Goodwill Industries Eyes West Dearborn Location
Goodwill Industries of Detroit is close to inking a deal with Norm Newman to move into the former Inca building in West Dearborn.
Nearly three years after posting signs promising a “Redevelopment”, the long vacant building that once housed the Inca computer store in West Dearborn could soon have Goodwill Industries as its new tenant.
At Monday night’s City Council meeting Goodwill officials announced they are close to inking a final deal with Norm Newman to lease the vacant building, which is adjacent to another Norm Newman vacant property that once was home to Pier 1. The Pier 1 store relocated to Allen Park.
The Dearborn location, just like the one Goodwill operates in Canton, would be a retail store as well as a drop-off point for just about everything.
At Monday’s council meeting Newman’s daughter, Randee Freedman, represented Newman Building.
We spoke to Norm Newman back in March of 2009 and he hinted that a large retail store would be coming to this location. Many believed it might be a large chain grocery store, such as Aldi.
In between that time the white paper went up covering the glass windows in February 2009 and today, Newman rejected at least one other request to lease the space now headed to Goodwill Industries. That earlier request was for a family gaming business that was to be modeled after a popular Canadian chain.
Dearborn Chamber president Jennifer Knott Giering wrote in the Dearborn Press & Guide in August that Goodwill was looking at Dearborn as a location for another retail store. Giering toured the Canton store for her article and wrote that “we (Dearborn) should consider them as a creator of local employment opportunities, and support these businesses.” You can read her full column HERE.
November 8th, 2011 at 10:09 am
Dearborn could certainly use the jobs and additional shoppers coming through the city. No one can argue that. I’m not sure, however, that a second-hand goodwill store in our otherwise trendy downtown area is what the doctor ordered. It has been my understanding that Mr. Newman’s greed with regard to high rent has been the reason the multiple vacant spaces in this shopping strip have remained that way for so many years. Perhaps he should re-evaluate his methods in order to bring in retailers that will attract customers which will find the higher-end shops and restaurants in our downtown more in line with their demographic.
November 8th, 2011 at 10:44 am
Great. A dollar store on one end and a Goodwill on the other. All West Dearborn needs now is a Blood Donor clinic for cash in the old Michael’s location and we have replicated Detroit on that little strip mall. I do not think our leaders will ever get the picture. Money, money, money, no matter what brings it in, be Goodwill, Dollar stores or Methadone clinics possibly, cahs is better than closed in their ignorant eyes. Vote all of these idiots out of office. Hey, how about closing the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce, that will save some money too.
November 8th, 2011 at 11:56 am
Please tell me where the “trendy downtown area” is???
November 8th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
why can’t he be forced out??? The lady that owns HiTech Nails, who used to be a renter of his said just what you’re saying – she moved out because he kept the rents too high. he inheirited the property (she said) and he doesn’t need the money.
November 8th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Marshall’s, several dollar stores, Burlington’s, and now Goodwill. It’s very disappointing that low-end stores keep opening when Dearborn used to be a city where people came to shop at stores like Jacobson’s, Crowley’s, and Muirhead’s. This is very sad news.
November 8th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
There are upscale second hand store that exist in the area called Ragstock. There are several locations around. See
http://www.ragstock.com Unfortunatly our genius leaders in this City cannot see beyond their pockets. If we want a “trendy” Dearborn, you have to start to think that way. Give these places incentives to move in. We are going down the wrong path, anyone is better than no one is not the way forward. Have our leaders looked at this from all angles? I bet not, the easiest solution is to fill an empty building with anything. I remember the days when the City had something called “A Master Plan”. I think this plan has been scrapped for “let anything with a check book move in”. This is another example of our idiots we have in office and I include the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce. I bet you won’t be seeing Jennifer shopping there!!
November 8th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Well, I’m not so sure he could be forced out. He’s a private land owner. Perhaps the city council has (or should have) some ability to give “incentives” to property owners not to allow their space to go vacant for extended periods of time and punish them if they do. As for our downtown…we do have several bars and restaurants (Double Olive, The Post, BWW, Ciao, Buddy’s, etc…) which bring in consumers from other suburbs and are not found in every town. We may never be as trendy as say a Royal Oak, for example, mainly because our downtown district is dated and built on US-12, which will never offer the same flexibility and design options that other cities “main streets” provide purely because ours is on a state maintained US Highway.
November 8th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
A little sarcasm on your part Donna. Give the residents a reason to shop in Dearborn.
November 8th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
What great leaders we have running the Chamber (all Jennifer cares about is members,and the fee for joining the Chamber — how about the perception of the thses shitty type of businessses).
November 8th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
O’Reilley wouldn’t let Kohl’s into Dearborn because it was to low brow. Second hand is classier?
November 9th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Before any of you prejudge the proposed Goodwill store in downtown west Dearborn (DTWD), go visit the beautiful store they have in Canton. Also, one of the Bloomfield’s either has or is in the process of opening up a Goodwill store there.
November 10th, 2011 at 7:13 am
The city has to give residents a place to shop in Dearborn before they can give then a reason Ali.
November 10th, 2011 at 9:55 am
Big Boy gets his suits and ties there.
November 10th, 2011 at 10:16 pm
What does Barry Murray the economic Development director have to say about this??????
November 11th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
How DDot buses does it take to get from Detroit to Canton?…zero (no service available). How many from Detroit to Westborn mall?….2, that’s just one transfer. We are bracketed by Detroit and Inkster and you think that a Goodwill store here has a chance of being beautiful, dream on. A trip to the free Panera for lunch, then some shopping at a second hand store, swing by the Dollar store, maybe stop in to rob ACO and hop on the bus back to where your from…ya, great idea
November 11th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
The message below was sent to me directly from a Goodwill employee:
Goodwill Dearborn Store
Hello Dearborn! We want you to experience the upscale store our new location in your town will be modeled after. Throughout November, stop by our flagship location in Canton (41937 Ford Rd.) and get 15% off your purchase when you show us the Dearborn address on your license!
November 12th, 2011 at 10:53 am
This is the first time I have commented on anything that has been posted on your site, so feeling moved to say something, here is my 2 cents. Does anyone see a pattern here? 0 comments on the book signing at the Dearborn Inn, 0 comments on the Christmas Tree lighting but now the comments on the Goodwill Thrift store are up to “16” comments, for the most part negative, and yes I agree with bmw19 because that is exactly what is going to happen.
I have never seen residents so passionate about a city as the people who live in Dearborn! Maybe someone will take notice and things will start to turn around.
November 12th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
With no disrespect meant towards bmw19 or anyone else who is against having a Goodwill store in that west Dearborn location let me make a few points. Yes, bmw19, your comments about the bus service bringing in Detroiter’s to Dearborn, a service that you state is not available in Canton may be a valid point. However, back in the day downtown west Dearborn (DTWD) was the destination for most shoppers, as the surrounding communities were not built up around us. Today these communities are built up and they have plenty of shopping, all with free parking and DTWD has lost hundreds, if not thousands of shoppers. Another reason DTWD has lost these shoppers is because there are no longer the clothing and variety of stores that used to be there for numerous reasons. But that is a story for another article.
IMHO, DTWD has struggled for quite some time with so many vacancies, in areas with paid parking and in areas without paid parking. We haven’t seen any business owners “beating the doors down” to start up businesses in DTWD for quite some time. Finally Newman, who has had vacancies for ages, is getting his properties rented. The strip north of the proposed Good will store is now fully occupied. The only vacant suite there is adjacent to the Sushi restaurant, which is expanding into that vacant suite. This is good news for DTWD.
A Goodwill store near these businesses will help them, as will these stores help bring customers into the Goodwill store. We had a Goodwill store in Modesto CA where I used to live and it was a beautiful store that brought in plenty of business for Goodwill and the surrounding businesses.
Until new businesses may desire to again start “beating the doors down” to open businesses in DTWD, a Goodwill store will be a decent alternative to having an empty store, not to mention the taxes it will bring into DTWD.
So I stand by what I stated and this will be my last comment on this topic.
November 12th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
While I wish that the highest use of the property wasn’t a Goodwill, that is the reality. I suspect that Goodwill has a successful business model, in other words, “could be worse.”
And what with things alaways getting a little tighter, maybe I’ll see what they’re offering, you never know.
Lighten up, your friends and family shop there.
November 13th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
I was considering moving back to Dearborn. There’s a house for sale on the “short side” of Monroe. Perfect location. Perfect. Needs some updating but I can afford it. Empty storefronts. Goodwill coming in now? Forget it!
November 13th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
On Monroe, I’d be more concerned about too much activity, the reality is that location is near the confluence of bar biz and residential. That said . . .
I wouldn’t let the storefronts or Goodwill deter you. After all, they do recommend buying when there is blood (or vacancies) in the street.
It will come back (slowly), but via organic development, not gov’t planned.
November 13th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
On Monroe, I’d be more concerned about too much activity, the reality is that location is near the confluence of bar biz and residential. That said . . .
I wouldn’t let the storefronts or Goodwill deter you. After all, they do recommend buying when there is blood (or vacancies) in the street.
It will come back (slowly), but via organic development, not gov’t planned.
November 13th, 2011 at 9:56 pm
We need places to shop here. The city made a HUGE mistake when they didn’t let Kohl’s come here. That would have brought a lot of people down there who would have stopped at other businesses after shopping. I guess Goodwill is better than nothing. But how many people that shop at a goodwill store are going to then pay to park to dine at a nearby restaurant? These types of business do not coincide with a city with paid parking.
November 13th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
I didn’t say “on” Monroe. I lived in that general area for 15 years, sold real estate there for 7 and “know” what I’m talking about.
When I moved to Dearborn there was Jacobson’s, Crowley’s, Sanders, Lim’s, the Hallmark store, Bally’s (although not the best, good enough and good location) and more. The only thing missing was a decent grocery store (that nappy old Kroger needed to go). The year I decided to actually buy (’96) the new Farmer Jack was built. Perfect, we’re all set (but it did turn part of the Historic Area into a cut-through speedway for those coming from the other side of Outer Dr.).
All of the above is gone now but you have not one but TWO mega grocery stores to serve the Detroit/Inkster cross traffic (oh, and W. Dearborn too) along with 20 dry-cleaners to serve the same market (don’t forget once was a high-end furniture store was replaced with a check cashing store, nail shop and cable TV payment center – oops, and a dry cleaner). I’ll be damned if I’m going to that mall for the gym to get my car stolen and more. I felt unsafe in the parking lot at the Dearborn Racquet Club (seriously, with that unemployment office and the loitering there, pitch dark around there at night).
I was “home” for the holidays last year and seeing that parking attendant in the Buddy’s parking lot nearly growing cobwebs on herself in that shack along with the whole 6 cars in the lot was a joke – absolute joke.
It’s bad enough we had to drive to Oakland Co. to find a non-purple suit. Goodwill coming in? It’s over.
November 13th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
You could tell when the employee’s at Marshall’s gave their friends an relatives the “inside tip” of an upcoming good shipment. That parking lot was loaded with Escalades. I kinda like Marshall’s but the items sold in that store were not for the W. Dearborn demographic. Very obvious.
November 18th, 2011 at 7:32 am
Business Plan: Just in!!!! Methadone Clinic slated to move in empty bldg. near Goodwill & Dollar Store. Big Boy cutting ribbon early Dec. 2011.
February 14th, 2012 at 9:18 am
As a West Dearborn resident I would be thrilled to have a second hand shop in this area. I live right up the street and know that many professional decorators and savvy people who know a bargain will be shopping there. Only the ignorant or snobbish would have a problem with this. Sad that some comments make me think people picture bums hanging out or “riff-raff”. That said, bums are people too and with so many out of work now and this economy tanking, this will be a boon to West Dearborn. Check out Nate and some of the HGTV programs and you will see how many creative decorators love and use these stores & I will be one of them.
February 14th, 2012 at 9:19 am
You do know that used furniture has nothing to do with drug addicts.
February 14th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Yeah, they do need to get rid of paid parking. I would rather pay a little extra on my property tax here and encourage people to shop in West Dearborn anyday.
February 14th, 2012 at 10:04 am
Then go to Canton