[image-1]Three more tenants have packed it in at the Avenue at Tower City, and the downtown mall — owned, since 2016, by Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock Detroit — is getting emptier and drearier by the week. The few intrepid souls who catch flicks at the Cleveland Cinemas these days, or who de-board the Rapid Transit at the subterranean station, ascend to the Avenue Shoppes with the grim sensation of having stumbled upon zombie-occupied territory. 

(Or at the very least a zombie-themed paintball or laser tag course.)

Tower Deli closed on Friday, Crain’s reported, joining another food operation from the same ownership group, the Lincoln Taphouse, which closed in October. A gentlemen’s clothier, Maestro, has moved to a storefront in the theater district, next to the Hanna Theater on E. 14th.

These three closures pile upon several others in the food court and elsewhere. Both the Children’s Place, a national chain, and the Sweet Factory, a candy store, have closed. McDonald’s is long gone. This summer, we noted the tragic shuttering of Sakkio Japan, a food-court staple. NEXT, a “lifestyle boutique” is reportedly closing soon as well.

In a statement provided to Crain’s, Bedrock CEO Jim Ketai said that though plans for the future of the Avenue Shoppes are still being evaluated, “current tenants remain a priority and, as with all of our tenants, we work hard to arrive at lease terms that accommodate their needs to the best of our ability while allowing for flexibility in our future plans.”

But allowing for that flexibility meant that Bedrock wouldn’t negotiate lower rents for Tower Deli and Lincoln Tap House, one of the restaurant’s owners told Crain’s, despite months of bad business due to the accumulating vacancies. In the story’s most important detail (to us), the quoted owner, Gregory Dabran, said the establishments also never gained new business due to JACK Casino.

“They did a great job keeping that [gaming] business within those four walls,” he said.

Other downtown small business owners should take note: After all, another Gilbert-owned venture — the Cleveland Cavaliers — just secured an enormous public subsidy to vastly increase the interior square footage of the Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavs play. The profits from that expansion will flow directly to the franchise owner, Gilbert.

New and enhanced dining options are presumed to be part of the renovated Q’s package. And while public officials praised the project as a vital engine for downtown economic development, a few wondered whether a bigger, more enticing arena might actually cannibalize the other restaurants and businesses nearby. Might not the new Q also do a great job keeping its business within its four walls? They were assured that this wouldn’t be the case. 

This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2017.

Sam Allard is a former senior writer at Scene.

10 replies on “Three More Tenants Leave the Avenue at Tower City, Zombie-Themed Laser Tag Closer to Reality”

  3. PLEASE CLOSE THIS MALL!! At least for 6 months to a year. It should cut down on the riff raff in the area which would encourage real businesses to open up in the mall. Brooks Brothers, Victoria Secret, and Bath & Body Works are the only tenants worth keeping.

    Maybe AMC or Cinamark can salvage the theater…

  4. The dirtbags would just come back in a year. You spray for pests (like roaches) and they will disappear for a while. But they eventually come back. Dirtbag humans are creatures of habit, same as roaches are.

    Chuckles the Clown.

  6. I never really got the love affair of Clevelanders with Dan Gilbert. I’ve been saying this for years. People always hate on owners like the Dolans but love Gilbert. Gilbert is a businessman just like any other owner. The only reason the team is successful because of LeBron. Once he is gone, the team will suck again, just like it did without him. I’m not a huge fan of LeBron necessarily, but Cleveland is damn lucky to have him. Since the direction of the NBA is now to have just a couple of teams with a chance to win (like with Durant ditching OKC for GS), it is unlikely Cleveland will ever have the opportunity again once LeBron leaves. People started not liking Gilbert because of the Q renovation project, but he’s lied plenty of other times. There is no phase 2 of the casino, for example. The casino does at least benefit the other hotels in the area, particularly the Marriott brands, which are the 3 closest hotels anyway. I’m not sure what Dan Gilbert has up his sleeve with Tower City. One would think he would want to make money. Right now, the mall seems to be in the worst shape it’s ever been. Obviously, the casino didn’t save it. I don’t know what would save the mall, to be honest. It seems like it should have worked. It’s a crossroad through the city, especially during inclement weather. It’s in a good location. Maybe it needs skywalks from the Key Tower, 200 Public Square, and 55 Public Square.

  7. “The Clown is back in the game with reasonable comments!”

    Please. I prefer Chuckles.

    I can be VERY reasonable when political issues are not in the mix.

    I’m a Civil War buff. Keep the topic away from national politics…I’m Civil.

    Resume the RWNJ Trump-is-our Savior-and-you’re-a- Commie crap…it’s War. Your call.

    Chuckles the Clown

  9. Bring back the Warner Brothers store and watch shit BOOM! (yeah I’m guessing the WB store isn’t a thing anymore but one can dream…)

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