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The Michigan Daily- michigandaily.com

Tech companies could spur rebirth of E. Liberty St.

By K.C. WASSMAN
Daily News Editor
DEC. 4, 2013 - The lights
from the Michigan Theater have
shone for more than 80 years,
but its constant presence has
been the exception rather than
the rule for businesses on East
Liberty Street.
In recent years the street has
seen a shuffle of businesses,
most notably the closure of the
flagship Borders bookstore in
2011. But the transformation
of the Borders space was one
of many over the course of the
street's history.
Before Borders, Jacobson's
department store occupied the
space on the corner of East Lib-
erty and Maynard Street, until
it moved to Briarwood Mall in
the 80s.
When Susan Pollay, execu-

tive director of the Downtown experience and, like Jacobson's storefront turnover in the past
Development Authority, first before it, Borders had an enor- few years. Some spaces, such as
moved to Ann Arbor in 1983 she mous advertising budget and an the former @Burger and Grand
could buy everything she need- enormous ability to pull in those Traverse Pie Company space,
ed to live downtown, noting the name authors," Pollay said. saw two businesses come and
multiple clothing, food and ser- "These huge names came to do go within nearly four years -
vice stores each restau-
that existed rant stayed
in the area, "ITdon' n w thatw allfin business
including I fli t knOW we for less than a
Jacobson's. *eyear.
She added understand just how fragile it is to Pollay
that you still ha ea b sn s > cited the
can find a have an independent business Borders o-
wide vari- sure, the
ety of shops struggling
downtown, economy and
but East Liberty in particular book readings and from that an increase in outlet and online
has given way to coffee shops again businesses nearby thrived shopping as the causes of the
and restaurants. because they sat off of the Bor- turnover on the street, adding
While Jacobson's gave shop- ders space." that Ann Arbor isn't as insulated
pers a reason to go downtown, Borders declared bankruptcy from the struggling economy as
Pollay said Borders provided an and left the street temporar- people think.
anchor for local businesses. ily vacant, but it wasn't alone: "I think things were pretty
"It became its own kind of East Liberty has seen a lot of fragile here for a while, and I

don't know that we all under-
stand just how fragile it is to
have an independent business,"
Pollay said.
Though there are still a few
empty storefronts, Pollay said
she sees the street growing and
evolving to support a different
clientele than in the past: tech
workers. Two tech companies,
Menlo Innovations and Barra-
cuda Networks, relocated to the
East Liberty corridor in the past
twoyears, which Pollay said will
bring a more stable customer
base than that of students, who
aren't in the city year-round and
don't necessarily venture down
the street.
"The neighborhood is going
to change because the new
economy fortunately includes a
lot of folks who are doing very
well in tech businesses and
those employees are now spend-

ing their money locally in that
neighborhood," Pollay said.
Anna Flynn of Menlo Inno-
vations said though they have
only been in their East Liberty
location for about a year and
a half, employees enjoy being
close to all the shops and res-
taurants that State Street, Main
Street and East Liberty have to
offer. Flynn added that they are
excited for the new businesses
moving into the former Borders
building.
"We love being downtown
and close to everything and see-
ing Liberty grow and change,"
Flynn said. "I think that East
Liberty is in the middle of town,
but it's not on Main Street or on
State Street so you can get the
best of both worlds."
Read the rest of this story, and
more, at MichiganDailycom

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