[East Beltline Developments]

I don't think it's unreasonable to think that $45 for a dinner for two would sell in Grand Rapids. How long has The Melting Pot been across the street from this proposed PF Chang's site? Do they even have a dinner for two under $50?

PF Chang's is to Chinese food what the Olive Garden/Johnny Carino's is to Italian.

[GVSU Downtown Development]

Is that a nice, tall, impenetrable cement wall blocking off the riverfront from the rest of the property?

The way I understand it is that's an addition that includes a theater/multi-purpose room that would have expansive views of the river.

[New Construction and Renovations in the Heartside District]

Plus, who would replenish the urinal cakes?! J/K.

I'd love to see a fountain. The park looks really nice. When I heard pocket park, I thought grass, a few trees and a bench.

Joe

Fountains in Michigan are an expensive proposition with very limited usage and plenty of maintenance hassles. I'd rather see something, like a sculpture (or ArtPrize venue) that can be enjoyed year round without the maintenance hassles than a fountain that's turned on 5 months or less out of the year. Empty fountains in winter, fall and spring are depressing magnets for trash.

From a green standpoint, the power and water used in a fountain isn't really an efficient use of resources.

[The State of Downtown Grand Rapids Retail]

It closed at the end of August.

What's there now?

Lia Rose, a new women's store, opens in the former Pallets space on Monroe Center on Oct. 13.

http://blog.mlive.com/knapescorner/2009/09...monroe_cen.html

[THE Downtown Market updates]

Speaking of Farmer's Market's - I was in Traverse City yesterday for a meeting and noticed a multi-use lot on Grandview Parkway between Union and Cass. I'm thinking the same could be done somewhere on Monroe N or elsewhere.

What about putting on Monroe across from DeVos Place, replacing the stone wall that greets conventioneers with something that encourages them to cross the street. Parking beneath City Hall and DeVos Place could also serve the market.

[Hey, what's that (and other miscellanea)?]

The joys of old threads...

Pretty sure that building is part of the bakery business on the kitty-corner. Ride through at about 9 pm any evening, it smells wonderful.

It's probably Roskam or its spin-off, Hearthside Foods, that you smell. Roskam has been known to buy buildings and leave the old signs up. Mazda Great Lakes on 29th Street also is Roskam's building, despite the old Mazda signs being on the building.

[People talking about Grand Rapids]

Hmm...that is puzzling. Why would they just start doing that out of the blue?

The "press release" above is actually an Associated Press report written based on Kellogg's earnings release. AP reporter James Prichard is based in Grand Rapids. AP style is for the dateline to where the report was written. Some papers, like the GR Press, deviate from that style so readers can quickly identify the community most closely tied to a story. The NWA site report, compiled from AP accounts, simply made a mistake. Kellogg has substantial operations in Grand Rapids (28th St. and Roger B. Chaffee), but its HQ remains in Battle Creek.

[The Watering Hole]

I think GR needs a zombie walk.

Linky

Another linky

Not just any Zombie walk. The biggest zombie walk.

See you Thursday?

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/entertainment...rapids_zom.html

[Frederik Meijer Gardens - $115 Million Expansions/Enhancements]

I hope they replace the smelly tram and gas-powered utility trucks with quieter, no-emission electric cars and trams. That always annoys me about the gardens, which are one of my favorite places to visit in the area.

[Grand Rapids Restaurant Rumor Mill]

Where the heck is bloom? I've never heard of it.

[Parking problem downtown - too much of it? Not enough?]

Also, the People Mover had 2.3 Million riders last year, or about 6500 riders/day average, and equal to 1/4 of the total Grand Rapids bus ridership for the whole metro area. As much as I pick on it, it's hardly a cash-draining albatross.

It still drained money and has a very limited range.

Last year also was boosted by the Super Bowl and an exceptional year for the Tigers. Look at the ridership figures from the previous 20 years. It has never come close to paying for itself.

Face it, the DPM has been losing money for years, provides a very limited form of light rail around downtown and is incredibly expensive to maintain and add on to (which is why it hasn't been added to in any significant way). There's a reason no one has built a similar system. It just doesn't make economic sense (plus it interferes with the architecture of some wonderful old buildings. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad ridership is up and now that it's there, Detroit should maintain and promote it. But "Coleman's Train" is nothing to hold up as an example of an urban transit system done right.

From the freep last year [http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/578223/trains_in_transit_people_mover_rides_high_detroits_short_rail/index.html]: "The system was paid for in fiscal 2005 with $8.74 million a year from the city and $2.95 million from the state. Fares that year brought in $443,669."

[Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments]

...so, um, does anybody know if anything happened over there today?

It's gone....

[Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments]

Sort of off topic, but in the realm enough to post:

Much of the urban renewal area is connected by tunnels. I'm told a few them were even operating until 9/11. They were closed due to security issues that seem more obvious now. I believe the Fifth Third, City/County, and old Hall of Justice were part of the system. Anyone know more?

Also, the Press has a tunnel between the Press building and the Int. 196 bridge, used for loading paper rolls from the train tracks into the old printing area.