Arbor Update

This Week in Retail

20. February 2006 • Dale Winling
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Arbor Update rounds up the regional retail scene.

Seven downtown stores are closing or moving out—Ehnis and Sons, Afterwords, Seychelle, Love From Michigan, Forma, Moderno, Tabor Hill Winery, the east half of John Leidy, Shayani Rugs, and Options 4.

Despite the gloomy Michigan economic outlook, retail is still coming to the Ann Arbor area. Friday’s Ann Arbor News includes a story on the announcement of 20 new tenants for the Brighton-area lifestyle center, Green Oak Village Place.

The largest segment of the retail market at the new shopping center will be occupied by women’s apparel stores, with seven recently signing lease agreements. They include Ann Taylor, Chico’s, Christopher & Banks, C.J. Banks, Lane Bryant, J Jill and White House/Black Market.

Other retailers that already have signed leases range from American Eagle apparel, Kay Jewelers and Barnes & Noble books, to DSW shoes, Old Navy apparel and Yankee Candle. There also are several restaurants planned for the site, including Callahan’s Irish Pub, Johnny Carino’s Italian Kitchen and Buffalo Wild Wings.

An estimated 1,000 permanent jobs are expected to result from the $100 million shopping center.

“This is going to be such a phenomenal development, it’s like no other that’s ever been in Livingston County,’’ says Chris Brochert of Lormax-Stern Development Co., one of three developers working on the project. “We feel this shopping center will service not only all of Livingston County but the western Oakland and northern Washtenaw area.’’

Even closer to home, two recent outcomes on big-box retail proposals have garnered controversy. Wal-Mart, having eyed Ann Arbor for several years, closed the deal on a Pittsfield Township development on February 2. Pittsfield township board members may face a recall for not bargaining hard enough with the retailer.

Meanwhile, not-so-evil big-box retailer Costco withdrew from talks to develop a store on Zeeb Road in Scio Township. Citizens opposed the development because it was inconsistent with the township’s zoning, which called for concentrating retail development on Jackson Road.

UPDATE: The Detroit Free Press follows up with a story on big-box battles throughout Southeast Michigan, including Pittsfield Township.

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1. Seeing as my lifestyle includes walking/biking to my shopping destinations, buying locally, scouring the racks at Value World and Kiwanis, and bunking the overconsumption/debt-for-life trend I guess I won’t be frequenting this gem.

   
      —Wine would    Feb. 20 '06 - 06:11AM    #