[-GR2NY-]

Grand Rapids, MI

Geographically speaking, Grand Rapids sits between Detroit and Chicago and surprisingly,
little architectural influence is present from either of the two major cities. Instead, Grand
Rapids has proven to be a city all of its own. The city has experienced a tremendous
metro growth rate of more than 16% over the past 10 years. Consequently the need for
more office and residential space is on the rise and as figures show; our city currently
has a need for over 50,000 residences downtown alone. We have over 2 billion dollars in
new development at this current time. A figure such as this rivals cities around the globe
with exponentially higher populations. We here in Grand Rapids are very excited about the
cranes looming over downtown in this generally conservative city and I would like to share
with you a listing of current high-rises in the works. Thank you for visiting!

http://home.comcast.net/~travis.wolfe/Construction/WestSideFULL_2.JPG





--Under Construction--

*River House Condominiums (Bridgewater Place 2) - 384ft - 34floors
http://home.comcast.net/~travis.wolfe/Construction/RHforCON.jpg

*Marriott Hotel - 292ft - 26floors
http://home.comcast.net/~travis.wolfe/Construction/ALTforCON.jpg

*Icon on Bond
http://home.comcast.net/~travis.wolfe/Construction/ICforCON.JPG



--Approved--

*Childrens Hospital
http://home.comcast.net/~travis.wolfe/Construction/CHforCON.JPG

Listing not yet totally complete.

[DetroitKalamazoo]

I look forward to seeing those new towers downtown in a couple of years

[Breezyfingers]

As a Grand Rapidian living in Chicago, I hope to see some of the building boom we've seen here replicated up in Michigan. Thanks for the rundown on upcoming construction. Where is the Children's Hospital being built? And has there been any talk of highrise construction west of the river/expressway?

[GVSUguy]

Its good to see Grand Rapids has its own thread now.

What I know about the UC buildings:
River House-hasn't really started construction yet, but it should soon.
JW Marriot-UC and you can check out its awesome webcam at http://www.alticorhotel.com/index.html
Icon on Bond-first tower UC, but still in the beginning stages
Children's Hospital-I think this is just a proposal right now

Grand Rapids has a ton of develoment going on right now, but most of it is lowrise or renovations. There are three buildings of about 10 stories that are proposed too.

[KevinFromTexas]

Nice, I've always been intrigued by Grand Rapids.

And yeah, it seems to have a style all it's own. That's been one of the things that have made it interesting to me.

I've seen it before, but do you have any pics of the skyline? Any skyline photo threads coming up about it in City Photos?

[Surrealplaces]

I had no idea Grand Rapids had 1.4 million people in the metro area. Interesting stuff you learn on this site!

[LMich]

Just for reference purposes, here are some photos of the skyline:

http://www.photography-plus.com/images/GrandRapids/GR091102_13%20copy.jpg

http://www.photography-plus.com/images/GrandRapids/GR091102_8%20copy.jpg

http://www.photography-plus.com/images/GrandRapids/GR091102_3%20copy.jpg

Some from grdadof3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62831350@N00/):

http://static.flickr.com/56/108064898_2ec735b837_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/41/86684083_6a16b309f3_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/43/108064083_db6c5c87c8_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/35/72965460_86babf7864_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/28/59495757_750b8ca6cb_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/34/72964230_111cb21bc0_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/35/72541530_5f5bd58c57_b.jpg

Good skyline shots are hard to come by.

Also, Metro Grand Rapids is physically very large. It is a very spread out metropolitan area that reaches to shore of Lake Michigan. The urbanized area population is between 500,000 and 600,000 in population. The skyline isn't that impressive for an area this large, but the density at street level would give most equally sized cities a run for their money. The architecture is also very impressive at street level.

[420x]

There is approximately $2 billion worth of construction at the moment and a single $1 - 2 billion dollar development that should be announced soon. The large development is strictly under wraps and has pretty much everyone guessing. So, for a metro of 1.3 million - $4 billion of ongoing constrction is pretty damn insane.

[DerekfrmSA]

Great news Grand Rapids!

Looks good.

Question, I know very little about Grand Rapids except for what state its in, lol, but why does it say the MSA for GR is at 771,185 in the TOP 100 MSA's thread in City Discussions?

[dtsd]

As a Grand Rapidian living in Chicago, I hope to see some of the building boom we've seen here replicated up in Michigan. Thanks for the rundown on upcoming construction. Where is the Children's Hospital being built? And has there been any talk of highrise construction west of the river/expressway?

Unfortunately I don't foresee much further development along the west. I remember when Bridgewater Place first went up, Robert Grooters, the developer, was disparaged by the local development community for putting up a high rise on, OMG, "the other side". It shows how small city / small minded the local developers are - which is a shame because downtown GR has so much potential.

[dtsd]

Question, I know very little about Grand Rapids except for what state its in, lol, but why does it say the MSA for GR is at 771,185 in the TOP 100 MSA's thread in City Discussions?

The 771k is GR's Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes GR and its contiguous suburbs such as Wyoming. When you see numbers in excess of 1 million, they include outlying cities such as Allegan, Grand Haven, Muskegon and Holland, which most people (including the Census Bureau) do not consider GR suburbs. The 1.4 million is the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) and applies to the larger region, which includes several distinct cities and their own respective MSAs.

[-GR2NY-]

Anyone mind giving me more detials on whats under construction right now. I dont even have a rendering of the medical hill stairstep buildings.

BTW, whens the towers building coming down? Anyone know?

[-GR2NY-]

More coming next week!

http://home.comcast.net/~travis.wolfe/Construction/Con81_.jpg

[420x]

which most people (including the Census Bureau) do not consider GR suburbs.

Two counties that missed only one single requirement by less than one percent still count as suburbs. After all, 1/3 of Ottawa county lives directly on the border of Kent County and it is not part of the MSA... Lets get real here.

[dtsd]

Two counties that missed only one single requirement by less than one percent still count as suburbs. After all, 1/3 of Ottawa county lives directly on the border of Kent County and it is not part of the MSA... Lets get real here.

So you’re saying that cities such as Allegan, Grand Haven, Muskegon and Holland, a couple of which even have their own defined MSAs, are not distinct cities, but are just suburbs of GR?

I think it’s fair to say these cities do have a strong relationship (economic and otherwise) being in close proximity, and thus it makes sense to combine them into a Combined Statistical Area, but to say it’s one continuous metropolitan area is a bit of a stretch.

I can’t speak to the criteria, just to what I know from living there. For example, go to the hybrid-satellite view on Google maps, and look at the urbanized (gray) areas of each of those cities. You’ll notice they’re bordered with very large rural areas (green) that separate them from Grand Rapids and its suburbs. Contrast that against Detroit or Chicago where the urban areas are uninterrupted.

[gvpeto]

Yes, it's quite interesting in that 3 of GR's suburbs (Wyoming, Kentwood and Jension) are each over 40,000, and Wyoming is about 70K! That's pretty large as far as 'burbs are considered.

[420x]

Grand Haven, Muskegon and Holland
These three yes. Muskegon would be dead without GR 25 miles away to breath a bit of life into it. Holland and Grand Haven are definitely metro GR as they meet all requirements except for falling 1% short on travel requirements. Never mind the fact that the county has almost half of its population on the border with Kent County...

Allegan, Newaygo, and Greenville/Belding are stretches, but they are definitely bedroom communitites. In a sense, part of the metro since they are almost at this point totally reliant on GR.

Plus, the Google map thing is wrong. GR and Holland are attached and GH and Muskgon almost are. Yes, there is an agricultural gap, but it is not an ocean and there is plenty of development in between - Coopersville, Allendale, Marne, etc... are all pockets of decent development in that stretch. Plus Muskegon and GH are creeping ever closer to Coopersville.

[rstravis]

the basic problem is that these things are defined by county. By all rights, Ottawa County should be included. I live in Allendale. It is a GR suburb. Anyone who says otherwise is delusional. Naturally, Jenison and Hudsonville areas are also suburbs. And you barely leave Hudsonville before you hit Zeeland, which is a definite suburb of Holland. Is Holland a suburb? No, but neither is St. Paul a suburb of Minneapolis -- that does not mean that they cannot share a metro area. Ottawa County makes sense as part of the GR metro. Muskegon is questionable, but the old delineation of GR-Holland-Muskegon as one metro does make more sense than lumping Jenison in with Holland, and putting Dorr and Wayland as part of the Allegan micropolitan area. By the way, how's this for logical -- part of the City of Holland is NOT within the Holland metro area, because they city limits lie in both Ottawa and Allegan Counties. Go figure.

Anyway, that's kind of off topic, but I just wanted to make the point that the current metro area definitions do not allow for a realistic number however you look at it. The CSA is probably the closest to accurate.

[Thskyscraper]

Those are some neat projects. Keep it coming GR:tup:

[TALLTOWER]

thats funny i have never even heard of grand rapids before?

[TALLTOWER]

just kiddin

[Michi]

^Which just makes it that much cooler of a town, IMO. :)

[-GR2NY-]

Not claiming I'm the first to share this info, but its going to be the tallest all residential building in michigan. Its killing me that they won't build it directly downtown, for obvious reasons.

FYI, for Riverhouse condiminiums, you can go here and see the groundbreaking videos, floor plans, building specs, views, etc: http://www.gr-riverhouse.com/

May 2006 PDF with new renderings: http://www.grriverhouse.com/newsletters/200605.pdf

[LMich]

In fact, it will be one of the tallest all-residential buildings in the entire Midwest outside of Chicago. It just shows how much Bob Grooters believes in the the city. That, or he realizes how underserved downtown Grand Rapids is for this type of housing, or how he can lock down the market for a few years by saturating the market.

[Michi]

I like how all the floor plan styles are named after Michigan rivers.

[Riversidefun]

This is Mr. Grooters telling the development community "ok already I'm building it", and then "Oh it's taller then yours", "Oh and it's got a better view", "oh and its taller then yours."

[hi123]

gr2ny , are you sure construction has already started on the children's hospital? is there a pic. On urban planet it was written that it would start in the fall of 2006.

[-GR2NY-]

gr2ny , are you sure construction has already started on the children's hospital? is there a pic. On urban planet it was written that it would start in the fall of 2006.

You are correct, I have fixed it. The entire "hill construction" is just confusion for me, despite living only a few hundred feet from it. I really have no idea whats going on there (besides the renderings), I dont think anyone does.

[twomutts]

Whatever happened with that "massive riverfront development"? The Press used to have a special section on it, but I haven't heard a peep in months.

[GR John]

Whatever happened with that "massive riverfront development"? The Press used to have a special section on it, but I haven't heard a peep in months.

The committee that put out the RFP's will reconvene in early August, and decide which proposals will be asked to put out formal plans. After that, it will be in the hands of the city commissioners to decide how they want to proceed.

[JB3]

I drove through G.R. the other day on the way to Grand Haven and saw a pretty cool loft project under construction. I was hoping someone could get some pictures of it and post here. It was just north of 196, basically right on the highway just east of the river. Looked like a historic building with red brick and cool cornice work with a new two story addition on top. The dormer projections are rounded in the extreme if that helps anyone get there bearings. I tried to photgraph but was hurried and couldn't get a good shot at eighty m.p.h. help??

[Michi]

That's called Union Square. It is an historic school that is being converted into lofts. It's a very very nice and quality project just on the outside of downtown Grand Rapids.

They have a nice website here:
http://www.unionsquaregr.com/

http://www.unionsquaregr.com/images/0720.jpg

http://www.unionsquaregr.com/images/0814.jpg

http://www.unionsquaregr.com/images/0873.jpg

[JB3]

Yeah! That's the one. Our firm has been getting more into Historic rebuilds here in Detroit (even though the economy sucks right now) and i'm always pushing to do what they have done there at Union Square. It's nice to have a frame of reference. Thanks a million for the link to the website, i couldn't for the life of me find out what it was. Too bad the only overall shot they have is the rendering, it would be nice to see some recent photos on the website, but i'll contact them directly to have them send some. Thanks again! And i'm thourougly impressed with all the construction, planned or otherwise, going on in G.R.

[jdkacz]

http://www.grriverhouse.com/html/what_s_new.html

The city's proposed tallest has finally begun. With the frame supposedly rising within the next several months. The above link shows some recent pics.

[-GR2NY-]

JB3, you were going 80? Speed limit is 55 there, as are the previous few miles. Just builds my case even further that I'm the only person in the history of mankind to ever somewhat-obey the laws in that corridor. Aside from that, I watch them put cladding onto those condominiums ever day, like slow-motion. Icon on Bond adds a floor everytime they pound a nail across the river, it seems.

[Michi]

My pleasure from Saturday, September 2, 2006

JW MARRIOTT HOTEL
http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060004.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060007.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060010.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060011.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060013.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060016.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060017.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060021.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060023.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060025.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060034.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060037.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060040.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060043.jpg

http://downtownmotown.8k.com/North/2006_0904MI09_02-04_060045.jpg

Can't wait for Riverhouse! :)

[LMich]

I love the last picture. Get these up on UrbanPlanet.org, stat! They'll make you one of their heros, forever. :)

[pdxtex]

I would love to move back to Michigan someday. GR is looking nice for sure. The OP quoted that 50,000 housing units were needed in downtown alone. Where does that figure come from?

[DetroitSky]

Congratulations, Grand Rapids! Your downtown looked good from the highway last time I went by. I've never gotten to explore the city, but I plan to someday.

[Riversidefun]

I would love to move back to Michigan someday. GR is looking nice for sure. The OP quoted that 50,000 housing units were needed in downtown alone. Where does that figure come from?

Last I heard a study suggested a need for some 300 units over the next five years. I might be wrong on thoes figures. I'm interested in this "The OP" and any more information you could pass along would be greatly appreciated.

FYI: The crane at the JW site has risen at the height of the neighboring Amway Grand Plaza.

4th picture always sends chills down my back...

[dtsd]

It just shows how much Bob Grooters believes in the the city. That, or he realizes how underserved downtown Grand Rapids is for this type of housing, or how he can lock down the market for a few years by saturating the market.

Downtown Grand Rapids is terribly underserved and GR's timid, risk-averse developers have (mostly) sat on the sidelines for the past 6+ years, missing out on the single largest nationwide downtown-condo building boom we've ever seen. Now that the party is coming to a close we finally see GR developers test the waters in a significant way. Unreal.

What Grooters is finally doing looks great, but what a missed opportunity! This should have been built years ago with at least a couple similar-sized projects to follow.

[-GR2NY-]

http://home.comcast.net/~Travis.Wolfe/GRN/GRN_0005.jpg

[Btown]

not much of a boom..... but the stuff that is going up looks ok.....

[Wheelingman04]

Looks like a great medium-sized city.

[Michi]

not much of a boom..... but the stuff that is going up looks ok.....
Well, I'm not sure about you, but I'd say excess of $1 billion dollars in investment (in a given period (now)) in any downtown is considered a boom. Especially in a city of 200,000.

[-GR2NY-]

^ Exactly. Theres over 1 billion on michigan street alone. So cool to live just a couple hundred feet from all that, watching things rise daily. If I didn't live on the hillside, then I wouldn't live in grand rapids.

Kind of off topic, but this is going up in New York, called the Avery. Look familiar?

http://www.pbase.com/image/65780299.jpg

[dtsd]

Well, I'm not sure about you, but I'd say excess of $1 billion dollars in investment in any downtown is considered a boom.

$1 billion is nothing to sneeze at, but in major US cities that's not considered a boom; and considering the (unfortunate) general lack of high rises going up, it's hard to think of it as a boom in GR either.

It really is a shame GR developers have been so timid while urban developers in so many cities across the country rode the national urban housing boom, putting up condo tower after condo tower - and raked in the dough. Maybe next upswing GR's won't be so hesitant.

[LMich]

What major U.S. cities are you talking about? I hope you're not going to be comparing GR to cities many times its size. It's kind of ridiculous, too, to judge a cities boom off of how many high-rise residential towers it puts up. If you're going to make a comparison about downtown residential development, at least make it along the lines of solid, meaningful stats such as number of housing units constructed over a time period, or the monetary worth of the number of projects.

[dtsd]

Please note I was disputing the claim that $1 billion dollars is considered a boom in any downtown. I’m not interested in getting into a semantical debate; obviously Grand Rapids is a smaller city. I will say that it’s disappointing that even with $1B, there are only a couple towers that are changing the skyline in a meaningful way.

Obviously a boom can impact any sector; the reason for the emphasis on residential is two fold: 1) the secret to a downtown that’s vibrant day and night is having people living there, and 2) the residential boom is what GR’s urban developers largely missed.

Urban developers all over have taken full advantage of two trends in recent years: 1) the return to the urban core, and 2) the national real estate boom. Yet GR’s timid developers seem to have missed the boat. If they rode the convergence of these two trends from the beginning (as others did), Grand Rapids could have easily put up several additional condo towers.

[LMich]

Are you aware that there is quite a residential renaissance occuring in the form of large-scale historic renovations? I seriously want to see your proof that developers aren't taking hold of the downtown living end of this. The fact that new-construction condo towers aren't going up all around is a pretty poor example of proof. If you do want to talk condo towers, though, show me another city the size of Grand Rapids that's currently putting up a nearly 400' condo tower (i.e. RiverHouse).

[dtsd]

Yes, and all of that is terrific progress. RiverHouse is also great; unfortunately that’s the only new condo tower of significant height. The problem is that they got such a late start on it all. Construction on RiverHouse could have and should have started years ago.

And by the way Grooters is one of the more bold thinkers in GR development. It's not surprising at all that he's the one putting up the single tall condo building. Most of the rest of the local developers are so damn small minded.

[LMich]

Where are you from, BTW, and where do you currently live? It would better help frame the discussion.

[dtsd]

I spent 21 years in Grand Rapids and think of it as home, thus my hope and expectation of higher standards. I can't compare to other small cities because I don't follow them, however I can and do extrapolate from the successes of major cities. I moved to southern California for the weather many years ago and love it, and am still cheering for GR. It has so much potential.

[LMich]

Sorry, you can't do that here. We can't have these interboard wards, so please edit your post. I completey understand your frustration, but this can't be allowed, here.

*It appears that you haven't got back since my post, so I deleted your post for you.*

[DLLB]

Very nice pictures. The shots from the air remind me a bit of Winnipeg because of all the trees.

[twomutts]

I drove through GR over the weekend, and the Marriott is a really nice addition. Is construction on River House actually under way? Anyone have any pics of the new skyline?

[LMich]

River House is well under construction.

The new skyline courtesy of Powerbrooktrance (http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerbooktrance/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/341500003_5dc514e575_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/341498459_02f42c1a6f_b.jpg

River House

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/359679930_7b2116acf0_b.jpg
Sparky05 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkys_joint/

[twomutts]

Looking good! The city really needs to start building upwards a little east from the river. A couple of 40+ stories towers would REALLY make the skyline impressive. As it is, I can't wait to see what it looks like once River House is finally done. I remember 10 years ago they were talking about making the "twin" to Bridgewater Place. It's about time they actually DID something!

[Michi]

$1 billion is nothing to sneeze at, but in major US cities that's not considered a boom; and considering the (unfortunate) general lack of high rises going up, it's hard to think of it as a boom in GR either.

It really is a shame GR developers have been so timid while urban developers in so many cities across the country rode the national urban housing boom, putting up condo tower after condo tower - and raked in the dough. Maybe next upswing GR's won't be so hesitant.

We're talking about Michigan here where the status quo is to let cities rot. A dollars investment in a city is considered a boom here. Needless to say, $1 billion being spent in any single downtown anywhere, I would consider a boom of some sort, especially in a city as small as Grand Rapids. This is just one period. There will be more in the future both larger and smaller than this incriment.

[Michi]

GO GR GO!! :D

GR’s proposed $69M streetcar system could spur billions in redevelopment

If development along the proposed streetcar system in downtown Grand Rapids follows the patterns of other metro areas, the city’s current multi-billion dollar building boom could be just the beginning. The successful reintroduction of a streetcar in Portland, Oregon is a case in point.

Since Portland announced its downtown streetcar line in 1997, developers have been busy constructing new buildings and expanding old ones along the route. Today the city enjoys 126 percent more office, retail, residential, and institutional space within just three blocks of the streetcar line. In fact, 55 percent of all downtown development in the city's central business district during the last decade has occured within one block of the streetcar.

The now 4.8 mile streetcar route has cost Portland about $55 million to-date, but the project has helped leverage nearly $3 billion in urban redevelopment investment. And property values have jumped as much as 40 percent near the transit line.

“We’re looking at a new streetcar line for downtown,” said Roland Chlapowski, Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams’ liaison to the office of transportation. “One of the biggest landowners said they’d invest $200 million of development in the area [if we proceed]. And that’s just one landowner.”


The proposed Grand Rapids streetcar route would run nearly 2.5 miles from The Rapid Central Station at 250 Grandville, north along Monroe Avenue to Sixth Street, with six cars running at five-minute intervals.

Based on Portland’s experience, the result for Grand Rapids could be a significant increase in development and in foot traffic from businesses, residences, and educational facilities within about four blocks of the route. Major activity centers such as River House Condominiums, Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Monroe Center, the JW Marriott, and DeVos Place would not only be destinations for passengers, they would provide passengers, as well.

The route would also connect the Grandville Avenue, Heartside, Creston, and potentially, Belknap Lookout neighborhoods.

Local leaders Bing Goei, chairman of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Rick Chapla of The Right Place, Inc., former Mayor John Logie, and others recently visited Portland to get a firsthand view of that city’s streetcar system and the resulting development. A second, larger group of local leaders is planning to visit again this year.

On January 24, The Rapid Board of Commissioners voted to accelerate the study and design of the proposed streetcar system.

Source: Roland Chlapowski, City of Portland; Great Transit Grand Tomorrows Advisory Committee January 10 meeting presentation; Andy Guy, Michigan Land Use Institute
www.ridetherapid.org

[Michi]

Area manufacturer invests $300K, moves national HQ downtown

The Arena Station building at 25 Ottawa SW is the new national headquarters of Cole’s Quality Foods, a manufacturer that has been on the Grand Rapids business scene for 64 years. Cole’s consolidated their Grand Rapids and Muskegon offices in December after opening a manufacturing and distribution center in Iowa City, IA.

“Everybody’s excited about the move,” said Chairman of the Board Scott Devon. “There was an immediate good feel to everybody’s work environment, and it’s very spacious. Space and light are two key factors we tried to maintain.”

With almost 15,000 square feet of open loft office space, Devon estimates the total buildout will approach $1 million. However, Cole’s only had to invest $300,000 to make the fourth floor space their own.

“Steelcase Design Group was in here prior to us,” Devon said, “so the conference rooms were all set. Most of the work was already done. We added eight executive offices to what was here.”

http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/galleries/Default/DevNews/Issue%2041/coles-foods-200.jpg

A lounge area with comfortable seating and a flat screen television provides space to entertain clients; then it’s just a short jaunt via skywalk to a concert or show at the Van Andel Arena.

An employee-run self-serve barista station with specialty coffees, a reception area, and a new employee break room round out the additions.

Devon cites plenty of restaurant choices and the vitality of the city as features Cole’s 28 employees find enticing about being downtown.

“We’re very happy to be part of the city,” Devon added. “It has so much to offer as a workplace for our employees. We’re looking forward to summer when we can get out and walk around downtown.”

...and that's how it's suppose to be! :)

[Michi]

GR's tallest tower crane yet now rising at River House site

A special setup crew from Texas will spend this week building the first 224 feet of a Pecco SK 355-25 tower crane. At its full height of 468 feet, the Pecco will be the tallest crane ever to anchor into Grand Rapids bedrock.

Barring more below-freezing weather or a blizzard, the crew and a 365 ton Liebherr mobile crane with a hook reach of 280 feet will have the first phase of the Pecco completed by Friday.

Sometime in late August, construction will reach the 13th floor. That's when the Pecco will “make a jump” to 350 feet tall.

“It can’t free stand that high,” said Matt Larsen, project manager for Wolverine Construction, the construction company leading the project. “First, we tie it back into the structure of the building at the 13th floor, then jump it to the 350-foot height. We tie it in again at the 24th floor sometime in January 2008, and jump it to its full height of 468 feet.”

Although the Pecco needs the mobile crane to get it to its initial height of 224 feet, Larsen said that from that point on it can “build itself.” It’ll pick up each 20-foot section, set it in place, and lift its climbing structure to the height needed.

The Pecco is attached to a concrete pad that is anchored into the bedrock 20 feet below ground. The crane is assembled in 20-foot sections. A jib, a cab, and a counter jib will also be set in place atop the crane. The last piece of the initial assembly will be a boom that has 200 feet of horizontal hook reach.

At the farthest end of the boom, the Pecco will be able to lift 11,000 pounds. The load capacity increases as the boom works closer to the crane tower, maxing out at 27,600 pounds, or 11 Ford F-450 pickups.

Robert Grooters is the developer of the project. Brian Winkelmann of DTS + Winkelmann is the architect.

Source: Matt Larsen, Wolverine Construction; Dan Wert, Robert Grooters Development Company

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/397850330_f71d89461e_b.jpg
flickr: grdadof3

[CALMSP]

i just wish that the initial ICON on BOND would have gone through with dual 24 story buildings. that would have been great. the only problem with downtown is its lack of shopping and restaurants. we built this huge convention center, but nothing supports it on the outside, no shops, not that much eating options either.

[Dr. Taco]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/341500003_5dc514e575_b.jpg



This picture is unbelievable. It almost looks like a painting or something. I went to college in GR for a year.5 and I was and still am very proud of her. I hope the new children's hospital gets built most of all

[LMich]

It's been under construction for months, now.

[twomutts]

Has anyone tried doing a rendering of what the city is going to look like with all the new developments? I couldn't believe how different the city looks at night when we went back to GR a month or so ago. I'm really having a hard time envisioning how the spire on the pedestrian bridge will affect the skyline, but it seems like it definitely will!

[CALMSP]

its too bad the proposed 25 Ottawa or Lyon can't remember.......wasn't built. The top of that building was going to render the Chrysler Building in NYC...that would have been a great skyscraper in GR

[Kenneth]

I never thought Grand Rapids would become as popular as it is today. I noticed it about 3 months ago when I was watching the Weather Channel. Ive been there a few times. The downtown has a lot of potential.

[CALMSP]

i haven't been home in almost a full year, anyone have any new pics of the skyline??

[CALMSP]

great video of the heli-pad being tested on the new JW Marriott

http://www.wzzm13.com/video/player.aspx?aid=23150&sid=79771&bw=hi&cat=14

[CALMSP]

does anyone have any updated pics of the skyline?? particularly the riverhouse project

[Michi]

PDF Map of Streetcar Route:
http://www.ridetherapid.org/fileDisplay/?fileId=153

ARTICLE:
Transit agency launches website touting streetcar potential
By: Deborah Johnson Wood

The results are many months off, but the streetcar feasibility study launched by The Rapid is well underway. To help residents understand the far-reaching benefits that could accrue to Grand Rapids given a serious investment in the modern public transportation infrastructure, the regional transit agency recently launched an information page on its web site this week.

The study will determine a number of factors, including the location and length of the initial route of the streetcar system, ridership potential, construction cost, funding, how fast it could be built, and the kind of economic development it might generate.

“In the past, Grand Rapids had a well developed streetcar the system that built up Eastown and Cheshire and East Grand Rapids around Ramona Park,” says Peter Varga, CEO of The Rapid, “and that is exactly what it can do to re-stimulate the neighborhood business and residential aspects now.”

Transit leaders suggest the initial alignment could be a 3.2-mile loop from Newberry Street south along Monroe to The Rapid central station. That proposed route is expected to be approved as the top priority this week by a task force overseeing the project.

“It’s an extension of pedestrian activity,” Varga says. “It will also create a new nucleus of riders outside the core that will travel into the core. That’s a key component.”

Streetcar systems don’t come cheap, running from $12 to $15 million per mile to build, but the return on the expenditure is typically 10 to 20 times that as the new transit infrastructure stimulates private investment along and near the route. That's based on the experience of several U.S. cities that have invested in urban trolley systems.

The modern streetcar system has had phenomenal success in Portland, OR, for instance. The initial cost of building the first leg of the city's streetcar system approached $57 million. But the ROI in the first four years alone was some $2.39 billion in residential and commercial development.

Grand Rapids' streetcar project is following the Portland model. Projected costs will be known when the study is completed in June 2008.

Source: www.rapidgrowthmedia.com & Peter Varga, The Rapid

http://rapidgrowthmedia.com/developm...trtcr1220.aspx

The RAPID Transit Streetcar Page:
http://www.ridetherapid.org/about/streetcarstudy/

Grand Rapids is using the Portland model as the one they will focus on to make transit a reality here.

[CALMSP]

forget streetcars..............build a "L"

[Michi]

Yah royt!

[CALMSP]

saw this when I was back home in GR for New Years............

http://www.240-ionia.com/index.html

This is really the only spot that downtown can expand......to the south.

[DetroitSky]

Some development shots from September

JW Marriott
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w206/urbanex12/Grand%20Rapids%20Area/100_9174.jpg

The Fitzgerald construction
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w206/urbanex12/Grand%20Rapids%20Area/100_9322.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w206/urbanex12/Grand%20Rapids%20Area/100_9323.jpg

Anyone know what this development is?
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w206/urbanex12/Grand%20Rapids%20Area/100_9273.jpg

And the skyline shot people have been asking for...
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w206/urbanex12/Grand%20Rapids%20Area/100_9269.jpg

[CALMSP]

To answer your questions..........that is Waterworks. Been there for a number of years. (4+)

[Exodus]

So you’re saying that cities such as Allegan, Grand Haven, Muskegon and Holland, a couple of which even have their own defined MSAs, are not distinct cities, but are just suburbs of GR?

I think it’s fair to say these cities do have a strong relationship (economic and otherwise) being in close proximity, and thus it makes sense to combine them into a Combined Statistical Area, but to say it’s one continuous metropolitan area is a bit of a stretch.

I can’t speak to the criteria, just to what I know from living there. For example, go to the hybrid-satellite view on Google maps, and look at the urbanized (gray) areas of each of those cities. You’ll notice they’re bordered with very large rural areas (green) that separate them from Grand Rapids and its suburbs. Contrast that against Detroit or Chicago where the urban areas are uninterrupted.Monroe is considered part of Detroits csa for example. So why couldn't Grand Haven for example be part of the Grand Rapids csa ?

[robk1982]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/r_kratz/PICT1784.jpg?t=1208694384

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/r_kratz/PICT1773.jpg?t=1208694520

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/r_kratz/PICT1772.jpg?t=1208694531

[CALMSP]

new 11 story tower to begin ground breaking this afternoon..........

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8202612

[metrogrkid]

Monroe is considered part of Detroits csa for example. So why couldn't Grand Haven for example be part of the Grand Rapids csa ?

Exodus, you are exactly right. The triangular shaped CSA Grand Rapids is literally between the three points of Lowell to the east, Whitehall to the northwest and Saugatuck to the southwest (Grand Haven is midway between Saugatuck and Whitehall). The general points of the CSA triangle are, of course, Grand Rapids to the east, Muskegon to the northwest and Holland to the southwest.

[CALMSP]

who wants to walk down the side of the new Bridgewater condos???!!!!

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/07/skip_the_elevator_on_grand_rap.html

[shivtim]

Riverhouse Condos
10/26/08
http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v345/191/108/520188856/n520188856_1117685_8113.jpg

[Mid-Michigan]

I was on my way to make one of these threads for Lansing, but had to check to see if there was already one. I'm not surprise Grand Rapids has one already, the city seems like it's booming. Most of the changes the city experience were positive so far. Enjoyed my visits in the area.

[WMrapids]

I saw that no one posted anything for awhile so here's some stuff.

The River House is completed.

http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee473/zfigueroa/IMG_1335.jpg

Here's a decent skyline shot.

http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee473/zfigueroa/IMG_0957.jpg

[WMrapids]

Does anyone have any photos of the Gallery on Fulton?

[Docta_Love]

Grand Rapids Whitewater picks firm, waits on plans to restore rapids in Grand River
Howard Meyerson
July 20, 2011
Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- A restoration and design firm with experience developing whitewater paddling parks has been selected by area enthusiasts to create drawings and plans for restoring the rapids in the Grand River downtown.

RiverRestoration, a company in Glenwood Springs, Colo., was chosen from a final field of four firms, according Grand Rapids Whitewater co-founder Chris Muller. The firm has a number of projects in Colorado, North Carolina and on the Yukon River.

[....]

GRWW’s vision is to restore the river rapids between Coldbrook Creek and Fulton St., Muller said. The Coldbrook Creek outflow is upstream of the 4th Street dam. He called the turbulent waters immediately downstream of the dam dangerous and said he would like to see those risks addressed.

However, the group’s primary focus is further downstream, where a series of low-head dams create other dangerous hydraulics in the river. Muller and others would like to see those removed and potentially replaced with other rocky structures that might create better fish habitat and a good ride for paddlers.

"This is not just about a whitewater park," said Chip Richards, GRWW’s other co-founder. There’s no question we like a good wave, but it’s evolved beyond that. We are discussing sturgeon habitat and our goal is habitat for salmon and steelhead. We are looking at the whole river."

Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries staff have said they support improving habitat for fish in the river. And though the agency has expressed a desire to see the 4th Street dam removed to improve fish passage up the Grand River, staff acknowledge that the dam currently plays an important roll in limiting the upstream migration of sea lamprey.

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2011/07/grand_rapids_whitewater_picks.html

I came across this article after reading a blurb in the Free Press about this project in last weeks paper, it appears that the project is moving ahead. Love the idea, turning the Grand River into a major recreational draw will be a real positive for the downtown area, not to mention make for some cool skyline photo opportunities with the white waters of the Grand River in the foreground. Also i've been thinking for as large of a region as Grand Rapids has grown into (CSA pop of 1.3 million) it is sorely lacking a national identity as compared to regions of similar size. According to Wikipedia both New Orleans and Buffalo are slightly smaller in size in terms of CSA population each city having just over 1.2 million. Granted both these cities have greater historical significance and at one point were each top-tier cities, not to mention they have a larger population in the core city. However Hartford, CT has a nearly identical CSA and the core city contains around 50,000 less inhabitants than Grand Rapids. But while Hartford is a well known city, while your average non-Midwesterner would likely have a hard time identifying what state Grand Rapids is even in. Though once again Hartford is a city with historic importance, while GR has only recently become a major metro area (major being a relative term). I suppose rebuilding the rapids of Grand Rapids is as good a place as any to start in terms of helping the city take the first baby steps toward building an identity for itself. Although Meijer relocating its corporate headquarters downtown into a brand new signature skyscraper certainly wouldn't hurt, throw in a pro-sports team (OKC has a CSA of 1.3 million after all and the Thunder are thriving albeit without Kevin Durant this may have been a different story) and GR would be well on its way to becoming a national entity.

[Docta_Love]

Detroit, Grand Rapids Among Nation's Strongest-Performing Areas, Brookings Institution Study Finds

The Detroit Free Press
Katherine Yung
Dec 16, 2011

In yet another sign of the turnaround in the state's economy, Detroit and Grand Rapids rank among the 20 strongest-performing metropolitan areas in the country, according to a report being released today from the Brookings Institution.

The Washington, D.C.-based think tank examined how the nation's 100 largest metro areas fared since their recoveries began, using changes in employment, unemployment rates, gross metropolitan product and housing prices to determine the rankings

http://www.livingeconomies.org/node/724

Gotta love stats, Grand Rapids was named by newsweek as one of America's ten dying cities. Now it appears that Grand Rapids and Detroit are two of the strongest economically performing regions in the country. Great news for the state of Michigan our two largest cities are near the top of the pack on a list about GOOD economic news!

[jonathan.jam]

http://media.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/photo/2012/11/11933184-standard.jpg
The Grand Rapids Brewing Co. atop the west side of the 616 Lofts on Ionia redevelopment. The brewpub opens to the public on Wednesday, Dec. 5. (©Matthew Busch/Mlive)

Heavy on heritage, reborn Grand Rapids Brewing Co. opens this week as Heartside standout

By Garret Ellison | gellison@mlive.com
December 03, 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A legacy isn’t the only salvaged thing underpinning the new Grand Rapids Brewing Company.

In fact, from the beer-making equipment to the tabletops, nearly every part of downtown’s newest brewpub involves some kind of repurposed material.

The floorboards are made from scrapped wood. The long, community-style tabletops are made from a reconditioned floor-joist. The west windows were salvaged from the recent Centerpointe Mall demolition. The 120-year-old brick lining the bar and the staircase came from inside the building.

“Reuse and recycle is a huge part of this,” said project manager Sam Short.

The highly anticipated project from HopCat owner Mark Sellers finally opens to the public this week. On Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 3 p.m., Sellers will throw open the doors to the latest edition to his BarFly Ventures business portfolio.

Anchoring the 616 Lofts mixed-use redevelopment at 1 Ionia Ave SW, the new Grand Rapids Brewing Co. resurrects a storied name in the city’s rich history of beer brewing, and does so with the commanding presence of a gateway pillar to the burgeoning entertainment district in south downtown’s Heartside neighborhood.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2012/12/grbc.html


One of the many projects finishing up in Grand Rapids lately!

[jonathan.jam]

http://cdn.washingtonexaminer.biz/cache/r620-61bce43dfad21733a6ec77aa4be62288.jpg

McKay Tower in Grand Rapids undergoes renovation
December 19, 2012 | Modified: December 19, 2012 at 11:33 am

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Chaundra Derks has had the keys to McKay Tower for several months, but she's still discovering hidden nooks and crannies.

The building, which has more than a dozen bank vaults stashed here and there, is in the midst of an upgrade project being undertaken by its new owners, Steadfast Property Holdings Inc., of which Derks is director of operations.

"I love the history behind this building," she said. "I love walking through here and finding things like safes and boarded-up elevator shafts in the closet."

Steadfast, owned by Jonathan Borisch, founder of Borisch Manufacturing of Kentwood (now Amphenol Borisch Technologies), has been busy resealing windows, fixing the façade and making other internal upgrades to the grand dame of Grand Rapids skyscrapers since purchasing the building for $10.5 million in May.

The largest of those upgrades is a renovation project to the old second story bank lobby, which is being converted to a ballroom event space for wedding receptions, business meetings, holiday parties and banquets of up to 250 people.

The soaring space has been vacant since 2010, when tenant Structure Interactive, an information technology firm that specialized in Internet marketing, folded after the 2008 economic downturn.

The 18-story McKay Tower has been a city landmark since the first two stories were built as the Grand Rapids National Bank in 1915. The tower was finished in 1925 and an additional two mechanical floors, plus a lighted beacon, topped the building in the early 1940s.

...
http://washingtonexaminer.com/mckay-tower-in-grand-rapids-undergoes-renovation/article/feed/2057550?custom_click=rss

This is a nice update. There are lots of renovation details in the article. Does anyone know what the building will be used for, offices or residential?

Renders were also released for the Great Hall expansion at Ford International. I like the idea of expansion, but I wonder if all food/retail will be behind security checkpoints. What about those waiting for family members to get on or off a plane?

http://media.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/photo/2012/12/12014039-standard.jpg
http://photos.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/2012/12/new_grand_hall_proposed_for_fo_2.html

[jonathan.jam]

http://www.grbj.com/ext/resources/images/Real-Estate/thumb/CWD-Real-Estate-Investment-50-Louis-adjacent-rendering.jpg?1358280211
CWD Real Estate Investment plans eight-story building downtown
January 15, 2013 | By Charlsie Dewey

CWD Real Estate Investment plans to purchase a downtown parking lot and possibly develop it into an eight-story building that will connect to the company’s adjacent property, the Trade Center Building at 50 Louis St. NW.

CWD is expected to invest at least $15 million into development of the property and will construct a minimum of 75,000 square feet within three years of the closing of the development agreement.

Sam Cummings, principal and managing partner of CWD, brought pre-schematic designs of the proposed building to last week’s Parking Commission meeting, which was part of the request for proposal additionally sought by the Parking Commission.

“What is shown is an eight-story building,” said Cummings of the designs. “The footprint of the site is a little over 20,000 square feet. The challenge is that the site also provides ingress and egress to and from the Ottawa/Fulton ramp. So we’ve got to bridge that, and we’ve got to maximize the footprint above grade.”
http://www.grbj.com/articles/75931-cwd-real-estate-investment-plans-eight-story-building-downtown

Looks like it good be a great space to replace an empty lot. There's an entrance to a parking garage on the lot now, and they're going to build around and over it. CWD owns the building next door (they're planning on doing renovations to it soon), and they would like to tie the two buildings together.

[Illithid Dude]

I'm so happy that there is at least one place in Michigan that is doing well.

[jonathan.jam]

The renovation of the Junior Achievement Building in the heart of downtown was announced. Located at Fuller St (Kent County's East-West dividing line) and Division Ave (the North-South dividing line), the building has been empty for 15 years:

Find out what company is moving into iconic Junior Achievement building in downtown Grand Rapids
By Jim Harger | jharger@mlive.com | January 17, 2013

The architectural firm of TowerPinkster will renovate and move into the second floor of the blonde brick building by late summer, building owner Locus Development announced Thursday, Jan. 17.

The ground floor of the building will be renovated by Locus Development, for yet-to-be-signed retail or restaurant tenants.

The iconic building, with a modernistic rounded corner facing downtown’s historic center, was purchased by Locus from a bank two years ago after a previous developer failed to land a tenant for the 64-year-old building.

TowerPinkster President and CEO Arnold Mikon said they plan to move into the second floor with 25 employees. “We’ll have room for 35 to 40 employees,” he said.

Mikon said TowerPinkster is eager to move into the downtown area, where they have renovated the LEED Gold-certified Kendall College of Art & Design’s Historic Federal Building and the Grand Rapids Civic Theater. The firm also provided architectural and design services for the Kent County Courthouse.

“We are excited to work with Locus to bring new life to another historic building and play a bigger role in the amazing revival of the central city,” Mikon said.

“TowerPinkster is the perfect anchor for this building in the heart of the city,” said John Green, co-owner of Locus.

“Our goal isn’t just to build and restore, but to bring creativity, energy and new jobs to build the downtown community.”

Green said they intend to market the ground floor space for a full-service restaurant or several smaller retail shops. They also hope to lease the basement as an entertainment venue or production studio, he said.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/01/architectural_firm_will_move_i.html#incart_river

http://media.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/photo/2013/01/-3d10e981968c7641.JPG http://media.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/photo/2013/01/12129576-standard.jpg
http://photos.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/2013/01/a_look_inside_the_former_junio_26.html
By Emily Zoladz | ezoladz@mlive.com

[jonathan.jam]

http://media.mlive.com/businessreview/western_impact/photo/12150648-large.jpg

Downtown Development Authority announces new color scheme for iconic 'Blue Bridge'
Jim Harger | jharger@mlive.com | January 22, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Downtown’s beloved “Blue Bridge” will remain blue.

Except on Valentine’s Day, when it may be red. Or on Christmas Eve, when it may be red and green.

Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Director Kris Larson announced today that the iconic bridge will get a fresh coat of blue paint that will resemble its current color, which has faded over the years.

As for the other colors, they will come from a battery of LED bulbs that will be mounted on the bridge and enable the DDA to change the bridge’s hues in the evening, Larson said.

The new lights will reflect a blue light on the bridge most evenings. But the LED bulbs also will be able to change colors for special occasions, such as Valentine's Day or Christmas, Larson said.

“When we complete the restoration, the bridge will be blue – but better,” said Larson.

The new lighting will be part of a $1.3 million makeover of the former railroad bridge that was converted to pedestrian use in 1987. Besides the new paint job and lights, the restoration project also will include replacing part of the walkways and an expansion joint.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/01/downtown_development_authority_14.html#incart_river

[uaarkson]

God I love DT Grand Rapids. If only I could take the train straight from Ann Arbor. :(

[jonathan.jam]

My dream would be to have a Grand Rapids-Lansing-Ann Arbor-Detroit route. I'm kind of surprised that there isn't one. Do the railroads not want to cooperate, I wonder?

[jonathan.jam]

More infill for downtown!

http://mibiz.com/media/k2/items/cache/7e65f3fe5bd83161f21ec440e5865220_XL.jpg
The BOB to get new event space as part of expansion plans
MiBiz Staff | February 4, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS — A popular downtown Grand Rapids entertainment spot is set to embark on a new expansion and renovation project.

The BOB, a property of The Gilmore Collection, is expected to announce today that it was adding an “outdoor festival marketplace” and beer garden as part of a multi-million dollar expansion project that was also set to include new dining options and concert and event space with seating for up to 2,000 people.

Phase one of the project will include a renovation of Gilly’s restaurant street-level space into a new concept set to debut July 1. A later phase to be completed by June 1 next year is expected to include the event space, beer garden and piazza, featuring low-cost space local vendors could rent as an way to test out a food business, for example, according to a statement.
http://mibiz.com/news/real-estate/item/20415-the-bob-to-get-new-event-space-as-part-of-expansion-plans

[jonathan.jam]

Here's what is sure to be a great restoration project in the very heart of Downtown Grand Rapids:

http://media.mlive.com/businessreview/western_impact/photo/12241855-large.jpg
Plans underway to convert downtown's vacant Morton House into 'market-rate' apartments
Jim Harger | February 08, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The new owners of the vacant 13-story Morton House building are asking the city for help in their $27 million plan to bring more than 100 market-rate apartments into the former hotel.

The plan by Rockford Construction and its partner, the DeVos family's RDV Corp., would bring new residents into the 91-year building, which has been vacant since 2011, when its previous owners ended the building’s 40-year run as federally subsidized housing for more than 200 low-income residents.

Built in 1922 by J. Boyd Pantlind, the Morton House was the last big downtown hotel to be built before the Great Depression. The ground floor was the original home of Kent State Bank, which became Old Kent Bank & Trust, now part of Fifth Third Bank Corp.

The new owners want to redevelop the 170,000-square-foot building for retail on the ground floor and “at least 100 market-rate residential apartments” on the upper floors, according to an agenda item that will come before the Downtown Development Authority next week.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/02/plans_underway_to_convert_down.html#incart_river

...And in less-exciting news, another standard infill project:

http://media.mlive.com/businessreview/western_impact/photo/12234053-large.jpg
New apartment project and restaurant will go up in the Heartside neighborhood, developer says
Jim Harger | February 07, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Developer Karl Chew said he hopes to begin breaking ground this spring on a $15 million, 7-story mixed-used apartment building in the city’s Heartside neighborhood.

The project at 240 Ionia Ave. SW will include street level space for a restaurant and incorporate a 2½ -story parking ramp with up to 80 parking spaces, said Chew, whose Midland-based Brookstone Capital LLC has been one of the city’s most active housing developers since arriving on the scene in 2005.

When completed in late summer of 2014, the building will include 40 “workforce” rental apartments and eight market rate apartments. Chew said he has not yet found a tenant for the restaurant space.

The new building will be across the street from Heartside Park at the corner of Ionia Avenue and Williams Street SW. Chew said the project will include “fabulous” views of the downtown and U.S. 131.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, the city’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority gave its blessing to Brookstone’s application for tax breaks of up to $2.5 million to help him clean up and improve the site, which currently is fenced off and used as a parking lot.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/02/new_apartment_project_and_rest.html#incart_river

[Arquitect]

More infill for downtown!

http://mibiz.com/media/k2/items/cache/7e65f3fe5bd83161f21ec440e5865220_XL.jpg

http://mibiz.com/news/real-estate/item/20415-the-bob-to-get-new-event-space-as-part-of-expansion-plans

I was really impressed with downtown GR and particularly with this project when I visited about a year ago. The amount of infill that is taking place is incredible, all the while retaining some of the old building stock of the city. For its size, GR is really putting some much larger cities to shame when it come to having a lively and attractive downtown.

[jonathan.jam]

Thanks! What is really amazing is that the city's downtown area is actually getting larger. First, it was north-west expansion with the Medical Mile, GVSU helped start a western expansion, and now the downtown is expanding southward (there are some interesting articles on MLive about this)! Grand Rapids is indeed doing very well.

More News:

http://media.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/photo/2013/02/12318529-standard.jpg
Cory Morse

Downtown scaffolding alert: McKay Tower façade renovations will ramp-up in March
Garret Elliot | February 26, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Expect to see some scaffolding begin to crawl up the façade of McKay Tower this spring as exterior renovations on the venerable high-rise begin in earnest.

Cleaning and rust-proofing of the structural steel behind the terra cotta exterior on the fourth floor water table will begin in March and run through late summer, said building owner Steadfast Properties LLC.

The work will necessitate protective walk-through canopies over the building’s public entrances for the project duration. Retail tenants will operate as normal during the renovations to the historic building located at 146 Monroe Center NW in downtown Grand Rapids.

The work is part of the new owners long-term interior and exterior renovation and ongoing maintenance plans. The city shut down Pearl Street at Monroe Avenue NW last Friday, Feb. 22, while a crane installed new cooling units on the roof.

Inside, the old second floor Grand Rapids National Bank lobby is being converted into a ballroom event facility, and the upstairs condominium units are being converted into luxury apartments. New elevators and are being installed as well.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/02/downtown_scaffolding_alert_mck.html#incart_river

http://media.mlive.com/businessreview/western_impact/photo/12345902-large.jpg

Rockford Construction Co. gets $1 million grant from the state for its new corporate headquarters
Jim Harger | February 27, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) has approved a $1 million grant for 614 First Street Partners, LLC, the entity that is converting the former Miller Products Corp. factory into a new headquarters for Rockford Construction Co. on Grand Rapids’ West Side.
The Community Revitalization Program “performance based grant” was one of eight grants totaling $6 million approved by the MEDC on Wednesday, Feb. 27. An expansion of Herbruck's Poultry Ranch in Ionia County received a $500,000 grant.

The state agency also approved nearly $5 million in loans to projects in Kent and Muskegon counties. Those projects included a $3 million loan for the Downtown Market being built south of Wealthy Street along Ionia Avenue SW and a $1.95 million loan for Parkland Muskegon, Inc., which plans to renovate an eight-story building in downtown Muskegon into a residential apartment development.

The projects are expected to generate up to $95.8 million in new capital investments and add 789 new jobs in Michigan, according to an MEDC news release.

In Grand Rapids, Rockford Construction Co.’s new headquarters will transform a 70,000-square-foot industrial building west of downtown Grand Rapids into corporate offices, a general trades yard and warehouse.

The $7.9 million project also will include commercial retail space for rent, an open-air courtyard and a community room. The project is expected to support about 85 full-time jobs when completed.

Rockford Construction is moving into the city from its current headquarters at 5540 Glenwood Hills Pkwy. SE in Cascade Township.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/02/rockford_construction_co_gets.html#incart_river

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Founders Brewing Co. plans taproom expansion, beer garden, educational facility
Garret Ellison | February 27, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — There could soon be more space in which to quaff a brew and learn about the beer-making process at Founders Brewing Co.

The company is scheduled to appear before the city planning commission on Thursday, March 14, on a special land use request to increase the size of the brewery’s popular taproom at 235 Grandville Ave. SW.

The current 8,000-square-foot taproom, which features a long curved bar, stage area, open floor table seating and outdoor porch, would be expanded by 5,425 square feet.

The plans also include construction of a 3,975-square-foot beer garden, educational facility for beer tourists, additional offices, an enlarged deli kitchen and company store.

The educational aspect is an extension of the brewery tours, which Founders debuted in January. Eventually, the brewery plans to offer classes for people interested in learning more about the brewing process, and to teach things like how to identify different styles of beer and other advanced beer education.

“Our industry continues to flourish and, as a leader in the industry, we feel that we have a responsibility to educate our staff, wholesaler and retailer partners and beer enthusiasts,” said brewery co-founder Dave Engbers.

Assuming city approval, the brewery expects to break ground on the expansion in April with the space ready by fall 2013.

The project will cause the brewery to lose about 15 parking spaces in front of the building, but city planning director Suzanne Schulz said the company already satisfies the city's parking requirement with the spaces in the back lot.

"They are bringing the building out to the street edge, which is what we look and hope for with new projects," she said. “We are trying to create, especially in the downtown area, a pedestrian-oriented environment."

The taproom expansion follows construction on a multi-million dollar expansion of the Founders cellar at the northwest corner of the Grandville Avenue facility. The company has received a $2 million state economic development grant and $300,000 in tax breaks from the city on the multi-phase expansion project.

The brewery is in the midst of a $26 million total expansion project at its Grand Rapids taproom and production facility. When it's complete, the new space should yield the brewery an additional 165,000-some barrels of annual production capacity, which would boost Founders’ total annual beer output to about 340,000 barrels per year.
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