Coming to downtown Ann Arbor corner next to U-M's Diag: Walgreens?
A proposal submitted to Ann Arbor's Historic District Commission calls for the installation of Walgreens signs.
City of Ann Arbor
Farmington Hills-based Agree Realty Corp. submitted an application this week to Ann Arbor’s Historic District Commission to install Walgreens signs on the former Michigan Book & Supply building.
The two-story, 12,000-square-foot building on the edge of University of Michigan’s Central Campus has been vacant since Michigan Book & Supply closed earlier this year. The building also has a 6,000-square-foot basement that the bookstore used for textbook sales.
Texas-based Hogarth Management owns the building, but Ann Arbor’s First Martin Corporation manages the property.
“The former bookstore located at S. State St. and University is proposed to be renovated into a Walgreens store,” the application says.
“The existing building facade is to remain along with the interior structural elements. New signage is being proposed at this time,” it continues.
Representatives with First Martin Corp. and Walgreens could not be reached for comment, and a representative with Agree Realty declined to comment on the plans.
It appears that Agree Realty, which has an established landlord-tenant relationship with Walgreens stores nationwide, plans to purchase the building and lease to Walgreens. According to city records, a building sale has not yet been finalized.
First Martin's Bob Gates told AnnArbor.com in March that Hogarth had a "strong preference" to lease the entire South State building to a single, non-restaurant user.
The news — which comes a year and a half after CVS Pharmacy opened a store at 209-211 S State. St. — is particularly notable for one of downtown Ann Arbor’s most prominent buildings.
Located in the State Street Historic District, the building at 317 S. State St. was once occupied by discount variety store S.S. Kresge. Michigan Book & Supply’s lease began on July 1, 1989, and the store closed this year when its bankrupt parent company, Nebraska Book Co., filed for bankruptcy protection and closed 40 locations.
The building at 317 S. State, as it looked in the early 1970s when it was an S.S. Kresge store.
Ann Arbor District Library archives
The building has an assessed value of $1,031,500, making its estimated market value about double that.
Based in Illinois, Walgreens is the largest drugstore chain in the country. As of Oct. 30, the company operated 7,944 drugstores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with plans to grow its store base by approximately 1.5 to 2.5 percent in fiscal 2013, according to its website. The average store size is 14,500 square feet.
Agree Realty has an established relationship with Walgreens — nationwide, its top three tenants are Walgreens, Kmart and CVS. As of Nov. 2, 32 percent of the company’s annualized base rent came from Walgreen Co., according to a quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Agree controls the Ann Arbor property on the corner of Jackson and Maple roads where a Walgreens was constructed in 2010.
The company also owned the former Borders headquarters on Phoenix Drive and a portion of the former flagship Borders store downtown, but lost or sold those properties after Borders liquidated last year.
The CVS store at 209-211 S. State St.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
CVS received city approvals in 2009 to proceed with an $8 million project that preserved the historic facade at 209-211 S. State St., but demolished two houses behind it. Located on two levels, the store is 13,040 square feet.
Ann Arbor’s Historic District Commission is expected to consider the request to install Walgreens signs on the South State Street building at its Nov. 15 meeting.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
Homegrown
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 2:04 p.m.
This is a free country, even if that means Walgreens where you might prefer a small local operator. The fact is if any local business owner was up to the task they would have leased the property. Let the people speak with their dollars, don't frequent this Walgreens and it will be gone as fast as any of the other businesses we've seen come and go in this town.
15crown00
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 6:19 p.m.
it will provide some jobs
mady
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.
15crown00, it will. for a lucky few. I have been part of the "opening crew" for stores such as this one, and I'll never do it again. goes something like this: 1)store is getting ready to open, the powers-that-be need a LOT of help to do so. 2)anybody who walks through the door with a pulse, gets a job. 3)poor slobs bust their behinds cleaning, stocking, etc. 4)store opens. 5)higher-ups start howling about overhead costs, do what you have to do but bring those costs down!! 6)the majority of employees are let go, frequently w/o any explanation. yes, it will provide "some" jobs. for a lucky few.
lugemachine
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:53 p.m.
Starbucks, Tim Hortons... and now Walgreens. Can we PLEASE bring in businesses that will properly use apostrophes??
rusty shackelford
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 4:16 p.m.
Imagining a Greek diner called Apostrophe's.
amaiZe
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:51 p.m.
Walgreens does have some UofM ties though. Charles Walgreen Jr (son of founder) went to school at UofM before he became head of the company. And he donated $10 mil to build the Walgreen Drama Center on North Campus.
rusty shackelford
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 4:15 p.m.
Touche
MoonmanDon
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:23 p.m.
Yes! About time! Screw CVS, who even uses them for prescriptions. This really pleases me, now I don't have to travel on the busy Washtenawe Ave. anymore.
pegret
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 3:07 p.m.
Walgreens is just an overpriced CVS.
Emily
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:16 p.m.
Why isn't this a Target? :(
Kyle Mattson
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:21 p.m.
Emily- I've long thought an 'urban' Target would be successful downtown; however this location seems to be far too small as their typical locations are over 120k square feet and their condensed urban stores run around 75k sf.
lindor
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:12 p.m.
Have to agree with @jojob. Who else can survive in this market? Commercial rental rates are exorbitant on the state street/liberty corridor so it is very difficult for any independent business owner to come in and survive. Colliers and Jim Chaconas list everything available for $40 or more a square foot and that is absolutely insane. They're the only ones with the incentive because no matter how many businesses fail, Chaconas could care less because he keeps collecting his fat commission as he drives out of downtown every day. If we want positive growth in this city, with new local retailers surviving and growing, it would be nice to have someone that is actually invested in downtown, stays downtown, and cares about it.
JRW
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:11 p.m.
The site is a historic location at a key position on State Street on central campus. To put a Walgreen's there is just a terrible decision. The Walgreen's at the corner of the Huron Parkway and Washtenaw is a dreadful bloated store full of overpriced goods and awful customer service. Does A2 really want a huge chain store to anchor State Street on central campus? If that is the best that the building owner can come up with, then send him back to Texas, which is full of strip malls. One more example of the Disneyland, over-commercialized atmosphere of what used to be a classic college town. Not any more. State Street is becoming a homogenized strip mall.
G. Orwell
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:08 p.m.
Not another drug pusher.
pegret
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.
That's right, G. It's not what drugs you buy, but whose.
Townie John
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:56 p.m.
Ann Arbor of the 50s and 60s had many chain stores in town before the population moved farther out and the malls appeared. Back then along with SS Kresge there was Saks Fifth Ave on State, Sears on Main St. and Montgomery Ward on Fifth Ave. The campus movie theaters were national chains. Automotive dealerships and Bowling alleys lined Huron Street and gas stations were on numerous corners throughout the downtown and campus area. There were five service stations on South University between N. University and Forest. If Ann Arbor stops evolving then we will be in decline.
Goodneighbor
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 2:48 a.m.
... and Woolworth's (F.W. I seem to recall,:-).) ... and Cunningham's, :-),.... ( ...and I believe that "Monkey-Ward's" was actually on Fourth Ave., ... "just sayin'", :-)... )......:-)!!!
say it plain
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:53 p.m.
Why, why, why, America?! Why do we need to have this obscene twinning of chains *everywhere*, including in our downtowns? I'm long past mourning the loss of interesting and funky in downtown AA, but do we really need to have the strip-mall battles waged at every peripheral road in towns all through this land there also? Just because corporate America scopes out all locations where a competitor exists and tries to wedge itself in there also, do we have to oblige? The landlords of this city are sooooo ruining it! Oh well. Enjoy the chewing gum and contact lens solution price wars everybody!
A2transplant
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.
Although the logistics would be a nightmare, I think it would be better to have a grocery or perhaps a Meijer-type of store (grocery, hardware, etc) there instead of another drug store. As has been stated, there's a CVS across the street. I would prefer a locally owned & operated business, but realistically, this community probably won't support it. It appears to me that whatever or whomever made and supported Ann Arbor's unique in days of old has either passed or moved on, so I think only a chain store would survive there.
mtlaurel
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 6:22 a.m.
watch out-once Rite Aid takes the Borders location, the candy counters at the movies might have to close down.
PersonX
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 3:04 a.m.
This makes no sense at all; what is the thinking behind putting a second store selling exactly the same things, in the same block?????
drew_blows
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:49 a.m.
That would have been a perfect location for a strip club
DJBudSonic
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:20 a.m.
I agree there should be a grocery downtown, but it is not practical from a logistics standpoint, where are you going to get the large semitrucks and trailers in to unload? I can't think of a property downtown that would allow that, unless it is built into one of these large new developments, like the one proposed on Huron and Division.
DJBudSonic
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:33 p.m.
I take back the large truck part, apparently it works but with one stipulation; I saw a full size Sysco rig unloading at Chipotle on State and Liberty, but it was at 2 a.m.
DJBudSonic
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:05 a.m.
They wouldn't let me put a Hooters there but a Walgreens is ok?
TommyJ
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:57 a.m.
BOOOOOOOO!!!!
Bear
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:47 a.m.
Apparently you missed the people that used to complain when Lucky Drugs went under. First people complain when they have to do their shopping on the edge of town, then they complain when stores locate in a convenient spot. There's no satisfying some of you. Is that all you have in life to do is complain? It's a good thing! There are enough people in the area now to justify having two drug stores and a 7-11. It comes with downtown density. Did any of you vote for the greenbelt proposal? Well, guess what? If you didn't have the foresight to know what the reprecussions of that decision were, then too bad! I knew what that meant when it was first proposed and also knew that a lot of development companies and land owners downtown were counting on making great profits off of that decision. Anyone who didn't see it coming was blind.
TommyJ
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:59 a.m.
How many drug stores do we need in this world?
kremlach
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:47 a.m.
Yes, it would be much better to leave it vacant.
Milton Shift
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:35 a.m.
What we really need is a grocery store. A real one.
rusty shackelford
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:34 a.m.
Too bad for the redundancy, agreed. This would be a really convenient spot for a Trader Joe's or other small grocery, and they'd make a killing there.
rusty shackelford
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 4:14 p.m.
I shop at babo pretty frequently, despite the fact that it's really expensive. Not everyone is wealthy enough to buy everything they need there all the time. If you are, good for you. And they are far from hurting for business.
lindor
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:30 p.m.
Again, market 2 blocks away called babo. Very sad people talk about avoiding national retailers but they don't support the local entrepreneurs dumping their own money into this city and taking huge risks...
Bear
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:41 a.m.
just where would customers park?
justcurious
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:39 a.m.
Trader Joe's didn't support the GMO labeling initiative in California, so I wouldn't shop there anyway. Neither did Whole Foods.
psaume23
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:17 a.m.
OK, as long as Walgreen includes a soda fountain-type section like the one the Kresge's store had in the early '70s. It was a nice place to sit and have hot chocolate between classes.
John Floyd
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:16 a.m.
It intrigues me that national chains view the historic district end of the the diag as desirable, while the uber-zoned, could-be-anywhere non-historic, but high-rise happy, South U end of the diag seems not to attract the same kind of retail attention. What's up with that?
rusty shackelford
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:31 a.m.
No space large enough enough there.
Mark
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 11:31 p.m.
That would be an ideal place for a bookstore....hello!!!!
Blue Marker
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:24 p.m.
You might as well open a buggy whip shop. Bookstores are a dying breed.
RUKiddingMe
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 11:28 p.m.
I also think having a Walgreens so close to a CVS on a street like State is incredibly lame and depressing. I liked the 7-11, because State REALLY needed Slurpees. I like the CVS because it's awesome to be able to get beer, nail polish remover, bandaids, foods that are bad for you, etc. for downtowners and campus kids. But a Walgreens that close on the same street just really craps the whole place up. It's ALMOST as bad as having 3 different U of M paraphernalia stores back to back. Something like this IS in the hands of the residents, though. If enough people hate this, just spread the word and do what you can to make sure people don't shop there, or before it gets built make sure Walgreens or the land owner know that that location simply will NOT be profitable due to resident mentality. That's all it takes. Simple, really. Of course, it is almost NEVER the case that enough people can band together over something like this. I think I've only heard of ONE time that a Walmart decided not to open up shop in a town because of the hullabaloo of the residents. BUT, there it is. If they know people won't shop there, they won't open shop. If enough people don't shop there, they'll close up.
David DeSimone
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 11:21 p.m.
Ann Arbor has changed so much especially in the last 10 years. The local business are disappearing. I lived there a short time about 20 years ago, and know people born in the late 60's who grew up there in the '80s. As far as these high rises go, there are mostly 'for' foreign students. At least the old west side and the far west side look the same. One has to leave the campus area to see the "true" Ann Arbor.
Pat
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.
Oh great -- another drugstore. Sigh.
Boo Radley
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 10:51 p.m.
Yeah! .... and there could be a Jacobson's store where Borders used to be ... Oh ... wait .....
dougfair
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 6:40 p.m.
@talker For those who don't know, the ORIGINAL Borders Book Shop was at 316 State St. on the west side of the street. I think Red Hawk is in that building now. The store you mention is the expanded second location.
talker
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 6:53 a.m.
For those who don't know, I'll complete your sentence following ...where Borders used to be.... The more recent downtown Borders was in the old Jacobson building. Borders original store was on the east side of State St. a few doors south of the State Theater. I first walked into the State Street Borders store in 1977. When Jacobsons left Liberty Street, they moved to Briarwood. They moved into the store that had been a Lord and Taylor and then after Jacobsons (they also had some stores in Florida) closed, the space was taken over and remodeled by Von Maur.
DAN
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 10:30 p.m.
I'd rather have Kresge's back there.
mady
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:18 p.m.
Dan, me too. Ah, memories.
Goodneighbor
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 10:24 p.m.
(Just an FYI : ) S.S. Kresge was NOT a "discount" store (Kmart was, however, a "discount" business that evolved from the company) ...The Kresge store was what was referred to as a "dime store". Ann Arbor had two Kresge stores in town, one "downtown" (at the current Mongolian Barbecue site) and the one "on State St." ...:-)...& ...they were...(drum roll please,:-)) Chain Stores!
talker
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 11:02 p.m.
Between Kresge and Mongolian Barbecue, there was a regional store (I think it was a branch of a Detroit area store) that sold toys and baby furniture on the southwest corner of Washington and Main. Those of us who recall Drakes (which was down the block, on North University from the proposed Walgreen location) would rather see such a local business as that, but a long time, local grocery store on William, White's Market, was forced to move out recently due to the high rent. As for clothing and shoe stores, they have more customers if they are adjacent to free parking. By the way, when I first moved to town, there was a small version of Saks Fifth Avenue on the west side of State, just a few doors north of the Nickel's Arcade entrance. Men's clothes were on the first floor and women's clothes were down a flight of stairs in a nicely carpeted lower level/basement. I won't bore people with more 1975-1990, etc. details.
Ghost of Tom Joad
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 9:22 p.m.
I'm not against having a Walgreen's because it's a chain store (as your poll indicates is the only reason to be against it). I just think that the CVS across the street is sufficient. Just like starbucks, we don't need two pharmacies on every corner.
aamom
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 9:06 p.m.
I don't like the choices in the poll. I want to vote no, but not because it is a chain store. Because there are already 2 drugstores literally right there. I would take some other chain. Just think we need variety. Maybe a clothing store geared toward students and young professionals like anthropologie. Maybe seperate the upstairs for another store. I would have loved a shoe store when I was on campus. Not that main street is far, but back then it seemed worlds away!
aamom
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:20 p.m.
@bear. I guess I should have clarified. When I say drugstore I don't actually mean a pharmacy. I was referring to 7-11 and CVS which are both right there. Also, I guess it's a matter of personal taste, but I would shop at anthropologie but have no interest in American apparel. One store cannot meet the needs of an entire community. @a2xarob. You are probablyright about the rents being too high for a local store and it is sad.
Bear
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:20 a.m.
ahem, there's only one drug store in that area, not two. And there's already American Apparel on Liberty for the yuppies & students. Plus Pink Pump for the freaky ones.
a2xarob
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:49 a.m.
The wonderful, local Mast's Shoes was on Liberty very near that corner with State until they could no longer afford the rent. That location is next to impossible for any small local store now. It is too bad, but that's the facts, Ma'am.
justcurious
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 9:30 p.m.
hmmm...let's see....anthropologie...home of the $328 frock. Students who live in luxury apartments can afford that. No problem with the economy in your estimation.
Bob Zuruncol
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 9:03 p.m.
I seem to recall a locally-owned pharmacy on State Street until shortly before CVS moved into town. Apparently they didn't do enough volume. to survive. But now there's enough for two of the national chain variety. It is worth noting that Busch's grocery (with 14 stores in SE Mich) just closed all their in-store pharmacies.
lindor
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:03 p.m.
Decker drugs closed long before CVS came into town. It wasn't the nicest or the cleanest for that matter. Village Apothecary on South U is far nicer than Decker ever was and and it has managed to survive.
Ann English
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 12:43 a.m.
I haven't been a regular visitor to the downtown since the early 1980s, but do remember a Lucky Drug store on Main Street south of Liberty; I had to ask others where a drug store near Main and Liberty was back then. The earliest CVS location I remember in town was inside Briarwood Mall, so it didn't have its own building.
Jojo B
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:45 p.m.
Sure I'm disappointed that another chain store is coming in, but in the new economy, what else can possibly succeed there? We buy just about everything online now, so bookstores, music stores, etc. just can't survive. So what do we buy from stores in A2 now? Greasy food, clothes that we want to try on in person, and prescription and over-the-counter medication. What other types of stores (let alone locally-owned) can survive in this economy? I'd love to see all quirky custom locally-owned shops, but the rent is too high and it's impossible to make any profit or survive as a small establishment downtown.
mady
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:15 p.m.
Jojo, you are sadly right. the small businesses are slowly but surely being forced out by greedy landlords(SEE:White Market)who only care about their profit margin. at least it won't be a wal-mart.....hope I didn't speak too soon....
justcurious
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 9:25 p.m.
I agree about buying a lot of things online, but if you think the economy in Ann Arbor is so bad then why are there so many luxury housing units being sold and fact shops opening. I attribute the success of the chain pharmacies to an aging population who have such poor diets that medical problems are inevitable. But then, I guess everyone is being handed drugs by the doctor now.
oldlocal
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:40 p.m.
Yuck.
Mike D.
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:39 p.m.
FYI, Hogarth Management, which currently owns the building, is Tom Borders' company. After the Borders brothers sold their namesake bookstore to KMart, they moved to Texas but retained some Ann Arbor real estate.
Lizzy Alfs
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:51 p.m.
Yes, great point! I forgot to include that.
Mike D.
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:40 p.m.
Sorry, Tom moved to Texas. Louis apparently is in CA.
mr_annarbor
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:31 p.m.
While it might be nice to have a unique, funky kind of retailer in that spot, who, but a big chain is going to be able to lease that big of a space? And, as someone pointed out above, it started out as a national chain store, so it's just coming full circle.
Holly Richardson
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:31 p.m.
I would prefer to see something like a small market, even a chain similar to a Tesco Express. Something with fresh produce and dairy, pantry items, and baked goods at regular prices instead of jacked up convenience store prices.
lindor
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:18 p.m.
@mady - no I haven't seen their prices but I know they're cheaper than the places I mentioned. Yes I've seen their prices. They have expensive gourmet goods on their shelves, but they also have every day staples at cheaper prices than anyone else. They're also locally owned, support local products, and they're creating jobs (I noticed you posted about White Market - I've seen the former owner Dave working there now). If I have to pay 10 cents more for something I'd rather buy it at babo than Tesco Express, Whole Foods, Kroger, or any other chain because they give back. All babo seems to do is grow and get busier by the day so I'm not surprised at all they're doing so well.
mady
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:12 p.m.
@lindor: have you sen babo's prices? I'm amazed they're still in business...
lindor
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.
Tesco Express? Give me a break. Not that I agree with a Walgreens 200ft away from CVS, but you've got a small market right around the corner that sells a ton of LOCAL products, dairy, produce, fresh baked goods, at prices cheaper than Whole Foods, Plum, etc. It's called Babo.
Leslie
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:21 p.m.
I've lived in Ann Arbor since 2005 and the rate of chain store installations on the 'State Street main drag' has dramatically increased. What's more, each new chain has displaced a local establishment (e.g. 711 replaced local camera shop, Five Guys took out historic Shaman Drum bookstore, CVS replaced antique shop... etc etc). We already have a CVS right down the street, the 'market' doesn't need sustain two of the exact same stores selling overpriced candy and bagged snacks. I hope AA's planners are proactive in preserving the unique business atmosphere that the city fosters. Otherwise, Ann Arbor will continue to look more and more like East Lansing....
pegret
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 2:53 p.m.
Sorry Leslie. I agree with you, but in reference to your last paragraph, it's already too late.
JeffK
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 4:04 a.m.
7-11 did not replace a local camera store. I worked at the one-hour photo lab at Ritz Camera in 1988. It was a chain with hundreds of stores. The corporate HQ was in Beltsville Maryland.
Bear
Thu, Nov 8, 2012 : 1:14 a.m.
I've lived in Ann Arbor since 1993 and before that lived here as a kid. One of the things that really makes it hard to live in the downtown and uptown area is the lack of drug stores like CVS or Walgreens. Also, the fact that the last downtown hardware store, Schlenker's, closed down doesn't help. I hear you all complaining, but to me, this is something that will help to sustain the state street area and keep the vitality. That is what N. Quad is doing as well. The more people that are around the area, the better for business and the better for the town. Quit being so negative about progress. Everything changes. Ann Arbor isn't a one-horse town anymore. It's a growing city, with a lot more going for it than many other cities in Michigan, much less the nation! I'm glad the place is getting used. Empty buildings are useless as it stands. BTW, Five Guys is better than McDonald's, so thank your lucky stars. Five Guys also has a better burger! Shaman's was gone before Five Guys came along and it didn't look as though anyone else was seriously looking at the space. Nothing stays the same. I remember when Middle Earth used to be on State St. Big deal.
Aaron Ohlrogge
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.
The chains didn't displace anyone. It's not like 5 guys came to Shaman Drum and demanded that Shaman Drum go. The bookstore went belly up, and someone else took its place.
Angry Moderate
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:39 p.m.
If AA.com commenters had shopped at all of the failed "local" stores half as often as they complain about them going out of business, they would still be around.
A2comments
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:29 p.m.
"displaced a local establishment"? Store closed or went bankrupt in nearly all cases. Neither Michigan Book and Supply, nor Kresge was local. You got a better tenant?
justcurious
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:28 p.m.
On the other hand, the building started life as a Woolworth's five and dime. At least it was that when I grew up in Ann Arbor before Ulrich's.
Lizzy Alfs
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:11 p.m.
On a side note: Check out the analysis I wrote in November 2011 about the possibility of Walgreens snapping up the former downtown Borders. It seemed far-fetched at the time, but looks like it wasn't too far off! http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/walgreens-snaps-up-former-borders-store-in-birmingham-what-about-ann-arbor/
puncturedtime
Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 2:25 p.m.
On a side note, that 'not so far-fetched prediction' you wrote claims the iconic 34,000 square-foot Borders building was becoming a Walgreens, NOT the 12,000 square-foot Michigan Book and Supply that went out of business a year after you wrote the article. Suggesting that the Borders building, an Ann Arbor landmark and a highly debated future development project, would become a Walgreens, was definitely far off. Different buildings. One is 3 times larger than the other. One is known by everyone who lives here; the other - not so much...really stretching for some credit here.
justcurious
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 8:07 p.m.
Bring it on. The campus, and the rest of downtown Ann Arbor are filling up with chain stores and luxury high rises so what difference does another one make? It is obvious that no one cares about the town having any sense of character anymore. It will be a familiar site for the students...just like being home.
ferdcom
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 : 9:57 p.m.
Bring back Kresge's