The news photo from Steve Schulwitz Sue Perichio, left, cuts some materials for Alicia Bishop while at work in Joann Fabric in Alpena on Friday. Joann Fabric is closing all its stores in the United States and is already carrying out closing sales.
The US-23 southern Alpena-Corridor was once the main business center of Alpena, where people went to buy in places like Alpena Mall, Kmart, Midway/Giantway and the Neiman family market.
Over the past decade, many of the businesses – old and new – have closed and the number of free buildings is adding, and local development leaders and their partners are trying to find new tenants to fill the empty spaces.
From 2020 to the beginning of this year, the American Corridor-23 has lost the businesses listed above, as well as peebles, rite AID, Big Lot, joann fabrics and mastery, and even long burgers.
Alpena was not the only place where these chains were closed, as these companies closed stores in hundreds of places, mainly because of bankruptcy.
A new hardware store, an affordable outlet of Ollie and some other small businesses have been opened over the past few years, and the comprehensive care program for the elderly center of Northeast Michigan is planned to open soon where it was previously peebles.
But mostly, it has been a challenge to seduce sellers and the largest restaurants on that side of the city.
The owner of Young Bob Young equipment and furniture said when businesses are closed, it’s always a concern. He said that what is going through the south of Alpena is not unprecedented because he can remember when businesses left the city center, including his father’s business, and moved to the American Corridor-23 because the business was starting here.
Young said he thinks the current business climate in the US-23 south is part of a cycle and the area will jump again. He said it may seem a different touch, but, he added, there are still many things that make the corridor attractive.
“The highway is nowhere to go and we’re not going anywhere,” Young said. “The highway is still a main way inside and outside the city and there is a lot of traffic. I feel really good for the future and I still think there is room for growth. A mix of businesses and not large boxes can be completed and there may even be new neighborhoods. No matter what it is, I think the future is still bright.”
Young, who has been in his current location since the 1980s, said he believes the popularity of online shopping has made it challenging for retail stores to survive, especially in a small rural city.
“Their business model split,” he said.
Larry Clark, who was the president of the now raw group of South Bay who led improvements throughout the corridor and promoted development and growth, said it is sad to see businesses nearby and people lose their work but also creates new opportunities.
“We are all worried when you see a close business after another, but if you look, they are all companies that are going into bankruptcy or not going out of business,” Clark said. “The corridor seems to have lost some of its splendor, but I like to be hopeful. I just think it needs a little attention and concentration because I believe there are still many opportunities there.”
Both Young and Clark said it is best to see all development in the M-32 corridor, but because business cycles change, there may be a time when things change again and the southern corridor could benefit.
“The more busy gets there and the more traffic there is, it can become a matter,” Clark said. “It is expensive to buy land and build there and in the South Corridor you have more purchasing power because it is not so expensive and does not get a big investment.”
The director of the Alpena Chamber of Commerce, Mike Mahler, said it is always a concern when businesses are closed because people lose their jobs and this limits the products and services that residents can choose. He said businesses and business practices change, and sometimes they work for the best, and sometimes they do not. Mahler said buyers today have more convenient ways to spend their money and jobs they lose when a business is closed, move to another type of business.
“Today, many people bought after hours for items they once bought in places like Joann Fabrics and they can find the same product online and order it and it reaches 24 hours later at their door,” Mahler said. “Today, this represents progress forward. The jobs that were traditionally found in a brick and mortar store, as a stock person and cashier, have been moved to online order centers directed at a fulfillment center, where a person or robot chooses it, boxes it, and sends it to a pallet, where it ends up in a ranking structure and is placed in a box or van. “
Alpena Township Abbi Kaszubowski said that it is always the goal of the town to promote a strong and vibrant business community, and the city is committed to supporting local entrepreneurs, attracting new businesses and creating an environment where businesses can flourish. She said that although some businesses have been closed, other new and exciting businesses have also been opened.
Kaszubowski said the city will continue to work with its partners, developers and investors to help fill free buildings soon.
“Ideally, a large anchor store will enter the South Corridor and help strengthen the business,” she said. “We are confident that, with the knowledge and expertise that Alpena offers, we can go towards doing so.”
Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow it to x @ss_alpenanews.com.