hey Mayor! How does this process work?

[Kenneth Warren]

Mr. Callentine:

Bravo!!

It's a priviledge to read your terrific quest and arrival story; it's an honor to share the thread and participate with you in the LO project.

Kenneth Warren

[Kate McCarthy]

Thanks for putting your thread back on track. What is wrong with attracting retail to a retail strip? Both Legacy Village and Crocker Park are basically faux versions of city streets and Urban Outfitters etc all seem comfortable plopping stores there why not on a real street?

The Lakewood I loved as I child had the best place in the world to me. A Woolworths, tucked into the building that also housed our dentist and the place where a reward would be bought if one had a no cavity visit to the dentist. Did a Woolies on mainstreet threaten the local shops then? There's Caribou and there's Phoenix. Phoenix is my first choice but if we have a big crowd and there's no room at the Phoenix I don't think a dash across the street does any harm.

I would love to see a department store on Detroit and some other clothing retailers beyond Geigers and Dots. I don't think that desire is to make Lakewood into something it's not-- it is to reclaim what Lakewood once was.

We have the Americana so romantized by people frightened to leave their gated communities. Kids hang out on porches, build snow forts, shovel driveways for cash and spend their new found loot at the Pet Store, Designer Consigner, whatever. We have lots of kids who love to shop and we are all tired of dropping them off at Crocker Park when they could so easily (and prefer to) be hanging out in their own neighborhoods. It would be nice to see if the folks at city hall are marketing our authentic mainstreet brand to major retailers as well.

Almost forgot...Happy New Year!!!!

[Jim O'Bryan]

Kate

Go back and read my posts. There is nothing wrong with bringing in businesses that fit into the Lakewood Village. Breadsmith's is a perfect example of this. The electronic store I was working with believed the same. They say Lakewood as the model for Legacy Village and wanted to move into a building that was there, rehab it, and become part of the neighborhood and the city. Brennan's, Winking Lizard and even Johnny Malloys are also good examples of taking what is there and rehabbing it to fit in. Though many would argue, rightfully so that Malloy's has caused problems and made people want to get out.

It is the Marc's Plaza syndrome that I personally fear. when retail starts cutting into residential. The Beck Center Mall for lack of a better term was going to cut deep into that block, possible as far as 3/4 of the way up it. this would have caused the sleepy neighborhood to be part of the strip mall. Talking with neighbors, many were ready to bail the second it got approved. some house went up for sale when they first found out.

Retail is not bad, as long as you understand it is not going to stop taxes from going up. It is also not bad if they come in as good neighbors and add to a city. While I admit Marc's is successful, I do not know too many that want it in their neighborhood.

Again, these are my thoughts.