Niketown Detroit is scheduled to open by Christmas in the Campus Martius area. The 9,209 sq. ft. concept store will open across the street from the weakest magazine selection of any Borders bookstore in the country, the only Kinko's I know of which is not open 24 hours, Au Bon Pain hocking nasty overpriced sandwiches to the Dockers set, and a Hard Rock Cafe (no comment needed.) I know this is probably a good thing for downtown Detroit economically, but half-assed mallification of such a unique part of the world is not exactly the most creative route that could be imagined. Distinctive, quality businesses like Oslo point in the right direction for downtown Detroit, but they are small, and sadly few and far between. The notion of a rust belt Greenwich Village sprouting out of abandoned skyscrapers is perhaps as flawed and foolhardy as G.W.'s address to the United Nations yesterday, but one has to dream. I know I probably sound like some whiney Adbusters type (I do have no love for the likes of Nike,) and understand the city needs mainstream anchors to get investment flowing, and Michigan is simply not the most sophisticated place on earth. I only hope all the development does rub off in smarter, edgier ways and we don't turn an opportunity for greatness into a billion dollar exercise in the mundane. That wouldn't be very cool.