Allison Slater

Downtown Market/Meijer now supports MPerks

I'll be there.

I would love to learn about modular construction!

Oh that was more than several years ago. So long ago I had to spend a few moments trying to remember that I actually did. Maybe I could start it up again.

I'm exactly the same. Don't care for rock climbing at all yet spent an hour yesterday searching around google maps. Nothing.

I really miss those.

The round sign reminds me of those round lamps atop old gas pumps.

This is why I'll be soon looking to own a home outside of the city. I want to live in the city, but I think I value my freedom to have my home as I see fit more. And the numbers are just so much better outside the city.

The retail scene. We lost Schuler's, and as the city has grown the potential for Downtown retail still has not been realized. I think the city really needs to get serious on this issue and work towards solutions. Downtown is still just a glorified food court, but now with craft beer. The city's handling of parking. It feels like the idealism of a perfect city where nobody drives in a grand new urbanist utopia has been getting in the way of the realistic needs of the city and the people who live and work in the city. Less surface lots is a good thing, but there needs to be more ramps especially for leased spaces for office workers, and new projects with several tens of apartment units going in with very little to no parking spaces seems to be all too common.

Yes. The street trees also provide an excellent way of making the street feel narrower than it really is.

Yes.

In addition to these, Tesla showrooms sound unlikely also. Last year they were going to close all of the showrooms, but ultimately decided just to scale them back, especially in areas in which they aren't allowed to sell from the showroom (see: Michigan.)

Correct > Lyon Square - Nothing Happens Partial > Calder Plaza - Plans are made toward the end of the year but confidence in anything actually happening is low. Incorrect > RDV moves into new building but cosmetic upgrades are really minor. Partial. Not topped out yet but is looking as good as the rendering so far. > Hinman Tower tops out. It looks just as good as the rendering. ??? Fears of a recession toward the end of the year result in the Market project being scaled back or cancelled. ??? Moderate-to-large residential developments continue in the suburbs and get little to no attention here until forum-goers stumble upon them by chance. Correct > Convention Center Hotel moves forward, but veeeeery slooooooowly. Correct > Library parking ramp gets decided, but no ground moving yet. Incorrect > Another attempt is made at the Keeler. Incorrect > A moderately-sized development is proposed along Division. Incorrect > A moderately-sized development is proposed in the Market District, probably as a conversion of one of the old factory buildings on Godfrey or Century into apartments. Incorrect > 196/96/Beltline and bridge over Grand River construction results in massive traffic backups and congestion, and demand for better infrastructure gets much louder, especially with commuters from Ada, Cascade, and Rockford being affected. Talks about mass transit options for these corridors arises with commuter trains that probably won't ever happen, or an east-side BRT-lite like Silver Line in cooperation with Spectrum. Correct > Post Office still sits. Incorrect > Chunks of land between Wealthy and Franklin are demolished for parking lots. Incorrect > Chunks of land on the West Side are demolished for parking lots. Incorrect > Chunks of land on the north side of 96 are demolished for parking lots. Incorrect > Another development is proposed in the Michigan St. corridor, or north of 96 not necessarily in Belknap. Correct > Panda Express attempts another location near Woodland. Incorrect > Chik-Fil-A attempts another location on Alpine. Correct > White Castle still is not here. Correct > Whole Foods still is not here. Correct > Groundbreaking for MSU Research Facility. It looks cool, but not super cool. Incorrect > Frustrated by parking and 96 congestion from construction, another Downtown office moves to the burbs, possibly near Ada. Incorrect > Rockford acquires more land and announces another development for its westside, but no renderings or additional information are available. Correct > Whitmer tries to fix the damn roads, but gridlock in the legislature gets in the way. Correct > Spectrum announces a new building. Incorrect > A small development is proposed in Burton Heights with LIHTC. Correct > Still no IKEA, and thus I will continue to have strong desires for swedish meatballs. 11/25. Any of my correct/incorrects incorrect? I really want some damn meatballs.

I don't foresee the steam plant moving any time soon, but that's okay, I think. Sometimes that sort of thing is just going to be a thing. A city can't all be new urban perfection. Cities are messy and chaotic, and infrastructure needs to squeeze in somewhere. I think we'd be better off finding creative ways to enhance that space than worry about it moving. Maybe some historic informational placards or something.

In a city of almost all 12 story and less buildings, 20 sounds super tall to me.

When did they paint the back walls of the Pantlind? That was unexpected.

Very much the entire west side between the river and the John Ball Hill was once wetland. There was a large channel that was created running south out of the west side to drain the swamp, and it still exists to this day but is now largely buried except for where it meets the Grand River in the Butterworth dump. If it were built after the 70s, the entire near west side wouldn't even exist and Downtown would probably have a severe mosquito problem.

And the Northeast is rather hilly, which may contribute to development being not as dense and more exurban in nature. The south side is all plains.

That plan was a wash.

There is a very awesome vintage style Cinema sign that has gone up at the end of the alley on Ionia and it looks like the alley is lit up now also. It looks divine!

They decided it would be better to have one menu for both locations, and the pizza-focused menu of the Eastown location won out over the Bavarian one. I was very disappointed the last time I went and haven't been back since. They do still have a "sausage special" on the menu that they rotate once in a while, but that one special is as German as it gets.

Hail Satan?

I was able to get into the I-196 lanes from the SB EBL->WB ramp without having to panic. Felt so nice.

I must've been too excited and tried before they had pulled the barriers away, then.

iirc, the media was also saying that everything was to be open except for EBL to EB 96, but EBL to WB 96 is still closed. In fact all of the signage heading south on EBL made it very clear EBL to EB 96 is closed, but no mention of EBL to WB 96 being closed at all until you reach the ramp and see the barriers still up.