40,000 sf grocery, 20,000 sf retail going into retail plaza at Livernois and Warren

For the second week in a row, Model D has good news about a grocery store? Maybe the times, they really are a-changing ...

Metro Food Center will relocate to the southeast corner of Livernois and Warren — from its smaller location across the street — into a 40,000-square-foot rehabbed building. A 20,000-square-foot addition, replacing a portion of the building that will be demolished, will house an 8,000-square foot beauty supply store with room for additional retail.

As soon as brownfield and City Council approvals are in hand, demolition and site clean up will begin. Developer Mike Dikhow estimates this phase will run four months with construction taking another 12 to 18.

Three lots, one fronting Warren and two fronting Livernois, are also available for sale or lease. Another future development parcel faces McGraw to the east of the site. "Since it doesn't front Livernois or Warren, it wouldn't work for retail," says David Shanaman, a broker at Collier's. He envisions an industrial, office or medical use for that portion of the site.

Both Dikhow and Shanaman are adamant that this area of the city is underserved by retail. "There are close to 30,000 people with a one-mile radius, and that is just from the census data," says Shanaman. "They are going to Dearborn and other parts of the city for their shopping."

Dikhow says the project would not have gotten off the ground without the assistance of the Wayne County Land Bank, an initiative that aids development by lessening the developer's tax burden.

Sources: David Shanaman, Collier's International, and Mike Dikhow
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh