This week's selection for Visions for Vacancies is the former site of Borders in the Village in the City of Grosse Pointe. Share your ideas of what business you'd like to see locate there.
The former Borders in the Village is one of the largest commercial spaces in the Grosse Pointes. It is this week's selection for Visions for Vacancies.
Share your ideas for type of business you'd like to see locate in the space.
The building at 17141 Kercheval Ave. is 19,800 square-feet with a full floor to ceiling loading dock. The building is primarily an open space located on Kercheval Avenue between Neff Road and St. Clair Street.
It shares the block of Village ACE and is across the street from Panera, CVS and Village Toy.
The building is now listed with Stokas Bieri Real Estate. It is for sale and the listing does not provide a price but highlights the many benefits of the building, including the development of the future home of the Neighborhood Club behind the building, its large size and the many options for parking behind it.
Borders decided to close the Grosse Pointe store along with hundreds of others during their intiial phases of trying to re-organize during a bankruptcy that ultimately did not work. The company as a whole folded within the year after the Grosse Pointe Borders closed.
nancy steyer stapleton
8:19 am on Saturday, July 21, 2012
open it as a mini-mall with several small shops inside
Mr.Q
11:04 am on Saturday, July 21, 2012
That's a great idea. It would be nice to see something similar to the old Trappers Alley in Greektown -- craftspeople creating and selling their work (candles, jewelry, chocolates, etc.) GP would become a small arts hub.
Mark
12:00 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
Definitely a cool idea although ditch the mini mall monacre as it conjures up bad images. The other issue is landlords in GP need to start being more reasonable with their rents. They are way too high and are in no small part responsible for many businesses inability to survive as well as keeping small boutiques away. Even national retailers are keeping out.
Bob Frapples
11:49 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012
Similar to The Rust Belt market that now occupies the former Old Navy location at 9 Mile and Woodward location...interesting idea. An artists market for local arts/crafts that works on weekly space rentals to ensure a changing line up occasionally thus never locking someone into a long term commitment. I like that idea and the building size could probably work, very good suggestion. (but I agree, the phrase "mini mall is very dated)
Ted
11:54 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Honestly. I don't believe an mini-mall, by whatever name you call it, would be a sustainable solution in the GP area. Of course, I may be wrong.
joseph
9:47 am on Saturday, July 21, 2012
Old Navy
edgar rhode
11:49 am on Saturday, July 21, 2012
boutique bowling alley.
Rebecca McCoy
11:56 am on Saturday, July 21, 2012
California Pizza Kitchen!
Leslie
12:13 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
an apple store
Leslie
12:14 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
an apple store and a small venue for art type films, like the main in royal oak
Mark
12:31 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
You might be overestimating the size of the building. It would probably only be able to support one or the other. Either idea would be a welcome addition though.
Lindy
12:14 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
A small boutique hotel
Steve Warnick Jr
6:31 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
1-2 screen indie film theater would be great, but even better would be a micro-brew!
Beth
6:32 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
I agree with the small boutique hotel idea - we definitely need it! Our out-of-town guests/visitors have either downtown, Birmingham or Macomb Mall area as choices! An upward expansion is necessary.
Ted
11:57 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
This sounds like a nice idea. Maybe a Bed & Breakfast.
Evelyn Inempolidis
7:04 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012
I think a home goods store such as Crate and Barrel, Bed Bath and Beyound, William Sonoma, or Sur La Table would be great in that spot. I miss the Jacobson's home store where you could run in and get a last minute gift.
catherine clark
12:14 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012
A "one stop" bridal boutique. Dresses, invites, flowers.
Laurie
9:32 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
I would love to see a large Ralph Lauren Store, with Men's, Women's, children, and Home. Every single person in GP has Polo! We are their target market. We also need an Apple Store, Williams Sonoma and Restoration Hardware. We have older homes that need to be restored. My second choice would be a boutique hotel, like the Townsend, with a rooftop restaurant.
Ted
12:04 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
This would be another good location for a fitness center. Not as good as Mack & Moross, but a good second choice. The size of the space is ideal. The location is good as well, near the Cottage Hospital & parking garage, with lots of foot traffic. Maybe the GP Fitness Center could upgrade their location by moving in.
Common Sense
12:23 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
The new Neighborhood Club facility in the Village will have a full fitness club with a pool and sports enchancement equipment, rowing equipment and more. Memberships are already available. They open in January. Probably don't need another fitness center across the parking lot from a brand new one.
http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/991717/3c6216669c/ARCHIVE
Ted
12:44 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
I didn't realize that. Thanks for sharing. I checked out the link provided. Wow! The Neighborhood Club memberships are pretty expensive. Sounds like they're mirroring a lot of the stuff the YMCA offers. The YMCA is pretty expensive as well, which is one of the reasons I think they've been losing business for years to commercial fitness centers.
Linda
5:24 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Last spring I did speak with someone from Management of Williams & Sonoma and they were not really too excited about opening one of their stores in the Grosse Pointes due to their experts saying too much crime, thefts due to outsiders and parking issues. We really could use this store here in the Pointes as well as Sur La Table and a store similar to Bed Bath & Beyond would be excellent. Ralph Lauren not a good idea for the same problems other high end businesses felt was too much risk here in the Pointes. When Jacobson's shut their doors I called Saks, Nieman Marcus etc., they all said NO to our area as well for the same issues, crime and high thefts. Just look at the mess Eastland has become!!!! We do need good stores but how can anyone get them to even try our areas. They have all done their own investigating and all said NO.
madelefant@gmail.com
2:31 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
I'm wondering if that new parking lot was constructed with the new Neighborhood club in mind or the Ace hardware as well. Seems odd that parking lot was remade and Ace is now gone. Does anyone know of plans for that space?
Joe
9:12 am on Friday, May 3, 2013
Let's just not have any more medical buildings! That does nothing for the area!