Is McDonald's REALLY best use for Detroit Theater property?

[Matthew Lee]

Rumors are persisting that McDonald's is hot for the old Detroit Theater property. Surveyors have been out and around the outside of the property measuring the property lines.

I strongly disagree that a McDonald's is a good fit there for two main reasons:

(1) Traffic concerns (walking and driving). With all the school children walking around and with Harding at the end of Wagar, there is enough traffic as is. The LAST thing that intersection needs is a McDonald's and their drive-through traffic.

(2) Pollution (noise and odor). I feel for the people at Sloan and the ones already around the Burger King and the Taco Bell in town. The smell of grease and the noise of the drive-through would drive me crazy. We don't need to add this to that area already.

A third, but harder to justify, reason is that the McDonalds just doesn't fit with the "newer" Lakewood around us. Cozumel, Indian Garden, Deagens even Five Guys seem to fit much better than McDonalds. I think, as a community, we can do better than just relocating the McDonalds in town. Heck, as far as I'm concerned, they can relocate themselves out of town.

I understand the economics of this. McDonalds wants to make more profit and Lakewood wants to keep/bring businesses into town. But is McDonalds REALLY the type of business we want to relocate? How much more would Lakewood actually earn? Is it worth it to even further effect housing prices in the area and/or have people move out of Lakewood to take their tax dollars to another city?

All unanswered questions but figured I would raise this early in the Observer deck as this has the potential to be the 14 Hour IHOP fight all over again. Great karma that IHOP failed and Cozumel is a success!

[Ben VanLear]

I strongly disagree that a McDonald's is a good fit there for two main reasons:

(1) Traffic concerns (walking and driving). With all the school children walking around and with Harding at the end of Wagar, there is enough traffic as is. The LAST thing that intersection needs is a McDonald's and their drive-through traffic.

(2) Pollution (noise and odor). I feel for the people at Sloan and the ones already around the Burger King and the Taco Bell in town. The smell of grease and the noise of the drive-through would drive me crazy. We don't need to add this to that area already.

I completely agree, Matthew.

1: Here is my take on the traffic issue: Traffic is already odd with Hall ending directly into the Detroit theater, the entrance to UDF, and Woodward all in close proximity. A fast food joint with drivethrough is only going to exacerbate the problem.

2: The Detroit Theater, while not the most beautiful Lakewood building, is a part of our history and is a great example of a main street multi-use building. I like it, and it doesn't appear to be in a bad state. If I had the ambition, the know-how, and the will I would turn it into a brewery: keep the marquee, patio seating right along detroit, lots parking, plenty of room to brew, perfect fit for lakewood.

3. To be perfectly honest, this is largely a NIMBY issue for me. I don't want the ugly colors, the extra traffic (they would probably have the drive through entrance and exit on Woodward), and the stink overpowering the delicious 56 West smells.


Is there anything we can do to nip this in the bud, or stop it? How can I best voice my concern?

Thanks,
Ben

[J Hrlec]

Is McDonald's REALLY best use for Detroit Theater property?

... I'm thinking it would be more suitable for a Chic-Fil-a

I notice several posters don't like McDonald's in regards to food (and I am not a big fan)... however, there's around 50K people in Lakewood and I bet a bunch of them do.

As far as traffic (etc), that is the nature of business on a main road such as Detroit and / or Madison. Should we stop any businesses from opening in Lakewood, because they all have potential for noise and increased traffic.

[Stan Austin]

J Hrlec said:

I'm thinking it would be more suitable for a Chic-Fil-a

How 'bout a store that sells the costumes to store mascots - like the Chic Filet cow, the cell phone raccoon, sports team mascots ----- and they can try them out at the corner of Woodward and Detroit! (Not as busy as Warren and Detroit)

[Ellen Cormier]

A mcdonalds absolutely should not go in that spot. Do we need 3 mcdonalds in Lakewood? No. Even if they closed sloane ave I don't want a mcdonalds there for all the reasons already mentioned. Ick. If people start picketing and calling the city now it could be stopped.

[Matthew Lee]

As far as traffic (etc), that is the nature of business on a main road such as Detroit and / or Madison. Should we stop any businesses from opening in Lakewood, because they all have potential for noise and increased traffic.

Understood about the potential of traffic. However, I think McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell traffic is unique and compounded by their drive-throughs. Quick in and out with lots and lots of cars. Five Guys isn't like that. Or Chipotle. Or Mr. Hero. Or Tommys. Etc.

It's not that traffic shouldn't be expected. It's the volume, timing and type of traffic, IMHO.

Personally, you would think McDonalds would want to move closer to 90 to get the highway traffic. Is there really anybody in Lakewood that has no idea where to go to McDonalds and can't find the one on Sloane?

[Brian Pedaci]

McD's makes more sense for the Tuffy spot on Bunts and Detroit, but I understand why they want to be more west - closer to the bars.

[J Hrlec]

McD's makes more sense for the Tuffy spot on Bunts and Detroit, but I understand why they want to be more west - closer to the bars.

Plus maybe that would be too close to the 117th McD, assuming they are closing the Sloane one.

[Bryan Schwegler]

McD's makes more sense for the Tuffy spot on Bunts and Detroit, but I understand why they want to be more west - closer to the bars.

Why does that spot make more sense than the Detroit Theater spot?

[Michael Loje]

One way to block McDonalds; Find another buyer to make a better offer to the theater owner. Some people seem to think that the city is soliciting McDonalds. This is simply a potential transaction between a property owner and a business. If mcDs falls in within zoning rules, thats it. But if council and the mayor get enough complaints, who knows?

[Stan Austin]

Mike--- good point, after all it is a free market and as long as a buyer complies with code when buying a property, the buyer can build.
Stan

[Bill Call]

One way to block McDonalds; Find another buyer to make a better offer to the theater owner. Some people seem to think that the city is soliciting McDonalds. This is simply a potential transaction between a property owner and a business. If mcDs falls in within zoning rules, thats it. But if council and the mayor get enough complaints, who knows?

All excellent points.

One option is to sell Edwards Park for the McDonalds and use the proceeds to buy an apartment building in the area for the site of a replacement park. I wonder what apartment could be purchased? I wonder.

[Michael Loje]

But, if the mayor and council members get enough complaints...

[Matt Jones]

One option is to sell Edwards Park for the McDonalds and use the proceeds to buy an apartment building in the area for the site of a replacement park. I wonder what apartment could be purchased? I wonder.

For selfish and nostalgic reasons I'd be very sad to see Edwards Park replaced with a McDonald's, and I would imagine that the residents of the townhomes immediately north of the park might have something to say about listening to a drive-thru speaker all day (having once worked in an office next door to a Mr. Hero drive thru, I can tell you that it gets really, really irritating). However, if it also meant permanently removing that disaster of an apartment building from my beloved Edwards Avenue, I'd be all in.

I would've loved to have seen an adaptive reuse found for my old church (St. Paul). But I'd like to see it even more for the Detroit Theater. It's a shame I don't have enough guts or startup capital to buy that place If I did, I'd steal the idea of an earlier poster and turn it into a brewpub!!

[michael gill]

I can't get excited about McDonalds no matter what--not the food, not the homogenization of culture, none of it-- and when it means the demolition of one more piece of the city's character, I find it repulsive.

Yet we have to allow business to do business within our laws.

Still, I wonder, if we're to believe the asking price of 650K, isn't there some vacant or otherwise less interesting place on Detroit to buy?

And I wonder this, too: That building--which originally housed one giant screen--has a massive interior space, which the owners could divide in any configuration they wanted. McDonalds in Hudson and other communities has worked within local architectural guidelines. Would anyone feel different if they used the existing building, marquee and all, and built their fast food emporium within?