New York city-based company is expected to close next month on the Fairlane Town Center shopping mall in Dearborn. Should the sale fall through with the undisclosed buyer, a back-up buyer is ready to sign a contract and move forward. Fairlane Town Center was built in 1976 and has had financial struggles in recent years. The current ownership is behind on its debts.
The Dearborn Mayor hopes to turn the Fairlane Town Center site into the “heartbeat of our city.” Affordable housing and green space are only two of the many possibilities that could reinvigorate the mall. He wants to brainstorm with business leaders to improve the space. Mayor Hammoud envisions an affordable housing project, a public health project, an environmental sustainability project, and a flood mitigation project. He wants to pitch ideas to area developers to formulate a plan that will utilize the available city, county and state resources.
The Lyon Township Planning Commission recommended final plan approval for residential components of the Orchard Crossing development on the Erwin Orchards site. It will create 121 single family homes and 40 duplex homes on 77 acres. The orchard’s operations will continue for now. A pedestrian crossing over Silver Lake Road has not been resolved, and it will be delayed until there’s further development on the orchard operations. The plan includes a paved event center parking lot, a larger bake shop and farmer’s market, a tasting room and a possible drive-thru. The construction of homes will be done in four phases as homes sell, but there isn’t a specific construction timeline.
On Tuesday, the Royal Oak City Planning Commission will vote on two special land use permits that would allow the city’s first recreational marijuana facilities to put down roots. Proponents of the controversial vote believe that Gatsby Cannabis Co. and Royal Treatment sites will blend well with existing commerce and neighborhoods. The opponents question if the decision would pose disruptions to nearby schools and neighbors. Gatsby Cannabis Co. is near Oakland Schools Technical Campus-Southeast, and Royal Treatment is in a residential area, near a mixed-used industrial area with a large number of single-family residential homes. The Oakland Schools Superintendent Dr. Wanda Cook-Robinson sent out a “Call To Action” email to the parents of more than 600 students concerning the Gatsby Cannabis Co.
The site of Michigan’s last Kmart store near Battle Creek has a new owner. B. Riley Real Estate bought the former Kmart for an undisclosed amount. Prior to the store’s closing, it was a strong retail performer. That, coupled with the future growth of Marshall’s market and the planned Megasite development initiative attracted the buyer. The 86,479 square-foot building is in the Marshall Plaza shopping center and less than three miles away from Marshall Megasite, an industrial development. The developer plans to bring a mix of national retail tenants to the site.
Mario Kiezi, owner of the former Union Street Detroit restaurant and the Midtown Liquor & Deli store, has listed the property for $7.5 million. He has listed it with O’Connor Real Estate. He originally envisioned converting it into a grocery store. Those plans may still come to fruition as two regional grocers have recently toured the building. The two-story building is situated at Woodward Avenue at Willis Street. The first floor has had various commercial uses in the past, and the top floor has been empty since the 1960s when it was used for eight residences.
When opportunity knocked, Agree Realty Corp. listened. The Bloomfield Hills-based real estate investment trust capitalized on the COVID-19 pandemic and has doubled its portfolio size and outgrown its recently-expanded headquarters. It will redevelop the former 50,000-square-foot Art Van Furniture Inc. store into a new base of operations. The company has focused on retail properties leased to investment-grade tenants. They’ve bought up properties with a diverse mix of tenants, strengthening their multi-faceted retail game. In less than 3 years, the company’s portfolio has increased from 660 to 1,404 properties across 47 states. Their growth is expected to continue in 2022.
E.W. Grobbel Sons Inc. is opening Grobbel’s Gourmet Fresh Neighborhood Market and a Sy Ginsberg-branded Jewish-style deli at the home of the former Eastern Market Seafood Co. The company is a five generation, family-owned business with more than 130 year presence in Detroit. The 4,000-square-foot, mixed-use space spans from Market Street to Riopelle Street. The grocery store entrance will be on Market Street, and the deli access will be on Riopelle. The venture marks a partnership between Grobbel and FIRM Detroit real estate. The project will created between 20-30 full- and part-time positions for local residents.
CB2, a Crate & Barrel sister brand, has signed a lease for the vacant Panera spot at 100 N. Old Woodward Ave. The CB2 offshoot caters to customers looking for some “coolness” factor in their furniture. Crate & Barrel moved from its Somerset Collection location in Troy to Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi in 2020. CB2 is owned by the Boji Group. Serena & Lily, another furniture retailer is also moving to downtown Birmingham. Both stores are part of a the recent surge of retailers and restaurants to open or expand in downtown Birmingham in the last year.
Harper Woods’ 60-year old Eastland Center wrapped up its last holiday season. With only two remaining stores, K&G Fashions and Shoppers World, the center is slotted for demolition next year. NorthPoint Development will redevelop the site into a $94.2 million industrial complex. Hudson’s built the center in 1957. Just 20 years ago, it housed nearly 150 stores. Area residents have pleasant memories of the popular after-school hangout. The shift to internet shopping, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, led to the center’s demise. Moody’s has predicted that 20% of the America’s remaining 1,000 malls will close or be repurposed in the next few years.