[GVSU Downtown Development]

As a former long-time resident of Washtenaw county, I can safely say that there's a substantial difference between the two locales.

Ypsi and A2 have Washtenaw Ave between them. Think 28th St with Alpine added in. Dozens of student apartment complexes and smaller rental units, along with SF housing and neighborhoods along with strip malls and shopping/services. Ypsilanti (incorporated 1858) is an established city with sidewalks, walkable neighborhoods, a downtown, a cool historic area and personality, and a real sense of place.

I've only gone out to Allendale a few times, but it's no Washtenaw Ave. Does it have a downtown? (Ypsi has two DDA districts.) Convenient link to a pertinent air photo:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=yp...=1&ct=title

EMU is slowly moving west, with area near the stadium becoming more campus-like. I haven't noticed a big GVSU presence in Standale, other than Laker product at the Meijer's.

As a GVSU alum, a professional planner, and as someone who has taken the bus before, it'a a relatively short bus ride from the Allendale campus to DT GR. If you've ever driven Lake Michigan Drive during the week during school time, the bus stops are quite busy between DT and Allendale. Why do you think there has been such growth along LMD?

Plus, there has been significant multi-family residential growth in Allendale Townhip that is creating a real "off-campus" feel that the Allendale campus never had previoulsy, a la Western or Central.

I will grant you that the main Allendale campus does not have the historic downtown atmostphere, but the many other amenities that it offers are really starting to make it stand out from Western, Central, and Eastern.

And in closing, let me state that I also attended Wayne State University for my graduate degree, so I am well aware of the many pluses that Metro Detroit has to offer.

[Meijer]

Thats Meijer's new store model. Same on on Kzoo & M-6. IIRC they made a big deal that it was something like 20% cheaper to build, and much faster. I think all their new stores will be the same model

The Meijer on K-Zoo/M-6 does not look like the one in Ionia.

[Meijer]

I've said it in another thread and I'll say it again here.

I understand why people call K-zoo/28th st. "Ghetto Meijer" and it really upsets me. I love going to that Meijer as a way to escape the monotony of all the other Meijer's. Sure, it's a little more dirty, cramped, and disorganized than the others, but it was also the first of their stores (I think) to incorporate the all-in-one shopping expericence. I've never felt unsafe or out of my element while shopping there.

I've heard people make unpleasant remarks about the "diversity" of the people who shop there. I love the diversity. I've never seen so many different races/ethnicities/income groups in any other big box store as compared to the "Ghetto Meijer".

To me, the Meijer at K-zoo/28th st. is an example of what we want our urban experience to be like; the mixing of races and income groups, a little gritty but interesting as well.

I thought this was an urban forum, not a what Meijer is worse forum.

Ranting Done