I don’t disagree with you on advertising. But I’m not a Dearborn resident, so I cannot write about the issue of local advertising (like with those Val Paks or anything else). I do imagine they may help the independents (the ones still around; the ones gone).

I do stand by my assertions that there is a lousy combination of stores on Michigan Ave., on the south side where Jacobsons had occupied (and where there is now a stream of vacancies). There have/had been a number of redundancies (some of which — yes, the national chains like Au Bon Pain and Caribou Coffee — were, to put it kindly, curbed).

I brought up West Village Commons and paid parking because they are a big part of this whole issue. It is not inviting or attractive in getting consumers to want to show up. And that situation isn’t any better today than when they had some noteworthy occupants (when West Village Commons opened in 2006).

SIDE NOTE: I thought Sally’s is a gift shop store; Dee’s is, technically, a Hallmark Crown Rewards store with the line of Hallmark products (branding must be noted).

By the way: I’m from Allen Park, and we had three Hallmark stores — which aren’t franchises so much as dealerships — within a two- or three-mile radius: Betty’s Hallmark, in Lincoln Park Shopping Center; The Browsery, in or around the center of the city (just a block or so from the movie theater on Allen Rd. near Southfield Rd.); Jan’s Hallmark, in the south end of the city. And, today, only Jan’s remains while The Browsery — in business since c. 1980 — was retired earlier this year by its owner. Betty’s — around the same age — was dying for at least a couple years before the end became official in early-2008. (That’s another issue.) This news about Dee’s Hallmark doesn’t surprise me. I hope for the best with that situation.

What other common thread ran through ALL of these closed businesses?

Effective ADVERTISING.

Not one word. There were people around town that never even knew that these businesses existed in the first place.

All the businesses you mentioned are national franchises. I have not researched, but someone owns(ed) the franchises to make the decision to locate in West Dearborn. The same person(s) also decided to move and/or relocate said businesses. I will surmise that these are businesses that rely on national name recognition and co-op advertising. None of which was taken advantage of by the franchise owners.

Hallmark is a national franchise. It baffled me why there were two Hallmark franchised stores (Dee’s and Sally’s) within such close proximity of each other. Dee’s will now be the exclusive Hallmark store in a now larger service area.

In terms of the ‘paid parking issue’ and the ‘West Village Commons’ issue, I will reserve my comments for another topic thread, when Mr Deep posts an article specifically with those topics.

Continued success to the owners and employees of Dee’s Hallmark: for prospering over the past 25 years, for a prosperous holiday season and future.

Dearborn residents won’t appreciate this, but I’ll have to say it anyway: That area of Michigan Ave. has little appeal. It’s not attractive. And it looks like it doesn’t have a future. (Lord, I hope I’m wrong!)

There is a poor layout plan to West Village Commons. Particularly on the south side of Michigan Ave., where Jacobson’s used to be located. And Michigan Ave. is not isolated; any neighboring city resident, such as myself, will come to Dearborn for merchants/restaurants (at least one of the stores) offering a product or service I’m after. (I regularly patron Dee’s Hallmark.)

This doesn’t excuse the businesses themselves. But this area isn’t attractive to a diverse list of tenants. It isn’t attracting them to come. And it hasn’t been in some time — at least not during most of the past three years (when West Village Commons opened in 2006).

It’s a shame; but the chain stores that have pulled out — such as Moe’s Southwest Grill, Au Bon Pain, and Caribou Coffee — could make it pretty much anywhere. They have. Granted, Caribou and Au Bon were redundant; they cannot be excused for opening in poor locations. But then again — they are poor locations. And their previously occupied space remains, not surprisingly, vacant.

It should be no surprise that Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory — so isolated in their previously occupied, southeast corner of West Village Commons — made the decision to relocate to Allen Park’s Fairlane Green (and become a neighbor to that city’s Panera Bread).

Why? Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is a business. And they clearly made the following decision: Throw in the towel on this Dearborn locale; it’s a loser for us!

By the way: The paid parking is a mistake. I argued, back in 2007, with LX about this. He brought up Royal Oak, and pretty much said: Well, here is a list of other cities that have paid parking. For example, there’s Royal Oak. Now that proves paid parking, for Dearborn, is not a losing proposition. Well, it depends on the market. And I never thought it was right for Dearborn. Certainly not with the Dearborn market. And, based on descriptions of these City Council meetings, the discussing of improving paid parking (two/three years after being implemented) … well, it sounds like it’s been a regretful venture. A waste.

And while its true that Michigan Ave is a state highway and thus difficult to manage/configure for Dearborn’s needs, why not make the roads that cross it more prominent so as to generate interest for the rushing traffic. I for one am not able to both drive and see the signage on MI Ave since it is so close to the road and just high enough to be invisible when cruising by at 40+ mph – so the only way to get more awareness of businesses is to have drivers actually pull into the cross streets.

Bottom line is that despite the poor economy, Dearborn is lacking a certain vibe that other local downtowns still have. When there’s a vibe people will come out of the woodwork to partake in shopping, dining, people watching, etc. Is it that we don’t have the progressive artist community here? Think Jews and gays – sorry to stereotype but this is reality. Don’t believe? Open your eyes when you visit the other towns. Dearborn is a sleepy town now with the old-timers dreaming of what once was. We need to shake this town up, take advantage of the unique diversity here (even if it is somewhat split between east and west). A good first step would be to build the UofM Dearborn dormitory building between the parking decks. That will bring a much needed young demographic. Never mind what B-K was supposed to build; build the dorm.

Dearborn Music, OM Spa, Steven Bernard Jewelers, Village Art Gallery, Dee’s Hallmark, Merchants, 1-800-Flowers, Nichols Ski & Patio, Bike Sport, Game Stop, Gniewek Trophies, Lynches is back!, Perfume Boutique, the cute gift shop near Howells (sorry forgot the name, but very cute stuff!) Further down the road the stores in Westborn Mall, & Village Antiques.
They don’t do any advertising – so you probably might not know some were there. Or is the problem un-swept streets, or is the problem that they aren’t all pushed closer together (a district)? We certainly have CHEAP parking decks! (come on – just 50 cents AFTER the first hour – that is affordable!)
I don’t have the answers. Wish I did! I want better for Dearborn.