Big news for Detroit: Meijer Inc. just signed a development agreement for a 192,000-square-foot store that will anchor the Shoppes at Gateway Park located on Eight Mile at Woodward. The entire development, which also will include a 28,000-square-foot Marshalls, is slated to span 365,000 square feet and is expected to create 600 jobs.
Considering there is no chain grocer currently operating within the city limits, there is clearly reason to take note of Meijer's decision to make this move. "Detroit has had difficulty in attracting major national retail, so this investment from Meijer signals a lot of confidence in the city and its residents to support this retail, the kind that you find in many other cities across the country," says Olga Savic Stella, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation's vice president of business development.
On the other hand, with recent grocery closures (Zaccaro's, Downtown Foodland) in the news, is there reason for the city's independent grocers
to be concerned? No, says Stella. "We are commited to working with [them] to help them improve and expand their businesses," she says. "Also, independent grocers compete against Meijer in the suburbs already. We're confident that with the additional assistance that the new program we are developing will provide, most of them will be able to compete successfully with this one as well."
The Shoppes at Gateway is estimated to be an overall $90 million investment. An additional 173,000 square feet of leasable space remains available. Doors should open in 2011.
Source: Olga Stella, DEGC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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