StrandBar Detroit is a retail concept developed for the 2012 Comerica Hatch Detroit competition. The StrandBar urban beach is a low-maintenance, easily constructed venue that honors the historic importance of the Detroit River; at the same time, the idea is a flexible use for stalled development sites or distressed properties that takes little initial investment and can easily relocate as the development climate heats up— appropriate considering Detroit’s abundance of vacant lots. 

 

          A relatively novel concept (while popular in Europe, there are currently only two beach bars in the United States) Strandbar Detroit can be an attraction that is completely unique to the City and that signals Detroit’s intention to once again become a world-class destination and a hotspot for young creative types.