Southeast Michigan Retail: Motor City Retail History

One of Southland Center's two marquee pylon signs. This one is located at the southeast entrance, the other pylon sign may be seen in the background to the right. The center, the last of Detroit's "Land" malls, is currently anchored by Macy's, JCPenney and Best Buy. Many metropolitan areas have at least one area that's ignored a lot and Metro Detroit is no exception. In this case, that area is called "Downriver." It is a collection of 18 Wayne County communities that are located south and southwest of Detroit, extending down from that city to the Monroe County line. It's history almost parallels Detroit's, like it's major city, Downriver was a major area of French settlement in the 18th century. Today, Downriver is unlike anywhere else in the region, which transitions from the oldest houses in River Rouge, Wyandotte and Trenton to the postwar tract homes in Allen Park, Southgate and Taylor to the rural-ness of Romulus and Flat Rock. H

Farmer Jack's former Southgate Shopping Center location, which has been empty since the chain's 2007 shuttering. All American Buffet (formerly Old Country Buffet, originally Kresge) may be seen to the left. Hudson's, Farmer Jack, Cunningham's: A Retail History of the Motor City is a new site that attempts to preserve the past (and present) of retailers in and around Detroit. What's unique about the region is that the city of Detroit almost has no major retail choices, in fact, most of the only such development in the city is along 8 Mile Road along the city's northern boundary and along Telegraph Road on the city's extreme northwest side, though soon, downtown Detroit could see a few new national retail chains and in midtown Detroit, a Whole Foods Market is already nearing completion. Most major retail in the Detroit area is to the north in Macomb and Oakland Counties (which make up over half of suburban Detroit) and in southern and western Wayne County