Somerset Mall just north of Detroit, a High End Shopper's paradise. Malls, indoor, outdoor, underground, should all come with this "feel". It was a buffett for the eyes and the senses to walk through this mall yesterday and TOLEDO needs this sort of thing Downtown!
It was jamb packed with shoppers, kids, adults olerder folks, it was a joy just to go..and I hate malls! Whomever built this mall knew what they were doing and it's a grand exposure of what retail America is elsewhere. Loaded with mid-high end retail vendors, great things to do everywhere and the sights, smells and feel were just what the Doctor ordered for a ho-hum day. If you're a chocolate lover, it even has a "Rocky Mountain Fudge Factory"..mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I took some pics of the amazing decor ..take a peek and go to the link...it's retail fun at it's best!
http://wannabemayor.blogspot.com/
The shopping destinations are almost always of the city center nowadays.
Although Chicago has Michigan Avenue and a few others.
We could expect a developer to try and set up a mall or complex like in the city center in Toledo, anytime soon?
Maybe after the new stadium is up and running as there are a lot of vacant store fronts now but there is some development going on that is starting to bring residents into the city center but could a developer justify the costs based on the amount of foot traffic at present?
We already have a major shopping center, Westgate and it is growing year by year and it would be to compete with that and Levi's Commons.
We would also need to consider better off and on access for the city center.
Driving over the new 280 bridge I looked over at the city and wondered if I was traveling through the area and did not the city how would I get to the downtown and what is there for me to do there, as the signage does not tell us.
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog
...developers of malls, etc. these days look to census data as to income and disposable income, and then build accordingly. That's why much of the development in NWO is taking place in P-burg and out toward Waterville.
Median income in Troy, MI is $77,538.
Median income in Toledo is $32,546.
Median Income in Oakland County, MI is $64,293.
Median income in Lucas County is $$40,277.
But a trip up to Somerset is always a fun day!
The brutal fact is that you are absolutely correct, Maggie. All the wishful thinking and hopes of Toledoans mean nothing when you look at where developers will spend their money. They want a return on their money.
Personally I don't think Toledo needs another "high end" shopping mall. I think if we really have to have yet another mall we'd be better off going the way of Great Lakes Crossing up in Michigan its a high end outlet mall plus its got a Rainforest Cafe, yum :)
How does this jibe with the rosy picture of livableness and amenities that the recent contest results show.
The median seems to have more lower wages overall because of the lower number and that impacts us in more ways than just shopping mall development.
Can we wonder what the plan is to boost the median number?
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog