If you’ve had the chance to walk through the West Village Commons project lately, something interesting appears to be taking place: new businesses are moving into the development that once was the site for the Jacobson’s department store and Price’s Menswear.

Moose's Martini Pub is the newest "homegrown" business making plans to move into West Village Commons

The newest business making plans to move in is a martini bar called Moose’s Martini Pub, 22217 Michigan Ave., aimed at the 35 and older crowd. If all goes well, the bar will open in the spring.

The bar probably isn’t the kind of business originally envisioned by our city leaders when they inked the multi-million dollar development deal with Burton-Katzman, the Bingham Farms developer who dangled the names of big name stores in front of our elected officials. Rather than national chain businesses, the West Village Commons has become home to two bars (a third, Moose’s, is on the way), two restaurants, a UPS store, yoga center, ice cream shop and one art & frame store.

What is interesting in all of this is that most of these new places (not all) are unique to Dearborn and usually owned by Dearborn residents or at least people from surrounding communities. Those elements could very well be the critical pieces necessary to ensure the survival of the mostly-vacant West Village Commons.

It also may be indicative of what really works best in Dearborn -– homegrown and home-owned businesses.