Grand Rapids, Michigan [Archive]

JT-MI

February 24th, 2005, 02:35 AM

The plan was approved yesterday by the voters of East Grand Rapids on a 56-44% vote.

Voters: Let condos rise high in EGR
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
By Juanita Westaby
The Grand Rapids Press

EAST GRAND RAPIDS -- After a controversial conception, it's expected to be a quick delivery.

Bulldozers will roll in April and pre-sales of condominiums for Jade Pig Ventures' Gaslight Village development will begin by fall, now that East Grand Rapids voters have approved the project that divided the community.

Tuesday's referendum drew 58 percent of the city's registered voters -- 18 percent in absentee ballots alone. By a 550-vote margin, 2,605 to 2,055, residents upheld the decision their City Commission made in October, granting the project special zoning approval.

The planned-unit development zoning was the linchpin, clearing the way for the multi-story condominium buildings whose heights angered opponents. The zoning approval allows Jade Pig to negotiate buildings taller than the city's two-story, 35-foot limit.

Plans include two seven-story buildings, a six-story building and a five-story building. In addition to the 107 condominiums, the development will house a fitness facility, medical complex and retail/office space.

While the project still faces final site plan review, its backers are taking the voters' nod and moving forward.

"I've been compiling a list of people -- mostly my own clients -- that have expressed an interest in this," said Ken Grashuis, who will market the condominiums. More than 200 people have indicated they would like to buy one, said Scott Wierda, co-owner of Jade Pig.

"We've been losing so many of these customers, mainly to Forest Hills," Grashuis said. "It'll be a coup to keep these people in the community."

The development will go up on the site of the former Jacobson's store and Ramona Medical building.

Tuesday's vote was the third consecutive victory for Mayor Cindy Bartman, who openly supported the developer's plan. Bartman's 2003 mayoral race was divisive. She then oversaw the equally divisive 2004 millage vote to expand the library and parks department. Now, she's ready for the community to come together again.

"This community has a history of passionate issues. Once the people speak, we come back together as one community," she said.

Bartman was mindful of those who voted no and said, "Everyone who voted, voted with the best interests of the community at heart, and that's the common thread that will bring us back together."

Re-Ignite Gaslight, a group that supported the Jade Pig plan, celebrated Tuesday's vote tally. Its members gathered at the Firehouse Grill in Gaslight Village.

"We wanted the change and we're happy to have the change," said owner and manager Karie Koster.

The only precinct that voted down the rezoning was Ward 1, Precinct 1 -- "the people who will live in the shadows of it," said Don Markham, who helped found SaveEastGR. That opposition group garnered more than 1,400 signatures to call the referendum.

"We did everything we could," Markham said. "We were honest and we tried to educate the community. Now, we need to focus on the final site plan reviews."

The first phase, the office-retail portion, has been approved. The first phase of the condominiums is expected to come before the city this summer, Wierda said.

hudkina

February 24th, 2005, 03:20 AM

God forbid someone build a 10 story building in the city! Geez!

JT-MI

February 24th, 2005, 05:19 AM

That's what I was thinking... these developers are offering to redevelop the entire downtown at private expense, and people were opposing it because the tower (tasteful as it is, from the above drawings) was going to cast a shadow that, according to the opposition, may plunge the entire city into eternal darkness!

Some people just oppose things for the sake of opposition...

SChristopher

February 24th, 2005, 06:16 AM

^^ I agree....some people are just bored. Those drawings look pretty hot though.

KM1410

February 24th, 2005, 06:47 AM

looks like a great project.

jdkacz

March 1st, 2005, 06:25 AM

this is an update on the Park Place Condo's in downtown. With them bypassing requiring to get permission to demolish the JA building this project moves one step forward.

For local historic preservationists, the operative expression isn’t “Win some, lose some.” It’s “Pick your battles.”
Late last year, a pair of downtown high-rise developments each threatened to raze a historically significant structure within their proposed footprints: Alticor Inc.’s new Marriott hotel on the site of the 118-year-old Israels Designs for Living building and Park Place Condominiums on the site of the 56-year-old Junior Achievement (JA) building. When the cranes eventually take to the sky, however, only one, the Israels building, will be lost.
“The Israels building is certainly eligible to be a contributing building to a National Register district downtown,” explained Rebecca Smith Hoffman, co-owner of Past Perfect, a historic preservation consulting firm. “But we decided — in the same way that we decided not to take on the Civic Auditorium battle — that you can’t save them all. … So you just pick and choose.”
The Israels site is not currently on the National Park Service’s Register of Historic Places, so the building had no guaranteed protections in place. Since the JA building at 2 E. Fulton St. is protected as part of the Heartside Historic District, however, preservationists were armed for a fight. Developer Robert Tol of Taatjes & Tol Inc. and architect Vern Ohlman of Design Plus withdrew their demolition application for the JA building nine days after filing it with the City of Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission.
“Sort of informally or on the side they said that it would be a battle,” Ohlman said.
Originally planned as a 10-story “lifestyle village,” the revised elevation for Park Place rises to 14 stories on its now narrower footprint in order to achieve the desired density: 138 units and 238 parking spaces. The JA building will be renovated, with its basement used as storage, its main floor as retail space and its second floor as office space. A rooftop terrace for Park Place residents may also fit into the new scheme.
“The JA Building is, from the standpoint of its structure, a good building and is in good condition in that regard,” Ohlman said. “And it does provide nearly 10,000 square feet per floor of useable space. It is not handicap accessible at this point, so some modifications will likely have to be made, but the point of view here is that it can be an asset to the total development.”
The asset may prove even more valuable once all the numbers are crunched. Saving the building may also mean some major historic preservation tax credits, which, according to Tol, were still being explored as this issue went to press. “We’re having a CPA doing an assessment now as we speak,” he said.
-- Grand Rapids Magazine, March 2005

jdkacz

March 1st, 2005, 06:59 AM

Apartment project proposed
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- A Midland development firm is hoping the state's Cool Cities initiative will help it build cool apartments in the city's new "Avenue of the Arts" district.

Metropolitan Park Apartments would be a 24-unit apartment complex along Ionia Avenue SW, across the street from Heartside Park and the Globe Apartments, said Mai Dong, a project manager for Brookstone Capital LLC.

The two- and three-bedroom apartments would be marketed to low- and moderate-income persons. Rents would be between $549 to $730 and target residents who work downtown in the service industry, she said.

Dong said they hope the $3.3 million project will qualify for $2.4 million in tax credits from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

The project qualifies for MSHDA tax credits because it is in the Avenue of the Arts, an area that has been designated by Gov. Jennifer Granholm's Cool Cities initiative -- a program aimed at luring young suburbanites back to older core cities.

On Tuesday, the City Commission approved a series of conditional property tax breaks. The 15-year abatement would allow the developer to pay 4 percent of its rental income in lieu of property taxes.

Metropolitan Park is the first Grand Rapids-based project for Brookstone. It has built similar projects in Kalamazoo and Ohio, Dong said.

jdkacz

March 3rd, 2005, 07:23 AM

Will Bridgewater tower finally get twin?
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
By Chris Knape
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- This time, it's condos.

The long-delayed plan to build a second tower at Bridgewater Place was given a major overhaul with developer Robert Grooters' proposal for a largely residential project.

The $50 million concept calls for a 24- to 26-story tower featuring 235 residential condominiums connected to the existing Bridgewater office building.

The project, dubbed River House, represents a major shift in strategy for Grooters, who announced -- but never built -- the second tower on several occasions over the past decade.

And there are no sure things about the latest proposal.

The project hinges on securing state and local support for Brownfield tax credits, along with advance sales of 60 percent of the condominiums before construction can begin. Presales are expected to begin later this month.

Grooters also needs a deal with Bridgewater's owners. After developing the building, which opened in 1993, he sold his interest in the first tower but retained ownership of the unused foundation and land for the second tower.

J.P. Koop, whose family's companies have the majority stake in the original tower, said he was optimistic about the condominium plan.

"I think it can be worked out," Koop said from Vietnam, where he is doing charity work. "It's got to be a win-win for everybody. I can't see how a second tower would hurt the owners of the first tower."

Gary Granger, a minority stakeholder and managing partner in the corporation that owns the first tower, said he wanted to see feasibility studies and other numbers before giving his blessing.

"There is a lot that needs to be done," Granger said. "We're obviously willing to take a look at it and whether it's in the best interest of the existing tower."

Two years ago, Grooters hatched a plan for a mixed-use tower that was to include an upscale hotel, condos, retail and office space. That project fell through after Alticor Inc. announced plans for another downtown hotel.

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell met with city staff about Grooters' project and said he was ready to go to bat for the Brownfield tax credits.

"I certainly signaled to the city staff that it's a project that I would like to see go forward," Heartwell said.

The existing office tower was designed with a twin in mind, but the project's cost combined with a lack of demand for the space meant offices were not feasible for the site.

Grooters said the proposed condos would be among downtown's most-affordable units. Prices are expected to range from $160,000 to $400,000. Higher-end penthouse units also would be available.

The building's design would complement the existing tower but would not be the identical twin once envisioned, Grooters said.

Plans call for a resident-friendly narrower building with recessed balconies. Some retail space is planned for the lower floors.

The new tower is expected to be near the same height as the current Bridgewater building. Many of the units would face the Grand River, with southern-facing units featuring sweeping views of downtown.

The project comes as more than 1,000 condos and apartments are in various stages of development downtown.

Among the projects on the drawing board are the redevelopment of the downtown YMCA into upscale condos and the Park Place condo tower next to the former Junior Achievement building at Division Avenue and Fulton Street.

East Grand Rapids attorney Joseph Moch said he still planned two large apartment towers at the site of the former Grand Rapids Foundry, although no timeline for construction was set.

Second Story Properties expects to begin presales of its condos in the Y building, 33 Library St. NE, within weeks, said Sam Cummings, president of the Grand Rapids development company.

"The speculator in me has me taking a bit of a pause and perhaps wanting to be a little concerned about the viability of all of those," Cummings said. "But you know what? I think we can handle it."

While downtown housing units have increased for more than a decade, developers have been reinvigorated by one anothers' successes.

A city-sponsored downtown housing study released last year added fuel to the boom, suggesting a capacity to absorb 350 new downtown units each year over the next five years.

jdkacz

March 9th, 2005, 07:05 AM

Developers tout their ideas for downtown 'gateway'
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
By Chris Knape and Jim Harger
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- The seals were broken Monday on five vastly different visions for what city leaders have billed as the crossroads of downtown.

Now comes the hard part -- choosing a proposal that best fits the city's desires for the site of the former City Centre parking ramp.

How close developers came to the city's asking price of $1.95 million for the 37,000-square-foot lot -- most met or exceeded it -- is just one factor that must be weighed.
"Price is important, but more important is the utilization of the site," said Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, who got a glance at the proposals Monday.

"The intersection of Fulton and Division is the gateway into downtown, the crossroads," Heartwell said. "Having a gateway structure there -- something that really stands out that is architecturally attractive, creates some community vitality and, perhaps, residential vitality -- is vitally important."

The corner serves as an important link between the Heartside Neighborhood and the city's central business district, said Susan Shannon, the city's economic development director.

"You don't have this amount of vacant property available in the city very often," Shannon said.

The city's request for proposals said it would favor mixed-use plans, particularly those with arts-and-entertainment related retailers, including movie theaters and bookstores.

While some of the projects have similar features, each presents a decidedly different potential future for the heavily traveled corner:

A proposal by Chicago-based RSC &Associates envisions a $24.7 million modern-looking entertainment complex featuring a jazz club and upscale billiards hall and a two-story bookstore alongside an 11-story condominium tower. Grand Rapids-based Second Story Properties has signed on to help market the proposal.

RSC is offering $2 million for the site. The company, led by Richard Curto, has developed several mixed-use properties in and around Chicago and is planning mixed-use redevelopment of the long-vacant Fort Shelby Hotel in Detroit.

Curto said no tenants have signed on for the project, but several have expressed interest if the project gets the go-ahead.

The $12 million design dubbed One Fulton Plaza by Rockford Cos. of Belmont and architects Design Plus includes a national pharmacy chain adjoining a five-story condominium building. The offer provides the city with $330,000 in cash and 78 public parking spaces valued at $1.62 million to be deeded back by the developers.

Rockford Chief Executive John Wheeler said his project could be under construction almost immediately.

"We've been looking at this corner for years and years and years," he said. "South of Fulton is where we've invested our heart and souls."

Rockford and Design Plus have been involved in many other high-profile development projects downtown, collaborating on Western Michigan University's downtown Graduate Center, among other projects. Rockford and Chicago-based Pepper Construction recently were named general contractors for Alticor's downtown Marriott hotel project.

A $29 million plan called City Center Place includes an eight-plus story office and condominium building with street-level retail space. The plan is presented by Division &Fulton LLC, whose backers were not disclosed. The developers are offering $1.18 million for the land.

Commercial real estate broker David Levitt, of S.J. Wisinski &Co., is representing Fulton &Division LLC.

"They are local GR guys," he said, declining to disclose their identities.

All three of the more-detailed projects include a mix of public and private parking spaces to serve tenants and nearby retailers and attractions. Public parking was a key component mentioned in the city's request for proposals.

Two of the proposals were thinner on details.

Developer and commercial real estate agent Robert Tol proposes using the site for two years as parking and to stage construction of the 14-story, $52 million Park Place condominium tower he is planning on property he owns across the street.

Eventually a mixed-use project with a grocery, apartments, condominiums and offices could be built at the former parking ramp site, although few details are provided.

Tol's offer of $2.05 million for the land is the highest the city received. He could not be reached for comment.

East Grand Rapids businessman James Azzar, through his attorney at Rhoades McKee, is proposing another parking ramp for the site to support two vacant buildings he owns nearby. He is offering $1.95 million.

The proposal states the parking would allow Azzar to convert his long-empty Keeler Building at the southeastern corner of Fountain Street and Division Avenue NE for use as a hotel. The smaller, boarded-up Kendall building fronting Monroe Center would be converted to residential condominiums.

Azzar's attorney, Robert Shaver, said the parking ramp achieves the city's goal of mixed use by enabling the reuse of two other buildings.

The city will assess the proposals over the next few weeks before deciding which developers to interview, Shannon said. City Commissioners could vote on the recommended proposal by late April.

The plans are available for public review at the development office inside City Hall.

© 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission

jdkacz

March 12th, 2005, 07:18 AM

Brothers open art gallery

By Morgan Jarema
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Jon and Jake Bouck concede they never had the ambition to assemble portfolios of their artwork, a time-consuming yet necessary step to have it exhibited in local galleries.

But the brothers from Mount Pleasant somehow found the energy to open their own art gallery.

"This way, nobody can say 'No' to showing our stuff," said Jake Bouck, 26. "And we can pick and choose what we show."

The business, which opened last month, is called Tributary -- so named "because it feeds into art but is not the mainstream," Jon Bouck said.

It is located at 40 S. Division Ave., one block south of Fulton Street, and features the work of both brothers as well as featured local artists.

The building is believed to have been constructed at the turn of the 20th century as a hotel. It also once housed a funeral parlor, offices, a coffee and flower shop, and most recently was used as artist studio space.

The walls of the 900-square-foot gallery -- which the brothers spent two months restoring -- contain Jon's watercolors of famous baseball players, Beaver Island landscapes and farm scenes. Customers also can find religious icon plaques made by a Greenville artist.

Tables around the gallery contain pottery and sculptures made by Jake Bouck. Chairs and a faux fireplace occupy the rear of the gallery, and a small table provides work space for either brother.

Jon Bouck, 36, an art and science teacher at East Kentwood High School, hatched the plan for the gallery last fall after inviting Reb Roberts, folk artist and co-owner of Sanctuary Folk Art, 140 S. Division Ave., to speak to his art students.

Jon is also known in this area as the former varsity baseball coach for East Kentwood High School.

Jake, who earned an art and anthropology degree from Central Michigan University three years ago, was in northern California when his brother suggested he join him in opening the gallery.

"Owning a gallery was something I had planned to do in retirement," Jon said. "Talking to Reb about owning a gallery and about the Heartside area, which has really affordable space and a growing network of artists that really support one another, it all just came together at the right time."

JT-MI

March 13th, 2005, 12:55 AM

I love that we have someone from Grand Rapids who has access to media outlets to keep this post alive... keep up the good work, man...

james2390

March 13th, 2005, 04:34 PM

Nice stuff! This is great news for Grand Rapids. I wish they would do something like this in South Bend.

ManageMich

March 15th, 2005, 05:50 PM

Grand Rapids is such a great town. Both it and Kalamazoo are two of the best kept secrets in the Midwest IMO. They have both undergone major renovations and are both located within a half hour of some of the best summer beaches in the nation on Lake Michigan. Kind of funny how they each have their respective lake communities; South Haven for Kalamazoo and Grand Haven for Grand Rapids.

hudkina

March 15th, 2005, 09:21 PM

Man how fast are you driving where you can get to Lake Michigan from Kalamazoo in 30 minutes?! It's closer to an hour to get to the coast.

ManageMich

March 16th, 2005, 12:01 AM

Hudkina, Kalamazoo is my hometown. Many people make the mistake of taking M-43, especially in the summer, when there are better ways to get there that the locals know. I actually used to have it timed at around 25 minutes going way beyond the speed limit of course.

hudkina

March 16th, 2005, 03:44 AM

You must have been going double the posted speed limit then.;)

jdkacz

March 19th, 2005, 07:29 PM

Condos -- too cool or too many?

Friday, March 18, 2005
By Chris Knape
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Behind the "for sale" signs, optimism and the salesmanship of an impending downtown housing boom is a tinge of doubt.

While developers are publicly optimistic about their projects, some are privately concerned about saturating the downtown residential market too quickly amid a rush to build hundreds of condominiums.

At least nine developments, including several that emerged over the past month, are in the works.

They range from modest renovations of small commercial and apartment buildings to major skyline-changing projects.

Starting prices range from $95,000 to more than $200,000.

Together, the nine projects will have up to 883 units.

That number doesn't include plans for dozens of apartments that could be converted to condominiums.

In suburban terms, that would be a huge new housing development. For downtown, it is a larger second wave of the housing boom that began in the 1990s.

"I think there would be concerns if every one of the projects went," said Mike Maier, president of Rockford Development, which is working on several residential projects downtown. "The operative word is 'if.' There are some projects out there that are going to be tougher than others to get off the ground."

If the most ambitious of the projects move forward, downtown will be a considerably different place within five years:

Robert Grooters Development Co.'s plan for the 325- to 370-foot-tall River House Condominiums tower adjacent to Bridgewater Place would make it the first or second tallest building in town. Plaza Towers is 340 feet tall.

Attorney Joseph Moch's drastically changed plans for what is now being called the Icon On Bond project at the former Grand Rapids Foundry site now includes a 15-story condominium tower with 118 units. A second tower now planned as apartments may also be sold as condos, Moch said.

Developer Robert Tol is still working on plans for a 14-story condominium tower, now called 20 East Fulton, near the southeastern corner of Division Avenue and Fulton.

Five developers, including Tol and Rockford, are vying to redevelop the former City Centre parking ramp site, with several proposals including residential condominiums along with retail and office uses.

Tol is among the most cautious about the prospects for his proposals, saying they are only "ideas or conversations."

"It is very possible that neither project will come to fruition," he said in an e-mail.

The housing boom isn't limited to new construction.

Second Story Properties' conversion of the soon-to-be-replaced YMCA building, 33 Library St. NW, into about 40 upscale condos is set to get under way this summer.

Parkland Properties has embarked on a plan to overhaul West Middle School, which is visible from the U.S. 131 bridge at Int. 196, as 130 to 140 condominiums.

Downtown is also speckled with smaller projects ranging from the eight-unit Dayton Building, 143 Cherry St. SE, to the 12-unit Front Row condominiums on the long-vacant upper floors of several commercial buildings along Monroe Center.

There is pent-up demand for a variety of projects, said Donna Dozeman, a downtown residential real estate agent with Second Story. The market will ultimately decide when it has had enough, she said.

"There's got to be a saturation point," she said. "But I want to keep the enthusiasm up about all of these projects."

The developments are being driven, in part, by a city-sponsored study released in 2004 that showed downtown could absorb 350 new units each year over the next five years.

City leaders said they're optimistic projections will be borne out by the market.

"I don't have a crystal ball, but we have a very sophisticated group of developers," said Susan Shannon, the city's economic development director. "Spread out over three years, downtown can handle about 1,000 units."

Banks are still trying to get their hands around the situation and the risk it presents.

"I'm not sure any one bank knows exactly how many of them are being pitched," said Mercantile Bank President Mike Price. "We've looked at a lot of them and financed a few. We wonder what is the total capacity, because a lot of them target people in the upper-income ranges."

Financing the projects will hinge on the ability of their developers to sell units before construction, said Sean Welsh, regional president of National City Bank.

"I don't envision us having 800 units in downtown Grand Rapids that are all empty and fully financed," Welsh said. "That's just not going to happen. These people are too smart."

So who's buying?

Grooters' River House concept -- with its covered balconies, riverfront location and parking -- enticed Dale Medema, the owner of Medema's Carpet &Interiors in Kentwood and Steve Lankfer, owner of manufacturer LDI.

They are among the 48 people who already put a $1,000 refundable deposit down to reserve a unit.

Medema said he's "about 70 percent sure" he and his wife will sell their Cascade Township home and split time between a penthouse condo and a new place on White Lake.

"The kids are out of the house, the dog died -- we just don't need that much space anymore," Medema said.

Lankfer, who would be moving from another downtown condo into a penthouse, said he's ready for something new.

"Now that I've made the commitment to living downtown, I'm looking for a larger home," Lankfer said.

If a majority of the projects materialize, however, there is renewed optimism about downtown's ability to attract grocery and drug stores, additional clothing stores and other merchants to downtown.

Rockford Cos. Chief Executive John Wheeler said he is close to announcing a deal with a grocery store. A new women's shoe store is also eyeing a spot along Monroe Center.

While most national retailers still aren't interested in coming downtown, drug store giants CVS and Walgreen have expressed renewed interest in the market after years of shunning it for faster-growing suburbs.

jdkacz

March 24th, 2005, 07:03 AM

By Rod Kackley
MiBiz Network

GRAND RAPIDS — Developer Robert Grooters has a new plan to build a second tower alongside Bridgewater Place on the north side of downtown Grand Rapids.

The foundation for that second tower has literally and figuratively been in place for years. The construction of a second tower has been planned since the first tower was finished in 1993.

On March 11 Grooters released a rendering of the River House at Bridgewater Place, a proposed 23-story residential/retail condominium. Grooters Development Vice President Gary Rose told MiBiz that discussions with Grand Rapids city officials are progressing smoothly. As MiBiz went to press, the Grooters project had not been put before the city’s planning commission. More city and state of Michigan cooperation will be needed said Rose, if the project is to come to fruition.

“We have a couple of small hurdles to cross with the city, but they have been very supportive,” he said. Rose added that the financing of the project is contingent on receiving a brownfield tax credit along with other city and state incentives.

Grooters sold the first tower of Bridgewater Place to the Koop family of Hudsonville several years ago. He wants to connect the condo complex to the first tower, and will need the Koop family’s permission to do that. Rose said that those discussions have been underway for some time, and no problems are expected.

“We don’t anticipate any issues. We have a really good relationship,” he said.

The River House will feature condominium homes ranging from 800-2,200 square feet, each boasting a private balcony. Penthouse homes will start at 3,000 square feet and include private terraces. Prices will range from $175,000-$400,000 not including the penthouse level.

Rose said that the first floor of the building would be devoted to retail establishments that would serve both towers. The search for those tenants is underway.

For tower two Grooters has chosen the original designer and architect of the first tower, Brian Winkelmann, principal of DTS & Winkelmann Architects. In addition, Lucien Lagrange, a Chicago architectural firm, has been selected from a nationwide search to contribute to the overall design.

“Lucien Lagrange is helping us on the design concept,” said Rose. “We searched all over the United States for a company with experience on projects like this. Beyond that, this is a very good fit. We just clicked with them.”

Lucien LaGrange has designed many metropolitan high-rise luxury condominiums including the new 67-story Park Tower hotel and condominiums located in downtown Chicago. Both architectural firms have worked together to modify the shape of Tower Two to maximize the spectacular downtown views.

Rose said Grooters would like to start building this fall. The company is in the pre-sales phase now and has taken more than 40 reservations. Once Grooters gets reservations on 60 percent of the 235 units, dirt can turn and the building can get started.

Construction is expected to take approximately 15 months. Rose said the River House should open in January 2007.

jdkacz

March 26th, 2005, 07:54 AM

Panel looks at 3 firms for City Centre site
Friday, March 25, 2005
By Chris Knape
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- A committee of city leaders and downtown property owners has chosen to interview three of the five developers who submitted plans to redevelop the site of the former City Centre parking ramp.

Those being asked for interviews during April are:

The partnership of Rockford Cos. and Design Plus of Grand Rapids, which is proposing a CVS drugstore on the Division and Fulton corner with a five-story condominium building to the west along Fulton and Commerce.

RSC Associates of Chicago and Second Story Properties of Grand Rapids, with a plan that calls for a jazz club, bookstore, pool hall and cafe at the Division/Fulton corner with a 11-story condominium tower on the western end of the site.

Division and Fulton LLC of Cascade Township, an undisclosed group that envisions a larger footprint eight-plus story building with commercial office space, condominiums and ground floor retail space.

The committee will not interview East Grand Rapids businessman James Azzar, who proposed a parking ramp to serve redevelopment plans at two vacant buildings he owns, or Grand Rapids commercial real estate agent Robert Tol, who proposed using the land as a staging area for another condominium tower he is planning and developing it as a mixed-use site later.

"The Tol and Azzar proposals were not complete enough or didn't have the specifics about the redevelopment or were too far off," said Susan Shannon, economic development director for the city.

The interviews will take place at closed meetings of the project review committee.

Mayor George Heartwell, city commissioners Lynn Rabaut and Robert Dean, Parking Commission member Jack Hoffman, Downtown Development Authority member David Cassard and Richard Craig and Joseph Niewiek, who own properties near the lot are on the committee.

Shannon said some form of recommendation should be presented to the City Commission by the end of April.

Despite the decision about who to interview, and the plan to choose a recommended buyer or rank the proposals in order of preference for the City Commission, the public can be excluded from the interviews because no deliberation is taking place, said Dick Wendt, an attorney who represents the city.

The committee, appointed by Shannon, also lacks a quorum of a public body, Wendt said.

"The rationale is that they are nothing more and nothing less than an evaluation team," Wendt said. "They are not going to make a decision, nor are they deliberating toward a decision."

Wendt said the full City Commission will have the chance to interview all of the developers if it wants to or reject any recommendation by the group.

© 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission

jdkacz

March 29th, 2005, 05:54 AM

By Rod Kackley
MiBiz Network

GRAND RAPIDS - Wells Fargo Bank believes in manufacturing and Wells Fargo Bank believes in the Grand Rapids market. That was the message delivered by two of the Milwaukee-based financial institution’s top executives in Grand Rapids last month.

Wells Fargo Executive Vice President Perry Pelos and Senior Vice President Rich Kerbis spoke with MiBiz during the opening of the new Wells Fargo office in downtown Grand Rapids.

The company’s commercial banking, private client services, commercial mortgage group and Wells Fargo Investments divisions have all been moved to a recently renovated 5,400-square-foot space on the tenth floor of McKay Tower.

Kerbis said that Wells Fargo, as an institution, developed an interest in Grand Rapids when its research showed that the manufacturing base, per capita, is very high in West Michigan, compared to other markets.

"If a business can be described to us in 25 words or less, it is probably something that makes sense for us," said Kerbis. "There are a lot of those types of businesses and people in Grand Rapids."

The problems being experienced by the manufacturing sector don’t bother Kerbis. He is confident that they are cyclical in nature, something that Grand Rapids’ industrialists have a lot of experience dealing with.

"In Detroit a lot of the tier two auto supply companies disappear during the down cycles. But manufacturers in the Grand Rapids market are able to ride out those cycles and they have been around for a very long time," he said. "This is a solid, solid market."

Pelos believes that manufacturing is ready to rebound.

"My personal opinion is that we are due for a manufacturing renaissance in this country. U.S. manufacturers are world-class, competitive companies. I think we are entering a period that is going to be very positive for U.S. manufacturing. Regardless if that happens or not though, we are very committed to manufacturing."

Of course the heavy concentration of manufacturing was not the only factor that had to be studied before the decision to expand the Wells Fargo Grand Rapids office was made.

As with most financial institutions, Wells Fargo executives looked at the economic base of the market, potential client lists and competitors.

"We also layer on top of that the type of people in the market who would be available to run our office," said Pelos. "We look at their personalities and how they would fit into our culture. For example, we have been looking at Cincinnati; that is part of my territory in the upper Midwest. But we have not been able to find the right person. If we can’t find the right person, we won’t do it."

Pelos said Wells Fargo believes it found the right person to run the Grand Rapids office when they discovered Don Van Dine, who was working for Michigan National Bank at the time.

"Don is also the kind of person who is interested in building a business block-by-block," said Pelos. "Other people just want to sit at the wheel."

Wells Fargo has 72 employees in the Grand Rapids market. Kerbis expects that number to grow.

"The commercial banking office is sort of the hub of our wheel. So, when we come into town, you see the other Wells Fargo divisions move into the office as the customer base grows."

Pelos said the bank has options on additional space in the McKay Tower building and would probably look at expanding offices there before building any new facilities.

"The retail side of the bank is a whole other equation. It is a growing organization that produces 60 percent of our revenue. But, we don’t need to have that to be successful on the commercial side."

jdkacz

March 29th, 2005, 05:56 AM

give thanks to DetroitMan at skyscraperpage for this little nugget.

Tower Preview Is Tomorrow

RAND RAPIDS — A sneak preview of Robert Grooters Co.’s condominium tower on the West bank of the Grand Rapids is scheduled for tomorrow morning in the lobby of Bridgewater Place.

Robert Grooters and his team will unveil plans for a 31-story condominium tower that will feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls, 10- to 12-foot-high ceilings and four high-speed elevators, among other amenities.

A revised drawing of the building’s exterior also will be presented at that time.

The project, called River House, would be the tallest building in the city, and Grooters said it will feature convenient parking and storage for tenants, two of the biggest complaints he’s heard among city dwellers.

The firm is taking reservations for the condos and construction is scheduled to begin in early fall with a completion date in the first quarter of 2007. Grooters said 60 of the units have been reserved. BJX

This project looks like it will be a 'go', does anyone plan on being there to see it?

jdkacz

March 31st, 2005, 04:11 AM

Performance theater plans get approval

The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Downtown entertainment mogul Greg Gilmore can proceed with his plans to build a 1,200-seat performance theater next to his B.O.B. nightclub at 20 Monroe Ave. NW.

City commissioners on Tuesday approved a three-year option to sell a city-owned parking lot to Gilmore for $499,000.

Terms of the option call for Gilmore to pay 11 percent more if he puts off the purchase for a year and another 11 percent if he waits two years.

Gilmore also plans to build a family restaurant and perhaps a boutique hotel on the 25-space parking lot.

Gilmore said the performance theater would fill a gap between the DeVos Performance Hall and other facilities such as St. Cecelia's Music Society.

JT-MI

March 31st, 2005, 05:08 PM

Some renderings of the 24-story downtown Marriott expected to be completed by Summer 2007:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/JT-MI/gr1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/JT-MI/gr2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/JT-MI/gr3.jpg

The hotel will connect to the convention center, and will include a riverside courtyard and riverwalk.

jdkacz

April 3rd, 2005, 01:46 AM

nice looking building. with the riverhouse condos being built (31 stories) this and the children's hospitol (12 stories) there will be a lot of cranes downtown in the next few years.

Michi

April 3rd, 2005, 03:15 AM

When is the hotel tower suppose to break ground?

jdkacz

April 4th, 2005, 03:12 AM

i was wondering the same thing when i was downtown today... as far as i know the old israels bldg is still there, and havent heard when demolition was to begin.

jdkacz

April 6th, 2005, 06:46 AM

By Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- If they build it, more graduates get jobs.

This is the pitch Grand Valley State University administrators are using to sell lawmakers and the governor on their next building project: a $16 million expansion of the Keller Engineering Laboratory on the Grand Rapids campus.

The lab opened in 2000 with 553 students, and enrollment has increased steadily to about 700 last fall.

GVSU's engineering school is an attractive option for undergraduate students. Job placement is nearly 100 percent, and last year's graduates earned starting salaries averaging $48,000.

So far, GVSU has accommodated all qualified engineering candidates, but administrators worry they will not be able to continue that practice without expansion.

Administrators learned from the state last month that GVSU stands a good chance of receiving $12 million in capital funds to help fund the Keller expansion. The university would need to raise the remaining $4 million locally to complete the project.

GVSU President Mark Murray said he believes funding will come through. "It's been a while since there's been any capital outlay," Murray said. "This is a strong commitment from the state."

The last time GVSU received capital funds was in 2000, when the state kicked in $37.1 million toward the $57.1 million Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in Grand Rapids.

GVSU expects to receive capital funds this time around as part of a budget deal struck by lawmakers and Gov. Jennifer Granholm last month that calls for a $30 million cut in funding for higher education. College administrators have been promised they will see some of their funding restored if tax revenues come in higher than expected.

The silver lining for Michigan colleges and universities is a $200 million pot of capital outlay funds that will be made available to fund campus building projects.

Funding for the GVSU expansion would allow the engineering labs and offices to exist under the same roof, said engineering dean Paul Plotkowski. Now, all the labs are in the 30,000-square-foot Keller building, while additional classrooms and faculty offices are next door in the Eberhard Center.

The addition likely would consist of more than one floor and take on some sort of triangular shape, linking the Keller and Eberhard buildings behind the Meijer Broadcast Center.

Expanding the engineering school makes sense for students and the state economy, Plotkowski said.

"It's the kind of education that prepares them for the industries that the state is trying to expand in," Plotkowski said.

jdkacz

April 19th, 2005, 03:25 AM

Here is the latest update concerning Gilmore's bid to get his performance theater built downtown. From the sounds of it, this process is several months from bringing any concrete news. One thing I was surprised to read was that he was in negotiations with a hotel. I still think that part highly unlikely, but more plausible.

By Rod Kackley
MiBiz Network

GRAND RAPIDS — A limited partnership — 20 Monroe Building Co. — operating as an entity of the Gilmore Group entered into an property option agreement with the city of Grand Rapids March 29 for a quarter-acre piece of property that is one-third of a city-owned parking lot in downtown Grand Rapids.

Small it may be, but it is a valuable piece of real estate. The price tag for the landlocked property could be anywhere from $498,818 to more than $1 million.

The Gilmore Group owns the adjacent property — a building full of restaurants and nightclubs— known as the B.O.B. at the corner of Fulton Street and Monroe Avenue. Greg Gilmore told city commissioners that he has been thinking for several years about building a 12,000-seat performance theater that could be topped by a small, boutique hotel on that property.

Grand Rapids City staff supports that concept. During a city commission Community Development Committee meeting in February, Deputy City Manger Eric DeLong said that he had been working with Gilmore for almost two years on the concept.

“We think it would be very good for the city’s Arts and Entertainment District,” said DeLong. “This is going to be a good project.”

He also said he needed the option because finalizing development plans will require a significant investment of time, energy and money. He still needs to retain an architect, perform site evaluation studies and environmental investigation activities, along with designing improvements. Of course Gilmore also has to work through the city’s zoning process and must secure tenants, financing and/or partners. During the February meeting with city commissioners Gilmore said he was in discussions with operators of several hotel chains, although he declined to name any possible partners for the project.

“Our main goal for this project is the theater,” said Gilmore. “The hotel could be added on in the future.”

City commissioners approved a one-year purchase option agreement with the limited partnership, with the right to renew for two successive years. Gilmore will pay $10,000 for the first year of the option. The prices for the second and third years of the agreement would be $20,000 and $50,000 respectively.

The option price would be credited toward the purchase price if Gilmore decides to buy the land. If Gilmore decides not to buy the property, he would forfeit whatever he has paid for the option.

The agreement includes three sale prices for the property. If the sale is closed by January 1, 2006 Gilmore would pay $498,818. The price at the end of the second year is $513,813. The third year carries a price tag of $529,262.

If he decides to buy the property, Gilmore must invest at least $3 million toward improvements on the site, construct a facility with a minimum of 20,000 square feet that will be substantially completed within three years of the closing date of the sale.

The price for missing any of those benchmarks will be steep. The city has the right to double the purchase price if Gilmore fails to deliver on those promises. That could push the price of 11,360 square feet of downtown Grand Rapids property to well over $1 million.

jdkacz

April 19th, 2005, 03:37 AM

Here is also an update for the division & fulton site. Mostly a rehash of what was already known. Tol has changed his plan slightly, but doesnt appear to have any shot whatsoever, and his proposed 14-story Parkplace condos seems bleaker every day with other developments (ie, the mammoth RiverHouse Project).

At this point its mainly a 3-horse race with Tol and Azzir out of the running. Popular opinion is against the good ol' boys in Rockford Dev especially with its lack of vision. Although I've rumblings the deadline could be extended if a proposal goes above and beyond whats on the table, but I dont know if that rumor can hold any water.

Details emerge for development of Division and Fulton site
Thursday, April 14, 2005
By Chris Knape
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- The five projects being considered to take the place of the demolished City Centre parking ramp downtown had their day in the sun Wednesday.

A committee reviewing proposals for the southwestern corner of Division Avenue and Fulton Street spent three hours asking questions and listening to presentations. Next week, it will meet again, possibly ranking the proposals.

The City Commission is expected to review the recommendations by late May before deciding on a buyer. City Commissioner Robert Dean, a member of the proposal review committee, said he has favorites but wasn't ready to pick one.

"I'm beginning to look into how they fit into downtown and the viability of the proposals," he said.

A thumbnail sketch of the proposals:

RSC &Associates of Chicago and the local Second Story Properties envision a $26 million entertainment complex featuring a jazz club and upscale billiards hall, and a two-story bookstore alongside an 11-story condominium tower. They are offering $1.9 million for the land.

Rockford Cos. of Belmont and architects Design Plus have drawn up a $12 million project called One Fulton Plaza, which would include a 24-hour CVS pharmacy adjoining a five-story condominium building. They are offering the city $330,000 in cash and 78 public parking spaces, valued at $1.62 million, to be deeded back by developers.

Division and Fulton LLC of Cascade Township is pitching an eight-plus story building with commercial office space, condominiums and ground-floor retail space. It's offering $1.18 million for the site.

Developer Robert Tol proposes using the land as parking to support a four-story addition he is planning to the former Junior Achievement building he owns across the street. He said he also would build a retail building at the site, but provided few details. He said he does not need the site for staging another project, as he proposed earlier. He is offering $2.05 million.

East Grand Rapids businessman James Azzar is proposing a 250- to 300-space parking ramp for the site, which would support two vacant buildings he owns nearby, one of which is the Keeler building on Division Avenue, in which he plans a hotel. He is offering $1.95 million.

The proposals by Tol and Azzar, initially not on the city's short list, were given a full review.

The Rockford/Design Plus project is the only one in which developers say they can start construction immediately.

RSC &Associates and Second Story Properties provided the most detailed proposal of the day for their entertainment, retail and residential concept.

"We are in discussions with a bookstore and theater, both of which are locally owned," said Sam Cummings, president of Second Story. He did not name the prospects.

The proposal by Fulton and Division LLC remained the largest, most expensive at $29 million -- and most mysterious.

David Levitt, a commercial real estate agent for S.J. Wisinski &Co., said he could not disclose the company's financial backers or the tenant he said has agreed to take 20,000 square feet of office space in its development -- half of the total office space planned.

© 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission

jdkacz

April 19th, 2005, 03:41 AM

Lastly, is this article against the new Marriott hotel. Hopefully a small bump in the road, but you can't breath easy until the shovels and cranes have started.

Hotel owner takes on Alticor
By Jim Harger
The Grand Rapids Press

A local hotel owner is leading a campaign to pull the plug on government assistance for a rival's hotel plan, saying a tax break worth millions of dollars is "corporate welfare."

There Is plenty of room at local inns, argues Bob Sullivan, so government should not provide millions of dollars to help Alticor Inc. build a downtown Marriott, according to his new group, Taxpayers Against Waste.

The group is running political ads in The Press penned by Jose Flores, a Southwest Side grocer and publisher of an English and Spanish language magazine, Sullivan said.

The ad in Saturday's paper said the plan to assist Alticor amounts to "preferential treatment" for the "rich and powerful" and urges the Grand Rapids City Commission to vote against "the gift over $5 million."

"Taxpayer funds that are proposed to be awarded to Alticor would be better used in support of the Grand Rapids Public Schools," the ad read. It also said the breaks gave Alticor an unfair competitive advantage over other hotels.

Sullivan said he paid for the ads because The Press refused to publish the message. The Grand Rapids businessman owns three hotels -- including Days Inn across the river from Alticor's site.

The campaign surfaced as Alticor is preparing to build a 24-story, 340-room hotel along the Grand River, south of its Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Alticor's owners also own and operate the downtown Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

Alticor representatives say they need the incentives to make the project successful and financially feasible. Those responsible for the area's convention trade also have supported Alticor's project, saying it will be a key factor in the future prosperity of the city is new convention center.

Alticor is the direct-selling company based in Ada, formerly known as Amway Corp., and was founded by Rich DeVos and the late Jay Van Andel. Some of their children now lead the company.

Taxpayers Against Waste specifically opposes the city's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) plan to finance improvements around the hotel site.

Sullivan said the assistance was unnecessary because the hotel market is oversaturated.

"There's no need for new rooms in this city," Sullivan said Friday. He has complained his hotels have operated at a vacancy rate in the 50-percent range. He also is a partner in Radisson Riverfront, 270 Ann St. NW, north of downtown, and Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on 28th Street SW.

Taxpayers Against Waste lists Sullivan's 28th Street SE furniture and carpet store its headquarters. Sullivan said he created the group with his friend, Cascade Township resident Lou Educato, local lawyer Gary Schenk and Brian Maxwell, general manager of Howard Johnson Plaza.

Sullivan, who owns a condominium in nearby Plaza Towers, also has complained the new hotel tower would block his view of the Grand River.

City commissioners are expected to vote Tuesday on a plan that would allow the DDA to pay for up to $5 million worth of improvements around the hotel site. The improvements would be to sidewalks, streetscape and a floodwall. The panel tabled a decision on the DDA plan last week.

Funding for the improvements would come from property taxes generated by the hotel. Some of the work previously was planned, but the Marriott proposal accelerated and drastically expanded the scope of the improvements.

The DDA improvements are important to the hotel project in another way: The state is requiring the local assistance before Alticor is eligible to receive a $5.9 million tax break. The tax break would come in a credit toward Alticor's Single Business Tax.

The state makes tax credits available to encourage companies to clean up and redevelop obsolete and contaminated "brownfield" sites, such as the hotel site.

Jaybird

April 19th, 2005, 04:17 AM

Grand Rapids I hear is a nice city, although can be boring at some times, but not bad. I think the skyline could use a lot more buildings, but with all these buildings sounds like Grand Rapids has got a lot going for it. My cousins, uncle, and aunt live in Holland, MI, not too far from Grand Rapids. That hotel looks nice and will certainly be a nice and much-needed addition to the GR skyline. Are there any other highrises proposed, like maybe in that city center study or whatever? Will that 31-storey condo tower be built downtown?

jdkacz

April 19th, 2005, 05:25 AM

The 31 story condo tower is still collecting reservations, and the developer has stated they want 60% reserved prior to building and wanted to get started this year. Which I think is possible, the pre-sales thus far have gone smoothly but I dont know the current #. Last figure a few weeks ago was around the 50-60 unit mark.

There's also a 12 story children's hospitol planned with its location on the hill will make it the highest bldg in GR. There is no concrete start date, however, the chances of this project coming to fruitition are good.

Other then that everything else is kinda hazy like the former twin 20 story Bond towers, which i think now are done to 12? There is also a proposed 14 story condo tower that i dont think gets off the ground either.

I really think that the city really needs to get the hotel and condo high-rise built to start pushing over some dominoes and then we can really start to see the city begin to garner some steam.

jdkacz

April 21st, 2005, 07:18 AM

Looks like the hotel will be a 'go'.

Alticor ready to move on new hotel
By Jim Harger
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- The City Commission voted to let its Downtown Development Authority spend $5 million on improvements for Alticor's planned 24-story downtown hotel Tuesday.

The 6-1 vote also clears the path for Alticor to receive another $5.9 million worth of state tax credits for the $100 million project, which will add 340 hotel rooms near Alticor's two other downtown hotels.

Bert Crandell, the hotel's project manager, said the approval means they can start construction work next month and prepare for a July 2007 opening. Except for a "heli-stop" proposal that was denied, Alticor has all of the city approvals it sought for the project. First Ward Commissioner James Jendrasiak was the sole "no" vote."

The commission's approval came despite opposition from rival hotel owner Robert Sullivan and his "Taxpayers Against Waste" group. They claimed the DDA plan amounted to "corporate welfare" for Alticor's billionaire owners.

Sullivan, who owns all or part of three hotels in the city, said he didn't believe the DDA's assistance would have changed Alticor's plans to build a convention hotel across the river from his Day's Inn hotel.

"They were going to build a hotel anyway. They didn't need the taxpayers' money," Sullivan said.

For his next step, Sullivan said he may pursue a state referendum that would withdraw the state tax credit promised to Alticor.

Much of the debate over the DDA plan centered around the issue of whether taxpayers' money was being spent to assist the Alticor project.

The $5 million in sidewalk, floodwall, skywalk and streetscape improvements will be funded by the DDA from property taxes it would capture from the new hotel. Proponents argue the $5 million would not have been available for the DDA to capture without the hotel project.

"I think we're very grateful to see an honest review of the facts prevailed over emotionally-charged invective," Crandell said after the vote. Alticor officials said the new hotel will create 650 jobs and added revenues for the county's hotel-motel tax.

Though opponents argued the DDA's tax capture took money away from schools, Susan Heartwell, executive director of the Grand Rapids Student Advancement Foundation, told commissioners the Alticor project will generate an additional $470,000 per year for the city's public schools.

© 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission

Jaybird

April 22nd, 2005, 08:19 PM

^ awesome! Now the Grand Rapids skyline will get just a little bit bigger! :)

jdkacz

April 29th, 2005, 06:49 AM

small development, but Olive Express opened downtown yesterday in the monroe center right across from the rosa parks circle. definitley a nice location and i hope that it certainly does well.

jdkacz

May 10th, 2005, 07:59 AM

Looks like this project can be officially labeled as 'in progress' compared to planning stages which is good!

Alticor Has Projects Downtown
By David Czurak

GRAND RAPIDS — Construction on a new downtown hotel starts this week, while work on downtown's only four-star hotel, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, continues this week. Alticor Inc. owns both hotels.

Security fencing is going up around the site of Alticor's new Marriott-operated hotel, just south of the Campau Avenue and Pearl Street intersection. Razing the Israels building is the first task that needs to be completed in order to prepare the site for the construction of the 24-story, 340-room hotel.

Bert Crandell, who is managing the project for Alticor, said once Israels comes down, then work on creating the entrance from Pearl Street to the hotel will get underway. Work on the hotel's foundation should get started in July and on the parking ramp in January.

Both foundations aren't being dug and laid at the same time because an addition is being made to the Riverfront Building, which is situated on the same Campau Avenue parcel that will house the parking ramp. Work on the Riverfront should be finished in December, which means digging for the ramp's foundation can get started the following month.

Infrastructure work on Campau Avenue will get started this summer, a project that the city is handling. Pepper Construction of Chicago and Rockford Construction are managing the hotel project. Lohan Caprile Goettsch of Chicago and BETA Design Group are doing the architectural work.

The city has approved every facet of the new hotel except for the helistop that was to be built on the roof of the four-story ballroom. City planners and commissioners rejected that design. But Crandell said he will return to the Planning Commission this month with a new design in hopes of getting the helistop approved.

Alticor officials will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new hotel in September and they plan to open the doors for business in September 2007.

Next September, though, is when work on the Amway Grand Plaza is expected to be done. Labor Day is the target date for completion of the belowground structural work in front of the hotel's Monroe Avenue entrance and for the debut of a Starbucks in the solarium that the Monroe Café occupied.

"Those solariums and the main canopy over the door all get replaced and a lot of work is being done in those vaults beneath the sidewalk," said Joseph Tomaselli, president of the Amway Grand Hotel Corp.

"What's beneath the sidewalks is our bakeshop, our pastry shop and our maintenance shop," he added. "All of the structural steel underneath those sidewalks has to be removed and replaced."

Tomaselli said there wasn't any danger of the sidewalk crumbling into the shops. Rather, Alticor officials just felt the time was right to do the work with the 24th anniversary of the Amway Grand coming up in September.

"With all the hard winters we've had and all the salt and cold over the years, there has been some erosion underneath those sidewalks, so it was time for us to take a look at that and we did," said Tomaselli. "There wasn't a concern about safety or any issue like that. We were probably five years away from any issues, but we decided to do it early."

In addition to the solarium for the new Starbucks, which the hotel will own and operate, is a new solarium for The Grill at the 1913 Room. The Grill will be unlike any solarium that has fronted the hotel in the past, as it will have a definite Old World look.

"You will feel like you're in Europe. Our inspiration for it was the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria," said Tomaselli.

A new canopy will go up over the entrance, and new lighting and landscaping will go in on Monroe Avenue. A new snowmelt system is also being installed, and once that is in place, the entire Amway Grand property will have heated sidewalks. "It's a lot of digging for a little project," said Tomaselli. Pioneer Construction is managing the project, which was designed by Gooch Design of Chicago. BJX

JT-MI

May 14th, 2005, 03:23 PM

May 14, 7:47 AM EDT

New museum building latest upgrade to downtown Grand Rapids

By JAMES PRICHARD
Associated Press Writer

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -- The Grand Rapids Art Museum has existed for nearly a century, but never has been housed in a structure of its own design.

That will change in early 2007 when the museum moves into its new $55 million home, an event officials hope will spark further redevelopment of the city's increasingly vibrant downtown.

The new GRAM will sit across the street from the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, a block from the DeVos Place convention center and a short walk from Van Andel Arena - all of which have been instrumental in revitalizing the once-moribund city center.

"This is really, in a way, the last piece of the puzzle within the spectrum of cultural institutions in our region," museum director Celeste Adams says. "We have needed a strong art museum as a centerpiece. This is what we're building now."

The renaissance had its beginnings with the hotel's reopening in 1981 but really started gathering steam in the 1990s. It has reshaped the skyline and added dozens of offices, shops, restaurants and nightspots, and at least 1,500 new apartments and condominiums.

"Along with other buildings in downtown, this major museum will really be one of the turning points that creates such a change in how the city will be perceived," says Kulapat Yantrasast, who helped design the new museum and is a partner in the Los Angeles-based architectural company Workshop Hakomori Yantrasast LLC.

The museum was founded by a federation of women's clubs in 1910 as the Art Association of Grand Rapids. The name was changed in 1963.

Beginning in 1924 and continuing for 57 years, the museum was housed in an expanded Greek revival-style home. On Sept. 17, 1981, it opened at its current location, a historic federal building that is now 94 years old.

The new building will stand next to Rosa Parks Circle, a park conceived by architect Maya Lin, the creator of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington.

The federal building, which the city owns and leases to the museum for $1 per year, will be leased for the same token amount to the nearby Kendall College of Art and Design operated by Ferris State University. The building will be used for exhibition space, classrooms and art studios, and perhaps for a library or auditorium, university spokesman Bill Taylor says.

Adams says people already were talking about expanding the museum when she took over there nine years ago. Expanding at the current site proved problematic, so on Feb. 23, 2000, the museum's board of directors voted to build a new building elsewhere. Another downtown site was secured about a year and a half later.

The project will benefit not only the museum but also the city and the surrounding area, she says. It will complement the hotel, the convention center and the arena as well the newer buildings that house such nearby institutions as the Public Museum of Grand Rapids and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

A study predicted that the new GRAM building will have an annual economic impact on the region of between $17 million and $28 million.

A fund-raising campaign has raised 85 percent of its $75 million goal. Besides paying for the building's design and construction, the money will be used for site-acquisition costs and go into an operating endowment. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September and construction is under way.

The building will be made from steel, concrete and glass and have about 100,000 square feet of usable space - two and a half times as much room as the 40,000 square feet available in the current location. It will have a much larger lobby, more gallery and storage space, and a bigger auditorium and gift shop.

"The galleries themselves are characterized by simplicity," Adams says. Some will have a combination of natural light and incandescent light while others will be completely enclosed. All are designed to allow for great flexibility when installing exhibitions.

Yantrasast's company started working on the GRAM building in March 2004 and completed the redesign this past January, although some work remains on the detailed construction documents.

Adams says the museum's last day in the former federal building will be Dec. 31, 2006 - 30 days after the new building is to be dedicated. She expects that most of her staff will move into their new offices sometime during 2006.

The new museum probably will be opened in phases as portions are completed. Museum members will be given the first previews, she says.

---

On the Net:

Grand Rapids Art Museum expansion information: http://www.gramonline.org/expansion/index.html

superNOVA

May 18th, 2005, 06:06 AM

Here is a rundown of downtown area development...

Likely and Guaranteed

Alticor Hotel - $75 million - 24 stories

River House Condos - $xx million - 32 stories - Reservations at about 120, almost there. Developer claims he will go as soon as 60% is hit, he is close.

RSC Proposal - $35 million - 12 stories - Will happen at some point, not sure when. Will house condos and entertainment.

Children's Hospital - $100 million - 12 stories - Just waiting in line, limited space only allows one major project at a time on the hill. Cancer Center is first. Money is already there for this project.

Icon on Bond - $35 million - 2 x 9 stories - I suspect that this one is actually a go. However, the developer has had issues in the past.

Towers Redevelopment - $150 million - 3 to 5 x 8 stories - 1200 lot garage - Guaranteed now that the VIA is expanding.

VAI Expansion - $150 million - 8 stories - Announced today. Will bring at least 400 new jobs to the VAI and will include a grad school.

Spectrum Cancer Center - $60 million - 6 stories - Starting this month.

St Mary's Brain Center - $35 million - 5 stories - Starting(ed)?

Art Museum - $70 million - Center of the town, should be nice.

Total development... at least $800 million or so in the next three to four years. Not bad for a 'small town'. Also considering that there was $600 million or so developed in just the last few years. Total development in downtown GR for this decade is on pace for nearly $2 billion.

Possible

BOB Expansion and Hotel - $xx million - Calls for a 1200 seat theater as well as a possible 200 or so room hotel - on a tiny lot.

Tol JA Redevelopment - $xx million - 12 stories - Calls for a condo project on an old unused lot.

Other than that there is a lot of buzz in the leadership that the pipeline is just filling. At the VAI announcement today almost everyone questioned mentioned that there were many projects yet to be announced for downtown and the hill. I think that by this time next year there will be no less than 10 major work sites in an around downtown. A boom.

I also suspect that more housing an expansion at GVSU are expected soon as well as housing around the hill. At some point, someone is going to put a condo tower near the hill to capture some of the high wage workers there.

kavok

May 21st, 2005, 07:16 AM

I just got back from a business trip in Grand Rapids and must say that I was really impressed with the downtown. Definitely one of the better kept secrets of the Midwest.

jdkacz

May 22nd, 2005, 05:23 PM

At some point, someone is going to put a condo tower near the hill to capture some of the high wage workers there.

that would really be an anchor on the west side of downtown, especially coming north from us 131. plus i would really expect a med-hill condo tower to be something special for GR. it wouldnt be of the 8-15 variety which there are plans for a bunch but more like the riverhouse and be on the 25-30 size. im hoping anyway:)

jdkacz

June 13th, 2005, 06:56 AM

here are some updates from the city of GR....

Coffeehouse hopes to perk up Monroe Center
By Chris Knape
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- The owner of a new Monroe Center coffee shop is hoping drinks like the Fuzzy Bear and the Chilli Chai will be enough to set the business apart from other downtown java houses.

West Coast Coffee, owned by Doug Bowman, opened this week in a renovated space at 55 Monroe Center. The coffee shop, which offers specialty espresso drinks, chai and smoothies is one of four on the street.

West Coast hopes to set itself apart with his personal flair, Bowman said. Among his specialties are the Fuzzy Bear, which is a honey-caramel cafe latte; and Chilli Chai, a blended spiced tea drink.

"The vast majority of my drinks are very original to downtown," he said. The shop is open 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weekend hours have not been set. Bowman plans to stay open some nights for special events and may have regular evening hours eventually.

West Coast expects to offer its own wired and wireless Internet access within the next few weeks. For now, Bowman said the shop is getting a strong signal from the city's free wireless Internet pilot project.

The coffee shop is one of several new stores to open along the same block over the past year. Other new shops opened the past year include Jimmy John's sandwiches, Marado Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, A Pear shoe store and An'gina's Boutique, a women's clothing store.

A Chinese restaurant is expected to open later this year. Another store in a spot next door to West Coast is expected to be announced next week.

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Medical complex gets OK
By Morgan Jarema
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Consider the way paved for one of the largest private investments in the city's history.

The Grand Rapids Planning Commission voted 6-1 Thursday to approve a plan for a 700,000-square-foot, five-acre medical office complex.

The latest edition of the plan by RDV Corp., a development firm owned by Alticor Inc. co-founder Rich DeVos and The Christman Co. calls for three office towers. The $120 million project is to be connected to Spectrum Health's planned Lemmen-Holton Cancer Center, the main hospital campus and Van Andel Institute.

Susan Shannon, the city's economic development director, said the project would bring more than 2,000 high-tech, high-paying jobs to the city, and would generate an estimated $1.8 million in income tax revenues for the city and an estimated $7 million for the state.

The towers, which will range from 11 floors above ground at Division Avenue to five floors above ground at the cancer center, are to be constructed atop a 2,300-space parking ramp. The towers are to rise virtually to the same height on the skyline, because the 11-story tower with the most exposed floors will sit 100 feet below the five-story cancer center.

Developers hope to start construction this summer and complete the project in about four years. Spectrum Health and affiliated doctors are expected to occupy a large part of the planned office space. The new towers will replace the Towers medical building and its parking ramp.

Including the cancer center, which is considered a separate development, the construction site will stretch between Division and Coit avenues bordered by Michigan Street to the south and Int. 196 to the north.

To make plans work on the steep, narrow site, Christman executives and project managers with URS Corp. were granted exceptions to building, landscaping and upper-level setback requirements. They also received approval for two skywalks across Michigan Street, one connecting with Van Andel Institute and the other to Spectrum.

Commissioner Peter Carlberg cast the sole no vote on the requests. He didn't think the project was as pedestrian-friendly, particularly along some parking ramp walls on Michigan Street.

The city's zoning ordinance requires that parking ramps have transparency at the street level. The approved plan calls for a mesh-type covering that would not be transparent to passing motorists but that pedestrians would be able to see through.

"I continue to have a real problem with this commission's interpretation of 'transparency,' " Carlberg said. "There's nothing here but blank walls."

Entrance to an employee parking ramp off Division Avenue also raised some eyebrows at the meeting. Commissioners were concerned employees coming from the east will have to detour through the Heritage Hill and Belknap neighborhoods because there is no direct entry onto Division from Michigan Street.

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Union Square condos to rise
By Morgan Jarema
The Grand Rapids Press

An old public high school will get two more new floors as a developer transforms it into condominiums. Parkland Properties, which bought the former Union High School and West Middle School building last year, received unanimous approval Thursday from the city's Planning Commission to add two stories with 22 penthouse units to the 93-year-old four-story school building, 615 Turner Ave. NW.

That brings the number of condo units being planned for the facility to 161. The addition of penthouse units is a result of high demand, Parkland Properties owner Jon Rooks said. So far, more than 100 people have placed a deposit to reserve units.

With the addition, the project is expected to cost $15 million to $20 million to complete. Rooks admitted the addition of the penthouses atop the brick structure's current roof will be "tricky."

Plans are to convert the current fifth-floor attic space into a lower level for each two-story penthouse. The plans reduce the previously approved height of the building by about 10 feet. Original plans had called for a rooftop common area and elevator tower reaching up to 96 feet.

The new rooftop penthouses -- which will be constructed along the east and west sides of the building and will be sided in black and terra cotta galvanized metal -- will rise up to 85 feet high.

Parkland also was given permission to install a 5-foot-tall iron picket fence around some grassy areas at the school to provide lawns for lower-level residents. Rooks likened the lawns to those found in front of Chicago brownstones.

Union Square is inside a city Renaissance Zone, which eliminates most state and local taxes for residents and other tenants until 2009. After that, taxes begin a three-year phase-in.

Commissioner Peter Carlberg said after the vote he was concerned about parking in the neighborhood. He voted against rezoning the property last year because of similar concerns.

Many residents, he said, do not have off-street parking, and guests of the development and the potential for retail businesses on the site "could really become a major problem."

With the addition, Rooks said the development still has 14 percent more parking than is required.