mgreven

Exactly...since the restaurants in GH are just so-so, if this project and the other ones they are looking at all take place it could really be a great place to stop on the way to or from GH for a whole different experience. Of course, us locals will love it too but I'm sure we are going to need some tourists and visitors to sustain everything. I hope this kicks off making our little town into a great destination...everything else about it is great - recreation, schools, people, bike paths and lake/river but downtown is sorely lacking. Seven Steps up being right there will help the synergy a bunch, too. Great music venue.

Spring Lake's Epicurean Village plans are moving forward...I was getting worried since those vacant buildings are all sitting there and there hasn't been any news on it. https://www.grandhaventribune.com/Business/2018/08/15/Downtown-Spring-Lake-development-site-plans-debut.html They also created a website for the project... https://epicureanvillage.com

I think those are filled with greeting cards now.

Sorry...for some reason I didn't even think of Google-ing it. =) Interesting story - very cool history. Wonder what the plans are?

I was at the corner of Leonard and Alpine and next to the new apartment building that’s going up it looks like someone is renovating another building and pulling the siding off to reveal an ad for a horseshoe store. Anyone know the scoop? Is this just the first time I noticed this? Is it really old enough to be from the era of horseshoes?

Not just you.

I guess I didn’t see you. I was working at my wife’s office and noticed lots of people snapping photos today.

You beat me to it! I saw someone taking photos today. Here are mine - not as good as yours.

I hear it’s looking great with the fencing down. Going there this afternoon - I’ll snap some photos for everyone.

From what I was told, they were having issues with environmental stuff due to the gas station's tanks leaking. That was a while ago, though.

I was going to ask the same thing. It’s supposed to start pretty soon, right?

That stinks...I don’t understand how that works in the long run. I hope thy don’t kill that mall...sadly, I think they have already started.

So that’s what’s going in on Walker. I’ll be stopping there a lot more often. I like Meijer but I find the gas stations to be kind of dumpy. They have a new one in Cascade that we just stopped at the other night. It’s really, really nice.

Here we go! I know people were excited for 42 stories, but this will be a nice piece of infill on that parking lot.

And Mayan Buzz will be in the Bridge Street Market...that's only two, though.

Two small things...ice cream shop coming to that tiny building next to Kale's. Inside is demoed. I saw "Go Java" menus (15 Ionia) having up in the old Sparrows space? Are they moving or doing a second location there? I'll answer my own question after a FB search... And secondly, we are proud to announce that the Go Java family will be growing in a major way with the opening of our second location on the west side. Introducing Go Java West, located at 442 Bridge St. NW, coming June 2018!!

Gone already. Russo's closing May 31. http://www.grbj.com/articles/90765-russos-closing-downtown-location Not super surprised since other things like this have struggled - although I had hoped they would make it since they have experience in the industry. It was a nice shop. I'm always shocked when places go out after less than a year. I figure most businesses would plan on a bit of time before being profitable. Maybe it was much worse than they expected. =(

Big parking lot? =) I know you won't spill but is there going to be news in a week, a month, a year?

It's pretty bad. Really small and run down houses. Didn't seem too much different than when I lived right there and walked that way all the time. Back then, a couple were vacant and boarded up - I didn't noticed if that was changed or not...too distracted by the new buildings and sunshine! =)

It will be good to see that lot developed. I was just walking around there on Sunday and that corner is lacking. Whatever happened to the restaurant that was supposed to go in the Wealthy Street Station place? BTW, I couldn't believe what a difference that development on the old McDonald's site made. I took some photos if anyone hasn't been by there in a while.

Cool. I know the couple who are bringing the franchise here. Really great people - I hope it does really well for them!

Just saw this...http://www.grbj.com/articles/90505-two-downtown-market-vendors-close Sounds like both are closing for Love's to expand and enter the chocolate/candy world, too.

Then there's the Lakes Mall in Muskegon...already a lot of vacancies and lots of local type store (second hand, comics, vape shops). That Younkers was supposed to stay but with that, Sears and JCP as the anchors it could get worse really quickly. Not even 20 years after it was brand new and took a bunch of stores out of Muskegon and into Norton Shores/Fruitport.

Haven't been in there in years, but it was a pretty nice auditorium for concerts. At 2300 seats or so, I remember it and DeVos being two of the biggest auditoriums in GR - long before the arena days. Just always seems crazy to tear down auditoriums (or a huge sanctuary in this case).

I'm sure you do...just messing around. Residential makes sense...does seem crazy if that facility gets torn down, though.