Several Amazon Fresh stores planned in Metro Detroit won't open after all, with the retail giant having abandoned the venture last month.

Why it matters: That leaves sites in Troy, Roseville and other suburbs in limbo while a local broker looks for replacement tenants.

The big picture: Creative Commercial Real Estate, a Rochester-based brokerage house, has been tapped to find occupants for at least five local properties where Amazon Fresh was supposed to open, Crain's Detroit reported.

Zoom in: One of the sites, at 32070 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville, is a former Toys "R" Us that has been updated with a gray facade and bright green accents familiar at other Amazon Fresh locations.

What they're saying: Amazon redeveloped the site and obtained a certificate of occupancy so it could open, Roseville city manager Ryan Monroe tells Axios Detroit.

• City officials haven't heard directly from the company, but Monroe assumes the space will be leased out to someone else.
• "We would certainly like something in there for our residents to use."

Catch up quick: Amazon last month announced it was closing its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go physical stores and shifting resources toward Whole Foods Market expansion and faster grocery delivery.

• Amazon previously confirmed to Axios that 57 Fresh stores and 15 Go stores are closing, with most locations set to have shuttered Feb. 1.

State of play: The five once-planned Amazon Fresh locations are scattered across the region, per Crain's:

• Troy, 662 E. Big Beaver Road
• Livonia, 29270-29350 Plymouth Road
• Plymouth, 41128-41496 Ann Arbor Road
• Rochester Hills, 2627-2951 S. Rochester Road
• Roseville, 32070 Gratiot Ave.

What's next: Michael Dudash of Creative Commercial Real Estate told Crain's his goal is to find one company for all the sites, adding that Amazon is "paying a lot of money in rent" on the unused locations.

• Axios reached out to Dudash, but he was unable to speak without Amazon's permission.
• In response to an inquiry about local plans, Amazon directed Axios Detroit to its Jan. 27 statement about the Fresh closures and Whole Foods expansion.
• "They are motivated because this is not a positive thing on their balance sheet. It's negative, negative, negative hundreds of thousands of dollars a month," Dudash told Crain's.

Read the full story

Applications opened yesterday for a unique local program giving new mothers cash assistance without strings attached.

Why it matters: Bringing Rx Kids to Detroit is an early move in new Mayor Mary Sheffield's goal to make progress on childhood poverty.

How it works: The program led by Michigan State, and founded in Flint in 2024, provides mothers $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 per month for babies up to 6 months.

• Expectant mothers at least 16 weeks pregnant or those with babies born on or after Jan. 1 this year are eligible.

Context: Rx Kids says it is the first cash prescription program for mothers and infants in the U.S. It uses private philanthropic and state funding, and expanded from Flint to include parts of the U.P., Kalamazoo, Pontiac, Dearborn, Saginaw and elsewhere.

• It aimed to build on the success of federal tax credits that were found to reduce poverty for low-income families, and programs around the world that provide unrestricted cash for children.

What they're saying: "Rx Kids is not charity, it is medicine," Mona Hanna, Rx Kids' founding director and associate dean of public health at MSU, said during a launch event yesterday. "This is what it looks like when we boldly improve health. This is not a pill, it's prevention."

Read more of what Hanna said

🗳️ U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow is among the first Democrats running for national office this year to roll out a comprehensive plan for kids' online safety.

• She calls for banning phones in the classroom, more data privacy legislation and chatbot rules. (Axios)

🧇 More than decade-old Detroit restaurant Kuzzo's Chicken and Waffles is closing, though its owners say to stay tuned for what's next. (Detroit News)

⚾ Major League Baseball will handle the Tigers TV broadcasts next season following the team's split with FanDuel Sports Network. MLB will also control Red Wings broadcasts starting next season. (Freep)

Solo dining orders have soared since 2021, according to a report by one of the world's largest restaurant companies.

Why it matters: Eating alone doesn't necessarily mean you're lonely. In many cases, it's about self-care.

The big picture: More people are skipping group meals to treat themselves instead, according to Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill.

By the numbers: Roughly a quarter of solo diners say they're satisfying a specific craving, often snacks or drinks, per the report.

• At full-service restaurants, reservations for one jumped 22% in the third quarter of 2025 from the same time a year earlier, Toast data shows.

📬 We want to know: Where are some good spots in Metro Detroit for dining solo? And what makes a specific spot good for this?

• Reply to this email with your answer and it may be included in a future newsletter!

🍳 Annalise's thought bubble: I for one love a solo breakfast moment during work, with my laptop out alongside some scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast. In that vein, RIP Hygrade Deli.

Playground equipment was being installed yesterday as part of an ongoing Spirit Plaza makeover at Woodward and Jefferson avenues.

State of play: A new 26-foot-long stage and new turf throughout the plaza are among the upgrades next to the iconic Spirit of Detroit statue in the heart of downtown.

• The $2.9 million project is supposed to be done by the spring festival season, per the Detroit News.