GRGyp

IMHO the killer for G.R. Ford is Lansing. A 60 mile drive to Lansing can save you $150 a ticket. That right there shows what a low cost carrier can do. I don't see much difference from taking a connector flight for GR to Detroit/Chicago than from Lansing to Detroit/Chicago, but doing so out of Grand Rapids adds about $150 to $200 a ticket, where out of Lansing it adds about $50.

Most likely S or O scale. S scale the cars would be around a foot long. O scale around a foot and a half. Handy comparison chart for average car sizes: Z - 3 to 4 inches (rare to see) N - 5 inches (uncommon but will see occasionally) HO- 9 inches (most popular) S - 12 inches O - 18 inches G - 24+ inches (garden trains)

But returning the river to it's natural state would probably improve the water quality. The dams in place actually add to the color of the river. The sixth street dam holds back the waterflow. Add in sunlight to mix with a slowdown in waterflow and natural sediments being carried from downstream will allow for more alge growth than if the river was freeflowing. Now compound the issue with fertilizer runoff from properties flanking the river. Even more food for the green stuff to grow on. As for my two cents worth, I actually like the development plans GR as doing currently with the Grand. I like the emphasis of putting the riverfront to recreational walks and parks over retail and commercial development. I remember being downtown in the mid-70's as a little lad, and that was a time where the river was truly being ignored. The 80's were the time where they started turning it around. Gillete bridge was coverted from auto traffic to a footbridge first, then the old rusting black railroad bridge was converted later to our lighted blue footbridge of today. (I can remember walking across the old railroad ties to cross the river back when the Ford Museum was dedicated. I actually bypassed the Secret Service pat down and screening that day by doing it! The fun things you could get away with back then as a young teen ) Beleive me when I say that in 20 years the river front has improve 1000%. To sum it up: Today you fish for trout, in the 70's it was carp.

It depends what they do with medians in the parking lot. I know from environmental standards that big parking lots like that generate alot of heat from the sun warming the blacktop. If they truly are being lauded for environmental excellence, I expect that those medians will be filled with trees that can grow to sufficient height to keep the lot significantly shaded. The building itself maybe very green and environmentally friendly, but the parking lot and landscaping need to follow in the same concept to be truly "environmentally excellent". Exposed blacktop needs to be shaded, and landscaping needs to be designed to minimize water use. So they need plenty of trees in the parking lot and a minimal use of large grass lawn areas that would require daily watering.

Given the choice between an petroleum based plastic bag and a wood based paper bag, I fing myself requesting paper a lot more lately. Lucky for me I like bananas...

Somewhere in the range 1900 and 1914 is my best guess. I base this on the fact that the railroads on the map are marked Pere Marquette, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, and Grand Rapids & Indiana. The Pere Marquette line was originally the Chicago & West Michigan RR before a merger with two other railways created the Pere Marquette in 1900. The GR&I started out in 1854 until it was absorbed into Pennsylvania RR in 1918. The LS&MS started out in 1869 until it was absorbed into the NY Central RR in 1914. So the Pere Marquette dates the map as no earlier than 1900. The lack of the PRR and NYC being listed strongly suggests that it's earlier than 1915. Very nice piece of history you have there!

River structures from left to right. Truss bridge - Railroad bridge for the old G.R. & I (At least I think it was built for the G.R. & I. If not, it's the Chicago & West Michigan RR that became part of the Pere Marquette/C&O/CSX system.) Truss bridge - Fulton St bridge (This bridge must not have lasted long. 1890's maps don't show it, and the current open spandrel bridge was built in 1927.) Truss bridge - G.R. & I RR bridge Truss - Second railroad bridge? (First thought: Interesting, because I can't find any maps with this bridge on it. 1890's with a gap to a 1914 map. At most it lasted 20 years, or one of the maps I saw is seriously wrong.) (Second thought: Could the rock pile in the river be the remains of a footing for this bridge?) Arch bridge - Pearl St bridge Arch bridge - Bridge St bridge Line in the river - Dam at the head of the canal system Faint bridge beyond - Leonard St bridge.

"Now mother, this downward trending red line represnts the number of a**l rapes downtown. Notice how it corresponds to the downward trending blue line representing the number of facial gunshot wounds..."

Because why fill all that space up with nice buildings and trees, when you can have 40 acres of nice flat asphalt instead?

I like the lighting effect surrounding the crane. Like it's a gift from God stepping out from the heavenly light...

And to think, several years back they would of just been potential victims...

Was it a possible store location for the old Bavarian Village ski shop franchise out of Detroit?

I'm glad they never went with that design. It looks like they were trying to recreate "Grab Corners" by cutting off Monroe at Lyon and forcing traffic to turn and go to Campau. While the plan would have created a huge pedestrian area in the middle of DT, I think the traffic problems it would have caused around that area would have discouraged foot traffic from entering that area. Plus I prefer road traffic along side foot traffic in a downtown setting, provided that their is ample sidewalk space. The city feels more alive that way. *sniff* The old "Hall of Justice". I still can't believe they tore it all down and evicted Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League.

Is that the slant on the floor you are talking about? I thought the bottom floors were parking garage. You'd need that slope for drainage.

It doesn't fit the surroundings at all. It reminds of the Greek temple they have built along US-131 as you come into Cadillac. You don't marvel at it, you glance over at it and just kind of go "Huh?"

Maybe as the general contractor and some specialty work, but alot of the work is subcontracted out to local companies. Plus remember supply comes into the equation as well. There is only so much concrete that can be manufactured and poured in this area.

You're getting paranoid Unless some out of town contractors start showing up for work, there is only so much labor that can be applied to jobs. Let some foundations get filled and move on to the next phase, and more holes will open up soon enough.

Look closely and you can make out "Justice" in place of Ottawa. According to this map, at one point Ottawa Ave only travelled between Bridge and Lyon. Between Lyon and Pearl there was no road. Justice started up at Pearl followed the elbow, and connected up at Fulton Street. When they finally punched a road between Pearl and Lyon, they must of renamed the entire stretch Ottawa to avoid confusion. Look at how much the river was re-engineered with the dams. The new Marriott could of been sitting on it's own island!

Off the exit, head west on Lake Michigan Dr to Graham Rd. (First street off of Lake Michigan on the right)Head north on Graham to Bridge. Turn east on Bridge to Sunset Ave (on the right). It's been about fifteen years since I was on that street, so I'm not sure how good the view is from there now. It's probably the closest street with the highest vantage point overlooking the Ford Fwy.

This was years back that I worked as a merchy for Brooks Beveraging and worked those stores. I always remember Alpine is being and older store that was well maintained. Kind of like Jenison Meijer. It's old, you can tell it's old because it looks worn, but you can ignore it because it looks like the work on it. Now Meijer 28th/Kalamazoo is ancient and doesn't have that same feel, and if you get into the backroom you'd call it ghetto Meijer as well. You feel like your in a back alley in the Bronx when working there. Other Meijer stores are much more spacious in their backroomm setups. Meijer Plainfield is similar. A very cramped building in both the aisles and backroom. I like the old style Meijer stores with the shops on the balconies above the checkouts. Plainfield's balcony area, however, scares me. You have a hair salon on one end and right next door is a place that sells artificial limbs. "Hi! I'd like a little off the top, trim it up over the ears, and lose the left leg please..."

Growing up I always remembered WLAV doing the traffic report with someone spoofing Jackie Stewart's voice. I think it was Tony Gates who did it. Now that he's back in town maybe we could get him to announce the bus races. "It's a great day for a motor-car race!"

Yikes, that would make running out for a gallon of milk and a prescription quite the adventure. I didn't think hermits went to planning commission meetings.

They designed the building just after the President of H&R Block signed up for Sprint. He was overheard saying: "Oval shape buildings lead to offices with no corners. Just one more example of me sticking it to the man..."

Is just me, or does this not look like George Jetson's apartment. The artist really needs to add a dog walk tread mill with George and Astro on it.

It was, but it was known as Standard Savings & Loan in 1930. It became Standard Federal in 1950. And here everyone thinks GR is 5 to 10 years behind the times, when it is actually 20 years ahead!