Retail space under
construction across state
A new open-air mall is planned for Washington Township, on 32-Mile
Road near M-53, as part of one of the largest retail-residential projects
in Macomb County. Construction is slated to begin in early 2007 on the
$1-billion, 1-million-square-foot life-style center, to be called Washington
Park Village. The site is 12 miles from the booming Hall Road retail corridor.
Construction began in February on Grand Landing, a new multi-use
development in Grand Haven. By the end of next summer, three restaurants
and up to 12 retailers could be open for business in the new development.
Eventually the project will offer 110,000 square feet of retail space,
along with 270,000 square feet of residential space and 30,000 of office
space.
Green Oak Village Place, a new retail development under construction
in Livingston County’s Green Oak Township, has signed 19 new retailers
for its 500,000-square-foot open-air center, including American Eagle,
Bath & Body Works and Ann Taylor.
A new shopping center in Grand Blanc with 21,000 square feet of
retail space, called “6060 Torrey Road,” is slated to open in
mid-May. It has several prospective tenants but has ample available space
for businesses of varying sizes, according to the project’s general
contractor.
Common Threads, a specialty fabric and quilting store, has moved
from its former location in Alma to downtown St. Louis. Owners Sandy Melow
and Liz Crider believe the new location will bring in people traveling
across the state on M-46 while retaining its loyal customer base from
the Alma store. They also plan to restore the space to reflect the historic
appeal of the building, which was built in the late 1800s.
The Woodward Avenue Action Association is planning a “Shop
Woodward” discount card program that will give shoppers incentives
to shop at Woodward businesses and explore the byway, a 26-mile stretch
through Detroit and northwest suburbs. A list of participating businesses
will be available online and through the association, so shoppers will
know which businesses offer discounts.
The program is slated to launch this spring. Businesses along Woodward
can contact the association at 248.288.2004 for more information.
Ideation of Ann Arbor, a catalog company serving independent gift
retailers, hosted its annual Spring Buying Meeting at the Atlanta Gift
Show on January 11-12. “Optimism was tangible as retailers were more
aggressive in their purchasing,” said Tom Ungrodt, President and
CEO of Ideation.
Ideation’s 2006 catalog uses a new design, and its subscription e-commerce
website has been renamed ParadeofGifts.com.
The Bon Ton Shoppe, a gift and card store originally based in
Farmington, will close its Farmington and Brighton locations on March
31; its Milford location will remain as the company’s single operation.
The Farmington location had been in operation 45 years and the Brighton
location 35 years.
At its height, the Bon Ton Shoppe had eight Michigan locations and one
in Florida. The store was repeatedly voted the best gift store in Oakland
and Livingston counties.
Linn & Owen Jewelers in downtown Lansing is being asked to
leave the location it has occupied since 1917 when its lease expires in
spring 2007. The building it occupies was recently bought by a neighboring
business, which is expanding its downtown offices.
Owner John Powell has not yet found a new location. Kevin Green, executive
director of Lansing’s Principal Shopping District, said organizations
such as his will try to help the store.
Meijer announced that Mark Murray, president of Grand Valley State
University, will take over as president, filling the vacancy left by Larry
Zigarelli in November 2005.
Murray, a member of Meijer’s Board of Directors, will join the Walker-based
company in August, at the end of the academic year.
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