Trader Joe’s opens new store in downtown Grosse Pointe on Friday

One of the most sought-after staples of yuppiedom is about to open its doors in downtown Grosse Pointe: Trader Joes.

The specialty grocer will open on Friday in the Kercheval Place development at the corner of Kercheval and Notre Dame streets in the old Jacobson’s building. The opening is the latest in the line of businesses opening in downtown Grosse Pointe’s signature development and the biggest catch of them all.

“Based on the amount of community interest in Trader Joe’s, I have no doubt that it will be a very successful enterprise,” Grosse Pointe City Manager Pete Dame says. “People who love Trader Joe’s are tired of driving so far to get to the nearest store.”

Trader Joe’s joins a litany of new businesses that have opened in downtown Grosse Pointe in recent years. Many of them are taking up space in the Kercheval Place development, such as Jos. A. Bank, Coldwater Creek, Ann Taylor Loft, investment firms and the Yoga Shelter.

These businesses will be served by the new 244-space parking garage behind the development, which will also provide spaces for downtown patrons and employees. The new parking deck replaces an old 1970s era garage that was razed last summer.

The renovation of the old Jacobson’s store is playing a major role in revitalizing Grosse Pointe’s downtown.

Source: Alison Mochizuki, director of national publicity for Trader Joe’s and Pete Dame, city manager for Grosse Pointe.
Writer: Jon Zemke