowl chose highlight mostly negative articles about the city. Of course we know that wasn't the case, but presenting the truth wouldn't reinforce their mostly suburban readers negative views of the city.

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The article was pure crap. I've already ranted about it elsewhere but basically it's neither surprise nor news that all the temporary Superbowl gear shops are gone. Not to mention that downtown last Saturday was relatively hoppin' with all sorts of limos, limo-busses, and taxis escorting cute club-goers from venue to venue.

I have come to strongly believe that retail will come after residents and restaurants, which also reinforce each other. I encourage everybody to explore new restaurants downtown (especially beyond Greektown) every weekend even if just for an appetizer and some drinks. Is there a better way to financially support downtown development with less than $100?

Btw, there's an Urban Outfitters in Metro Detroit is you consider Ann Arbor. In the same vein, American Apparel put their metro area stores in Ann Arbor and Royal Oak, where I'd expect Urban Outfitters to open a store if choosing a site for another location, although there may no longer be space to do so. I wish they'd consider downtown Detroit along with American Apparel.

Anyhow, here's to 30 more restaurants opening up on Woodward in the next few years!

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Yah, it's good there is an AA location, but I still think one could survive in dt Detroit. That kind of crowd seems pretty plentiful in SE MI. I'm thinking why not create a marketing draw to Wayne State University students to come shop downtown Detroit once it starts making an identity for itself? :)

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Yah, it's good there is an AA location, but I still think one could survive in dt Detroit. That kind of crowd seems pretty plentiful in SE MI. I'm thinking why not create a marketing draw to Wayne State University students to come shop downtown Detroit once it starts making an identity for itself? :)

Maybe even as part of any 'student village' Wayne State builds around its campus... I'm still hopeful, even after they rejected that one developer's plan for a mixed use village because there wasn't enough parking in the plan!

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I would like to see a lot more retail open up near the Wayne State campus that has these kinds of stores. The kinds of buildings nearby are scaled to this sort of thing. Not to mention many of the stores above prefer reuse/rehab over new built structures.

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