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Discount Store to Fill Space in Dearborn

Family Dollar is expected to soon open in the former site of Jo-Ann Fabrics.

There soon will be one less vacancy along Newman Street next to ACO Hardware in Dearborn.

The long-vacant building (not owned by Norm Newman who has his share of vacant buildings in our town) will soon be the home of a future Family Dollar store. Hardly the kind of store most of us would like to see fill Dearborn’s retail void but maybe it is a sign of the times  . . . and probably better than a vacancy.

The owners of Family Dollar have been talking about moving into the former Jo-Ann Fabrics building for about two years, according to one city official. Now, it appears the owners are a bit more serious having recently come to City Hall to have their plans for the new store reviewed, including new signage for the store.

No word yet on when it will open but it should be soon as putting up shelving to stock Made in China goods won’t take too long.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 at 5:10 am and is filed under Around Town. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • Donna Hay

    It’s better then an empty building and should help ACO’s business.

  • Rudedog992

    I agree, nice to see a store better than a vacant building. However, we need a Trader Joe’s or a better choice of stores to come to Dearborn, how about a Kohls????

  • South of Cherry Hill

    It’s a good start. Now if someone could just convince Norm to lease out space for a tanning salon/manicure/wig & extension/check cashing/low end tax preparation service store, we’d have perhaps the greatest strip mall in the universe!

  • Patrickhenry3

    Please no more dollars stores or anything similiar to a dollar store. Bring Dearborn back to what it once was!!

  • Mbwp

    For all you elitists, what kind of high class store do you think would come to Dearborn? When Kohl’s wanted to come into Jacobsons, it was thought that Kohl’s was to low class. So now what do we have? Not much.

  • Reality Bites

    The Mayor’s development plans are a bust, his budget is a bust, his ability to balance the constitution with public safety is a bust. A dollar store really! Comon when are people going to realize that this guy was elected into public office because of a name, he never experienced the adversity and coalition building most politicians do while building public support and now that times are tough he has no real leadership or executive skills to fall back on. Seriously, this is what constitutes west end development. Good luck attracting high value customers with this store. Every last person has to now realize that this O’Reilly method is a big belly flop

  • tg

    No.
    I don’t want Family Dollar. It will drive the image of Dearborn down further.

  • tg

    yeah.
    It would be great seeing very low end business’ here in Dearborn. Let’s annex Detroit..

  • tg

    Now your talking! There is not a Trader Joe’s downriver either. Capitalize on Ford Motor.
    For heaven sake, I have to drive to Royal Joke or Ann Arbor to go to Trader Joe’s. Hiller’s Market is nice too.

  • 48124

    another example of the demographics (or lack of) in 48124

  • Patrickhenry3

    Trader Joe’s; great idea! City Hall are you listening?

  • brian saab

    A better addition than another restuarant. Build on this move, as I believe we have enough bars and resstuarants in west dearborn already.

  • DearbornDisbeliever

    There already is a Dollar Store at Westborn–spitting distance from this location. Please tell me this is a joke. Will the Dollar Store investors be at the Mayor’s $100/plate fundraiser tonight at the Dearborn Inn-maybe it should have been a $1/plate event.

  • Katzeye

    Many of us have been screaming Trader Joe’s for a long time now. It’s either fallen on deaf City ears or TJ’s has no interest in coming to Dearborn. We also need a novelty diner like Steak N Shake (did that one fall through?). Or better yet, let’s bring back Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant and put it in Dearborn! There are several Farrell’s currently located in California and Hawaii.

  • Bob

    Anyone notice the IT shop that opened across from La Pita?

  • Seymour

    These stores are hoot and nicely maintained. If you have 12 items in your basket – it’s $12 – simple to track. Many of the items aren’t available anywhere else like Mrs. Freshley’s Honey Buns and Donut Sticks or Whales cheese crackers.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3JXZUHWHLLID75XTTHPVJPUQO4 Dave

    Dearborn is a sad show of its former self. Don’t enjoy saying it. I was born here and I frequent places in Dearborn regularly, such as Westborn Market and Bob Evans. I was a regular at Borders. And I still go to Best Buy. But the area isn’t enticing for better-name merchants.

    Dearborn is not attracting such desired businesses like Trader Joe and Kohl’s. (The latter is more likely to go to Fairlane Green, in Allen Park, if it were to be “close” to Dearborn.) Walmart is as high-end as it gets.

    Any business I’ve wanted to see come to the Detroit market goes to Oakland County first. If we were in the 1980s, or even the 1990s, an establishment like Chipotle would open in Dearborn. (It is in Oakland and Washtenaw counties.)

    Dearborn likely has problems that are more revealing behind the scenes.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3JXZUHWHLLID75XTTHPVJPUQO4 Dave

    I remember Jacobson’s closing around 1997 and sitting there nearly 10 years! I didn’t know Dearborn had the opportunity to get Kohl’s. Oh, for cyring out loud, what the hell was this city’s officials thinking? Did they have the capacity for thought?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3JXZUHWHLLID75XTTHPVJPUQO4 Dave

    Katzeye, I’ve already made the comment. But, for the hell of it, let’s dream about more than Trader Joe’s. I’d like to see restaurant/eateries like Raising Canes, PB&J, and Mimi’s Cafe. I’d also like to see stores like Pottery Barn, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Apple Store, Williams-Sonoma Grand Cuisine, and a minimum of 20% the stores in Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota that are certainly not at “oh-my-how-low-did-it-go?” Fairlane Mall.

  • James

    Because you are screaming for TJs means the city has deaf ears? That’s ridiculous. The city has no say in what businesses come to open their doors – that is until we can offer them tax incentives.

    Give up on your pipe dream of a TJs coming to Dearborn. Look at the store. Look at where they open new locations – in thriving areas with easy access to major roadways. Not Dearborn – but perhaps Allen Park.

  • Wanting Better for Dearborn

    Rudedog992,
    Kohl’s wanted to come to Dearborn but the Mayor said NO. Not good enough for his City but the $1 store is?

  • Dearbornette

    Dave, you can thank Mayor Guido for that one. He and his officials considered Kohl’s declasse and decided that Dearborn should be more like Birmingham or Grosse Pointe. Well guess what, other than Macy’s at Fairlane, we don’t have any department stores (where many would prefer to shop) in Dearborn anymore.

  • Dearbornette

    A general comment, Said. First of all, it was never a Joanne Fabrics; it started out as Minnesota Fabrics and then became a Hancock Fabrics. I for one am very tired of this large store being vacant. I miss the fabric store and the Michael’s; but right now, I think just about anything is good, except maybe another bar or food establishment. Ferndale recently opened up that Rustbelt Market. Wouldn’t something like that be a fabulous use of the old Inca store?

  • Reality Bites

    Get this trader joes will never come to Dearborn. This city just got a family dollar. This is even worse than a dollar store. This is a store whose Main revenue generator is food stamps. The bridge card, is the most common method of non cash transaction at Family Dollar, and you think any hig end retail wants to pair up with that. Good luck not getting mugged shopping at ACO

  • Anonymous

    Thanks, Dearbornette for the clarification. I appreciate it! I knew it was a fabric store (I recall Minnesota Fabrics went there as a kid with my mother). I just had Jo-Ann Fabrics on my mind because my mother is a regular there. She just now complains about having to leave Dearborn to find a good fabric store.

  • Donna Hay

    Bob – what is the IT shop?? I looked the other day when I drove by but didn’t see it.

  • kay

    This is not good news, it is disappointing news. This is the best we can attract? There is a dollar store 2 blocks down.

  • Bob

    its in the plaza, right across from la pita, behind the bridal shop, next to the dance studio.

    It’s visible from michigan. Green sign.

  • Hisfinn

    It wasn’t a Jo-Ann Fabrics: it was Minnesota Fabrics, then (I think) Hancock Fabrics.