Thursday, April 4, 2013
A group composed of property owners and business owners in the Village of Grosse Pointe have created a new organization to create awareness and generate discussion within the community about business development.
The property owners and many of the store owners in the Village have formed an organization they've named the "Voice of the Village." So far the organization has a Facebook page but it will eventually have a website too, according to one of the founders James V. Bellanca Jr. Bellanca manages 18 properties in the Village on behalf of a family trust. The objective of the group is to provide information to the community about business development in the Village and to raise awareness about what is actually happening in the Village, he said. Based on his interaction with people from the community who know he manages properties there, he said there is a lot of misperception and inaccurate information floating around about the Village, the …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The City of Grosse Pointe council approved an agreement with a company this week to perform a study evaluating whether one-hour of "free" parking could be a possibility.
A study will be completed this year in the City of Grosse Pointe analayzing whether one-hour of free parking would be feasible and how such an option might be implemented. The council approved a contract with Carl Walker this week authorizing the study, expected to cost between $16,375 to $19,840, at the request of City Manager Pete Dame. The request comes as more of the parking in the Village will be converted to gated lots, which Dame stated in a memo to council offers the City more flexibility in considering such an option. Dame said this week and has said in the past "there is no such thing as free parking." While for the motorist there is not always an immeidate fee, the price is built in somewhere. An example he provided to Patch …
Monday, March 11, 2013
A sign in the window of a long-empty storefront of Kercheval Place announces Great Clips as a new business that is "coming soon."
Great Clips will be opening a location in the Village, according to a sign in the window of the Kercheval Place storefront that has remained vacant since the building was re-purposed from the vacant Jacobon's. The sign simply says "Great Clips Coming Soon." It is a unique business to the Pointes as there are a variety of hair salons and barber shops throughout the community but none that are corporate stores as Great Clips. There is also a restaurant that is slated to move in to the former Hickey's Walton Pierce building. Patch readers reacted to the picture Saturday after it was posted to Facebook. Some say they are happy to see a business fill the storefront while others were less enthusiastic about it. It is among several changes …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Two retailers will be leaving the Village only weeks after a meeting in which several new initiatives were announced.
Two more retailers are leaving the Village: Blockbuster and Bellissima Boutique, according to a Village Facebook post this week. The departure of both retailers is just a hint at the various changes that have transpired in the Village in the last year and changes yet to come. Blockbuster's closure is part of a larger corporate decision to close nearly 300 stores throughout the country by parent company Dish Network. The company has been losing sales to video-on demand services, leading to the reduction in stores and employees, according to a report by Wall Street Journal. The Village Facebook post states Bellissima Boutique is leaving the Village to relocate on Mack Avenue. Meanwhile in a meeting earlier this month for members of the …
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The City of Grosse Pointe council voted unanimously Monday to table a decision about slating space in the Village for the development of a auditorium and performance theater.
Grosse Pointe Theatre officials are to complete a feasibility study about whether fundraising $16 million is a realistic, achieveable goal and report the results back to City of Grosse Pointe council in December. The request for the study came after City Manager Pete Dame reviewed a report and analysis completed by city employees on the proposal by Grosse Pointe Theatre for a 40,000 square-foot live performance theater and cultural arts center to be located in the Village. The project, according to Dame's report to city council, would require the following from the city: The initial cost, not including maintenance and longterm care, would be more than $6 million for the city. Grosse Pointe Theatre is willing to put about $2.6 million …
42.39032
-82.91564
Kercheval Ave & St Clair St, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/grosse-pointe-council-tables-theater-decision
/locations/7258831
42.39214
-82.91684
Saint Clair St & Waterloo St, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/grosse-pointe-council-tables-theater-decision
/locations/7258832
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Share your thoughts about what kind of business you'd like to see locate in the former location of GAP in the Village.
This week's selection for Visions for Vacancies is a building that formerly housed GAP. The building is in the City of Grosse Pointe's popular downtown retail/business district, the Village. Building owner Robert Sfire is anxious to find a tenant but also conscious about bringing in one that would thrive and one that would be a nice addition to the Village. While the building is currently set up for retail, Sfire believes a restaurant would work well. He also believes a retail clothing store for tweens and teens would be a nice addition to the Pointes. GAP closed in late January after being in that location since the mid-1980s. Sfire said he tried to work with the corporation in order to keep the retail chain but officials believed when …
42.389336
-82.918362
16836 Kercheval Ave, Grosse Pointe Park, MI
/articles/visions-for-vacancies-16836-kercheval-ave
/locations/7176810
Monday, May 21, 2012
Emagine is taking its movie theater plans to Macomb, not the Pointes. The City of Grosse Pointe council is expected to make a decision during its next meeting in June related to the remaining proposal from Grosse Pointe Theatre.
Emagine Entertainment has withdrawn its proposal for a 35,000 square-foot building that would house an eight screen movie theater in the Village, City of Grosse Pointe Manager Pete Dame announced Monday. Their withdrawal means the city council will only have one proposal to consider, which is a 40,000 square-foot cultural arts center with a 400-seat theater for live productions and a banquet area by the Grosse Pointe Theatre. Dame said Emagine Entertainment found another location in Macomb County that will house 12-14 screens rather than the eight proposed in Grosse Pointe. The company, he said, believes the new location is more ideal for development and will still draw clientele from the Grosse Pointes. The exact location in Macomb County…
42.39032
-82.91564
Kercheval Ave & St Clair St, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/emagine-withdraws-theater-proposal-from-city-of-grosse-pointe
/locations/7089703
42.39214
-82.91684
Saint Clair St & Waterloo St, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/emagine-withdraws-theater-proposal-from-city-of-grosse-pointe
/locations/7089704
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
During a special forum Monday to discuss economic vitality of the Village, some news of new businesses coming to Grosse Pointe's central business district is shared. The meeting will likely become a regular event to continue the economic development discu
With the Border's bookstore closing, the departure last month of Gap and the end of at least three other businesses in The Village in recent months, talk has turned to how to sell quality local and national retailers on Grosse Pointe. A nearly standing room only crowd of about 40 people, from city and chamber of commerce officials and landlords to business owners and residents attended the discussion, "Promoting Economic Vitality,” Monday night at a special meeting in the City of Grosse Pointe. It was the first of what is likely to be regular meeting to determine what's holding The Village back and what can be done to make it a quality, lively downtown. While the three-block business-shopping district was the focal point of the forum some …
Monday, February 27, 2012
There are several notable meetings and events this week in Grosse Pointe. Here are the highlights.
There are several important events this week in Grosse Pointe. Here are a few highlights: 1. A special meeting begins at 7 p.m. Monday in the City of Grosse Pointe council chambers to address development in the Village. The special meeting is the result of the council and city administration wishing to give the three-block downtown business-shopping district special attention this year. Anyone is encouraged to attend the meeting, which includes several guest speakers. Officials are hoping to gain ideas and insight about what residents, developers, building owners and business owners wish to see in the Village. 2. The Grosse Pointe Woods city council will meet beginnning at 7:30 p.m. Monday. The council intends to discuss the following, …
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Village Association of Grosse Pointe has Facebook and Twitter to its marketing efforts with hopes of using social media to draw more people to the area.
The Village Association of Grosse Pointe is adding social media to its toolbox in hopes of using it to draw more people to the three block business-shopping-dining district. Lifelong Grosse Pointer Jennifer Teets grew up going to the Village and still frequents the businesses there today. She's seen it in it evolve and is excited to work with the business owners to expand their marketing efforts. The association hired Teets as its social media coordinator for the Village. She began during the holidays, highlighting some of the deals retailers were offering on a particular day. More recently, Teets has used the social media to highlight the particular offerings of a store in addition to highlighting daily deals. Village Association …
42.38986
-82.91693
Kercheval Ave & Notre Dame St, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/village-association-expands-marketing-efforts
/locations/6419189
42.39032
-82.91564
Kercheval Ave & St Clair St, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/village-association-expands-marketing-efforts
/locations/6419190
42.39096
-82.91385
Kercheval Ave & Neff Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/village-association-expands-marketing-efforts
/locations/6419191
42.38922
-82.91868
Kercheval St & Cadieux Rd, Grosse Pointe, MI
/articles/village-association-expands-marketing-efforts
/locations/6419192
Joseph Sucher
11:00 am on Sunday, April 7, 2013
It is sad when elected officials feel they have no obligation to share information and to conduct business in the open. It's the law. It's in city charters. Still, compliance seems to be an option. See the article in the News/Freep today (4/7) regarding real estate transactions in the Park. As long as voters allow local officials to operate this way, they have no right to criticize the way … more ›