Business ce Oakland County Department of Community and Economic Development hopes a study will provide affordable ways to improve a venerable thoroughfare. R.J. KING SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS Michael Horowitz: "We're moving in the right direction." or (Woodward ong a trail for native Americans and furriers, and more recently an eight-lane artery lined by scores of retailers and restaurants, sub- urban Woodward Avenue's strength, and possibly its downfall, has been its diversity. Marked by brick, glass and steel fa- cades, each one unique from the next, the stretch has lined the pocketbooks of hundreds of merchants, served as a weekend proving ground for amateur mechanics and been celebrated in song. At its height of popularity in the late 1970s, Woodward was the most famed causeway in the state. In recent years, though, the strip has suffered from an identity problem. Ma- jor freeways have eclipsed its conve- nience and consumers have begun to favor the communal comfort of enclosed shopping malls and tree-lined down- town districts. By some accounts, busi- ness is down 20 percent since the glory years. While the thoroughfare certainly has character, merchants, landlords and developers, many of them Jewish, be- lieve a more uniform presentation would entice added patronage from the L 140ta,Vtik LU Cr) CC H- LU LU 44 PHOTO BY GLENN TRIEST 65,000 vehicles which travel up and down the stretch each day. It also would boost property values. "The frontage is terrific, the erosion has stopped and you don't have major gridlock," said Fred Marx, a retail ex- pert and president of Marx Layne & Co., a marketing and public relations firm in Farmington Hills. 'There are a few empty buildings and when they do come back, they are stronger than ever. The trick is getting them to come back." Enter the Oakland County Depart- ment of Community and Economic De- velopment, which is now seven months into its Woodward Avenue Corridor Study. This is a two-year, community- based project designed to improve the overall visual, economic and function- al character of the median-stripped beltway. From Eight Mile to 15 Mile, the study's goal is to map out a develop- ment strategy with the six communi- ties which border the stretch — Berkley, Birmingham, Ferndale, Hunt- ington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Roy- al Oak. A future study will center on the seven-mile stretch between 15 Mile and downtown Pontiac. Residents, businesses and shoppers are being surveyed, along with real es- tate experts and financial institutions. When the study is completed, a master plan will provide businesses with re- development opportunities highlight- ed by common design, promotion, materials and financing. With a focus on affordability, there will be a concerted effort to achieve uni- formity while ensuring each commu- nity retains and enhances its own identity and character. One example might be the recent re- development of Woodward between Eight Mile and 1-696. The improve- ments through Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge include new sidewalks, brick pavers, landscaping and street lamps. "Whenever you have a busy street with separately owned businesses, you have conflicts and cross-purposes. It's the exact opposite of a shopping center, which is often owned by one entity," said Barry M. Klein, chairman of Bar- ry M. Klein Real Estate Inc., a com- mercial brokerage firm in Bloomfield Hills which has consummated sever- al deals along the Woodward corridor. 'With one party controlling every- thing, it's often to the benefit of all the business owners. The motivation for management is percentage-of-rent clauses along with (common) architec- tural standards, upgrading sidewalks, sales promotions and holiday decora- tions. The Woodward corridor has very little of that, and it could be viewed as a drawback." Mr. Klein said "action in unison" would be a positive step for the corri- dor. It has a low vacancy rate, he not- ed, although some older buildings are in need of renovation. "I wouldn't characterize the corridor as in danger, but a strong body guiding the business owners couldn't hurt," Mr. Klein said. Michael Horowitz, president of the Selective Group in Farmington Hills which owns and leases two retail cen- ters and a medical office building along the corridor, said something needs to be done to address modern parking needs, utility service and environmen- tal issues. "The corridor is a viable area and there is a sizeable number of people who live nearby," said Mr. Horowitz. "Anything that facilitates the process of upgrade can't hurt, but everyone should know the corridor isn't going to compete with shopping malls `The corridor is geared toward neigh- borhoods and convenience. If we can get some of these things going, it will help the business owners, shoppers, residents and the respective govern- ments. It won't happen overnight, but we're moving in the right direction." The study's steering committee, re- lying on students from Lawrence Tech- nological University in Southfield for surveys and interviews, said it will ad- dress all relevant issues along Wood- ward. The committee is also mindful of the Detroit side of Woodward, and will try to identify and address areas of mu- tual benefit, said Deborah Kay Schutt, Oakland County's community assis- tance and mapping supervisor. ❑ .