By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

FERNDALE — There’s only a few weeks left to shop at the Old Navy Outlet at 22801 Woodward in Ferndale.

The clothing store will be closing its doors for good on Sept. 22, as a result of its parent company, Gap Inc., deciding to discontinue operation of the outlet, according to insiders.

“We’re working with the city right now to go ahead and re-tenant the space,” said Carl Grenadier of Grenadier Properties in Southfield, which owns the 15,000-square-foot space on the northwest corner of Nine Mile and Woodward, the heart of Ferndale’s downtown. He added that the company has long been planning to renovate the property, and will most likely do so in conjunction with the new tenant.

Three businesses have expressed interest in occupying the building, Grenadier said, although he wouldn’t mention any names.

“There’s only so many users for that type of space,” he said.

The company also owns the building in the same complex that once housed Coffee Beanery, on the corner of Woodward and Withington, which closed earlier this year after the java giant opted out of its lease. Grenadier said there are a half-dozen parties interested in that property, mainly restaurants and martini bars.

The Old Navy Outlet has been a Ferndale staple for a number of years, serving as a gateway to the city’s Nine Mile and Woodward downtown district.

“(The building) has been an Old Navy (Outlet) for 20 years, I bet, but Gap was in there before that,” Grenadier said, adding that for some reason unknown to him, the company chose not to replace the outlet with another of its stores.

The news was disappointing to city officials.

 “We’ve known about the potential (of it closing) for a while now, but we weren’t sure when it was happening,” said Cristina Sheppard-Decius, director of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority. “It’s bad news they are leaving, because they were a draw for consumers to our downtown. It was an anchor for so long. But for the long term, they’ll be redeveloping that site into something up-to-date. It is an outdated structure, and (redevelopment could) improve its visual presence and viability.”

The city will work with Grenadier Properties on a plan of action, and to make sure the property doesn’t sit empty for too long.

“It’s going to be vacant for a little while, but by no means will it be vacant for a long time,” Sheppard-Decius said. “We want to make sure to bring in a tenant that is long lasting and a good tenant for the area.”

You can reach Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1108.