More big moves related to music and development in Motown. Jack White’s Third Man Records is now going to neighbor to the Shinola store, occupying the space currently held by Willy’s Detroit.
Shinola Founder, Tom Kartsotis, partnered with Detroit native Jack White to purchase the building that currently houses the Shinola Flagship store at 441 W. Canfield in the Midtown/Cass Corridor area. The area has seen a retail resurgence as a true shopping district as of late.
The deal marks new expansion for both Shinola as well as Jack White’s record label, Third Man Records. For Third Man, this is a homecoming. The label was originally founded in Detroit in 2001 and the new branch will be a retail store and set to open by Black Friday (November 27, 2015). Press information hints that there will be “many surprises” in store.
Third Man Records says they have “long aspired” to have a presence in Detroit, and Cass Corridor in particular, given White’s history in the neighborhood. The area is the location of the first White Stripes show as well as his high school.
The current retail tenant, Willy’s Detroit, a sister store to Shinola, will move, but current plans are for their storefront to remain within the building. The neighborhood is one of Detroit’s gems that people point to for the city’s comeback with retail and restaurants on both Canfield, Cass, and around the block on Willis. Avalon Bakery, Hugh, Nora, City Bird, Traffic Jam and Snug, Jolly Pumpkin, Motor City Brew Works, and many more make for a mix of businesses old and new holding the block together.
Shinola has expanded beyond their iconic watches, into bikes, leather goods, and more. The “more” is now the brand’s investment toward the ability to manufacture speakers, turntables and headphones of “audiophile” quality, while creating more manufacturing jobs in the United States.
“[Cass Corridor] has always been the most inspiring area of Detroit for me as an artist and as a Detroiter. From the great visual artists like Gordon Newton, to the music of the Gories, and the birth of the Detroit garage rock scene, the Corridor has nurtured Detroit’s soul and inventiveness for decades,” said White, who gained notoriety as part of the White Stripes but has moved on to a variety of musical pursuits. “That spirit pushes forward with Shinola’s passion, and will come full circle for the artists of the Corridor that work with Third Man Records to plant a new foundation there to help keep that creative spirit alive for decades to come.”
