Strip mall vacancies?

[marmar]

Has anyone noticed a marked increase in suburban strip mall vacancies? In Metro Detroit, particularly in the inner-ring of suburbs like Madison Heights, there are lots of strip mall (and office park) vacancies. Yes, they were formerly occupied by cheesy, ersatz chain crap, but occupied nonetheless.
As the economy continues to crap out and oil peaks, suburbia is going to be a scary place! :scared:

[AlCzervik]

1. oh yes, where i live there are a number of them. There was a wing place place that actually shut

it doors the week before the superbowl, that i found pretty surprising, aside from them there are dozens of stores in my area that have closed in the past year.

[Ilsa]

2. Alot of locally-owned little stores have shut down here.

Actually, over the last two years, I've seen a decrease in local stuff not being able to compete with the big stores, which don't have many shoppers, either.

Most of the food places are still in business here. We just had a really good asian food chain open here in town. It is mostly in Texas, I think, and owned by Dat Nguyen, a football player. Good food, very fresh, well prepared, priced higher than fast food, of course, so business is a little slow. I hope they make it. The other asian food places here serve crap -- too much oil in prep, overcooked vegetables, etc.

[navarth]

3. Hell, I work in Birmingham and I see it

There are plenty of places for lease around the wealthy suburbs. I don't mind, because I loathe and despise suburbs...but that's another rant. Eventually The D will come back because of location, infrastructure and expensive oil. I see it happening already. But it will be the same old shit all over again: the poor will be displaced for the wealthy. Damn betcha.

BTW we need HOV lanes around here, don't we?

[marmar]

4. And as those big western cities with no water dry up, we'll see a surge in water refugees....

:)

.... and yes, we do need HOV lanes....I'm encouraged by SEMCOG/Detroit Transit's big push for light rail from downtown to Ferndale tho.

[navarth]

6. Water wars?

That's a point of contention...some don't believe they will happen. I'm not so sure...I think the movement to steal the great lakes may have already started.

But then it might be a barter system...they get a lot of sunlight, maybe they'll be trading electricity for water?

[navarth]

7. I thought it was all the way to Pontiac...?

I think that would be better: light rail from the foot of Woodward all the way out to Pontiac, and an east-west line to Ann Arbor. DAMN that would be nice.

I am SO FUCKING SICK of this commute.

Go SEMCOG! Go AMTRAK!

............and GO WINGS!!!!

[marmar]

8. I think that is one of the plans.....

..... But the one that seems to be furthest along (and has the most financing in place) is the Detroit-Ferndale light rail up Woodward. (At least that's what the SEMCOG website seems to indicate.}
The Detroit-Ann Arbor line also seems to have a good deal of momentum.

You're right tho. Detroit-Pontiac line up Woodward would be the absolute best. Although, can't you see hundreds of angry Bloomfield Hills residents standing in Woodward to block construction? :)

[navarth]

9. HA totally

fuck 'em in the eyesocket.

[chat_noir]

5. Think of those empty windows as big political glass canvases

http://www.daboink.com/craftydab/window_writer.php

[Warpy]

10. There's one 4 miles from me in the "nicer" part of town

that is half empty and the stores that are left, minus the big grocery, all have huge SALE signs and banners.

Strip malls in my area run to dollar stores, rent to own, and payday loan outfits and they're all doing great business.

In fact, the Wally's parking lot was half empty last Xmas. The Dollar Store parking lot was full.