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A sign of life for Grand Avenue?
I’ve said this before, but I like the Grand Avenue Mall. It’s an easy lunch destination for Downtown workers, and it still has a lot of unrealized potential. It saddens me that most have written it off for dead, and I wish the City or the owners would provide a serious incentive for a few major anchor stores to come and stay for a while.
Until that happens – or if that happens – I’m visiting small sandwich places like La Delicatesse or browsing TJ Maxx on my lunch hour. Today, I took a look at the new OfficeMax on the first floor.
Kudos to this place for expanding and remodeling. It actually looks a lot like an Apple Store, except that it doesn’t sell any Apple products.
Still, many might consider this expansion a risky proposition, but I believe in the "build it and they will come" model. That’s how I launched OnMilwaukee.com 15 years ago. That’s how the Brewers completed Miller Park in the face of all the skeptics. That’s how it will have to be at Grand Avenue, and it can work: just look at the YMCA upstairs.
If the Grand Avenue Mall does shutter, at least I won’t be one of those people complaining how sad it is, but never visited, myself. For me, I’ll continue to visit and shop and show my support.
This mall can work Downtown, it just needs people to visit, and visit often. I’m adding OfficeMax to the top of my list for office supplies.
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hardgeminiguy | April 11, 2013 at 11:21 a.m. (report)
My concern is that Boston Store's lease is up in Feburary 2014. Wisconsin Electric owns the building. What is Mayor Barrett doing to keep the store open? The county? State? Would be a disaster for the grand Avenue if it closed.I do as much shopping as i can at Boston Store.Recently talked to a cleark in men's wear. she told me that department was doing well--makeing their goals but she did not know how well the rest of the store was doing. Assume women's clothing does very well. Home store--no idea.
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Milly | April 10, 2013 at 2:46 p.m. (report)
I just visited recently for the first time in a while and discovered the used book store on the ground floor of -- is it still called this? -- the new arcade. (Around the corner from Applebee's.) I also liked the vibe in the mall in general - there were a lot more people in there than I expected. Definitely has a way to go, but showing some signs of rejuvenation!
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