Dearborn has seen investment on a large scale throughout its existence. Just think, Fordson High School was the first school in the United States to cost more than $1 million upon its completion in 1928.

Large is also apt when contemplating the scale of Henry Ford's vision — his home the Fair Lane, the Henry Ford complex with its riches of history, his company's headquarters are all huge. And, fittingly, much of what's happening in Dearborn these days is writ large, but there is still room for the little guys to make their marks.

West Dearborn

Dearborn is basically divided into East and West by the Southfield Freeway. West Dearborn is seeing major development along Michigan Avenue that can be characterized as mostly chain retail and restaurant, and loft residential. Chains along the stretch include Caribou Coffee, Cheli's Chili, Au Bon Pain, Buddy's Pizza, Coldstone Creamery, Mongolian Bar-B-Que … and more opening up seemingly every day.

Its streetscape is attractive and well-maintained, making it accessible to foot traffic. West Dearborn is, of the two Dearborns, the more affluent, and its stretch of Michigan looks similar to those of many other higher-end downtown commercial strips around the country.

Fairlane Mall and the area surrounding it, which straddles the Southfield Freeway, contains shopping malls, strip malls and big box retailers like T.J. Maxx, Target and Home Depot.

East Dearborn

With West Dearborn being out of reach, price-wise, for most independent start-up businesses, East Dearborn is putting a lot of effort into attracting and retaining unique businesses to Michigan Avenue. It is currently a mix of Middle Eastern retailers, professional offices and specialty shops, with room for much more in the mix.

It recently completed its own streetscape enhancement that, while hard on businesses during construction, has changed the appearance of the district for the better. "We have an incredible built landscape," says Michael Boettcher, executive director of the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority (EDDDA) — with signature City Hall, the eye-popping new Arab-American National Museum and the currently vacant Montgomery Ward building all backing up that assertion.

In fact, one of the big question marks in East Dearborn's future as a viable commercial district is the fate of the former Montgomery Ward building and site. Everyone has an opinion on it. Windy Weber, co-owner of Stormy Records located just blocks away, would love to see a large chain anchor like a Gap or an Old Navy move to the building with offices above.

Boettcher has even higher hopes, envisioning floors added to the structure for housing and a restaurant/retail/office mix in the existing structure. He points out that the adjacent parking lot has room for a parking deck and even additional townhouses to complement Georgetown Commons just across Schaefer. The opportunity to redevelop the property is up for grabs, with the city weighing opportunities to see what will be ultimately best for East Dearborn's development. Translation: do not expect to see a strip mall on the site anytime soon.

Lots of food options, but room for more variety

With dozens of Middle Eastern restaurants in East Dearborn, one would be correct to suppose that dining is a big part of the business mix. But there is also Indian, Thai, Mexican, Polish, Italian and Chinese as well as deli, diner and pub food. Boettcher laughs, "We've got one of everything!"

Gaps in goods and services do exist, however. Boettcher cites a bookstore, cafés and Arab coffee shops as types of businesses that his organization aims to attract.

To this end, EDDDA has recently been working with a "Main Street" consultant in order to gather and process information that will help the organization market its district to the types of businesses it would like to attract. The study will pull together demographic information about who lives in the surrounding area and who already comes to East Dearborn. It will then determine a marketing and promotions strategy — including special events — for the district as well as strategies for the attraction of new businesses.

Although negative perceptions of East Dearborn do exist, Boettcher sees its development as a "bright spot in the region" and points out new facades along Michigan Avenue as proof positive that "incrementally, we're seeing the kind of things that builds towards what West Dearborn has gotten praise for doing."

Weber sees the bad and the good of the district. She and her husband, Carl Hultgren, have owned Stormy Records for 7½ years in various locations in both East and West Dearborn. While West Dearborn has more foot traffic, East Dearborn has better parking, and Weber likes its proximity to Detroit as well as the ethnic diversity of East Dearborn.

Stormy operates in a space upstairs from Green Brain Comics. Both of these, as independent sellers of media, do not exactly operate on large profit. Weber says that their location allows both stores "to not bring in a lot of business and still stay open."

Boettcher acknowledges the challenges in growing East Dearborn's economy. He summarizes it as a "clash between old school Dearborn and what it is becoming." However, he goes on to say that, "It's a strength if you use it correctly. Other cities have a Little Italy and a Chinatown, but no one else has an Arab Town like this."

Photographs by Dave Krieger - All Rights Reserved