Goodwill Aims to Secure Dearborn Store Approval

Goodwill of Metro Detroit has made it clear: Their Dearborn store will open in the former Inca Computer spot on Newman Street, or it won't open at all.

Director of Public Relations and Dearborn resident Mark Lane said that the pressure to move the controversial plan to open a Goodwill store in the city to a different location outside of west downtown–say, Ford Road–has come from residents and city officials. But it's not an option.

"We're not looking at other locations (in Dearborn)," Lane said, responding to , and that it could have a negative impact on the direction the district moves toward.

He added that failure to get approval to move the project forward could result in the nonprofit setting their sights on an entirely different city–possibly West Bloomfield.

On Feb. 13 at , Dearborn's City Plan Commission will hear Goodwill's special land use request for their store for the second time.

The Detroit arm of the national nonprofit spoke in front of the commission in January, but was unable to gain enough support to move the plan forward, due mainly to concerns of several commissioners that the store would not be a good fit for west downtown.

"Once you start going down this road … in five years from now, we’ll say ‘How did we get here?’" Commissioner Said Deep said at the Jan. 9 meeting. "We have zero retail in this area."

Lane agreed that Dearborn needs more retail, but contended that Goodwill would meet that need.

"We’re going to bring something good to Dearborn," Lane said. "Businesses are excited they’re going to get foot traffic in that area.”

The commission agreed to broach the subject again, asking for more compelling information from the Goodwill team that their store fits the city's master plan.

In addition to in the area presented last month, Lane said the nonprofit has been asking residents and business owners to come to the Monday meeting to speak in support of the store.

Also since the January meeting, the commission has added two new members. One of those newcomers, Christine Sickle of , has been an ardent supporter of the Goodwill project.

Correction: This article origionally state that the City Plan Comission meeting was set to take place Feb. 6. That is incorrect. The meeting is taking place Feb. 13.