AG3

That is very well done. And what the Corner of Coit & Hastings should of looked like. (the gateway) Instead we got that ugly thing with all that ugly cheap '' the projects brick"

In the right setting awnings add some nice character and intimacy.. I think this is the right setting .. The building is not multi level, so not much dimension. Yes on awnings.... and nice to see you guys taking this one on. What size spaces and do you know the lease rates yet. ? We have interest .. www.artesiangroup.net

I was part of the committee who helped draft the ordinance with the city. It grew from neighborhood frustration with Spectrum and GVSU using the neighborhood as a parking lot. I think our condition were much different than these other neighborhoods. We pleaded for years with Spectrum to help and we were ignored. Gvsu was proactive when we approached them with the issue, and they were surprised to discover how many students were using our neighborhood for parking once they did an independent study. The issue on the blocks the ordinance was adopted for has much improved. Prior, we had virtually no on street parking for neighbors. However, the problem moved over to just the outside edge of the ordinance. And now those neighbors who never had an issue have a big problem with no on street parking. I agree that people figure it out. I also believe we actually have additional spaces if we change the traffic flow on certain blocks and allow parking on both sides of the road where we can. That should have been the first conversation. In our neighborhood alone, we have the capacity to add over 500 spaces on street by making some of these changes. This would cost the city very little financially and would actually be a free traffic calming measure. As numerous studies have proven. We did a brief scan of other neighborhoods and they would have similar results. In Chicago you would never see cars only parked on one side. They also handle what we call odd even parking restrictions much wiser than we do.

I agree. I don't know the owners personally, but I am happy for them.. I know they have worked butts off and have a deep passions for coffee. Not just about the dollar.

Rowster Coffee moving into the space on the corner of Clancy and Hastings. Meritage was concerned with parking, going to be a smaller space now. I dont think they are still sure what kind of setting they will have.. Breakfast option would be great..

No not wrong at all. What is wrong is when those people are made to feel like it is wrong. We have all these new catch phrases these days that are suppose to tell us how messed one group is or another. Implicit bias is the newest one - basically its a safe way to tell someone that deep down your an A-hole. Usually when the word gentrification is thrown out its thrown out to shame someone or something. I personally think it takes us from where the conversation should really be and prevents us from tackling the real issues. I would agree on the incentive front too.. Lots of people in our communities who are capable, but not enough resources to sustain them for long enough to become a viable operation for whatever they do.

Im back already. To early for a beer.. ''Not saying that gentrification doesn't happen or has not happened in Grand Rapids. In fact, someone who used to post here purchased 40+ properties in a single neighborhood, jacked up the rents on residents, and even joined the neighborhood association and heavily pushed an area specific plan that would benefit his "dream" development projects'' Okay . GrDad you have to get your facts straight .Obviously your talking about me . But you couldn’t be more wrong in your outside looking in assessment. Yes I put together a group of people and purchased a large number of homes in belknap over a long period of time. And I did it with basically no money . I was 23 at the time and at the time Belknap was not at all a very desirable neighborhood. To me, it was the only way to get rid of the the one hundred different llc owners so that we could eventually do what is happening in the neighborhood today. It’s why development has happened so rapidly in such a small geographical area in Belknap. No guarantee it would, but I didn't give up. For 8 years from 2001 we renovated well over 60 Homes that were in such poor condition you wouldn’t let your dog live in them. Having lived through actual gentrification in Humboldt Park Chicago I understood what it would take to participate when that neighborhood came back. So I made sure a group of minorities, felons, and people who grew up hanging and dealing drugs on Clancy were able to own homes in belknap. Yea - people you probably wouldn’t associate with . These people own at least a home or more in a few cases on just about every block in belknap. And now they can benefit from the growth. I also to this day still rent to people in belknap who cannot afford to live in the neighborhood if I charged what I could actually get for rent. With that said, the high rent phenomenon is happening all over the country not just in Grand Rapids. The City didn’t get out in front of it in time and now it’s an issue. Our new commissioners are on it !!!As far as the ASP goes . The city mandated that we do that. And of all the ASP's done to date and I have reviewed them all, I believe ours was by far the most thoughtful and meaningful of all of them . Because it included everyone no matter how much money you had or didn't have and all voices can see tangible aspects that were important to them that speak to that within that document. It has teeth and it’s not just worth the paper it’s written on.But while we’re at it -I spearhead an effort to get permit parking for our neighbors and helped draft ordinance - first in city .I helped raise over 150k for our linear parkI helped raise over 80k and we did the construction management for free for our building at 700 Clancy that now serves as a center for all.I helped raise 27k and single handily succeeded in the effort to move Charles to his new homeI was part of a small group between the city, gvsu, and NOBL that helped to draft and implement an MOU that was hailed as a first and unprecedented in the state of Michigan . My wife and I have personally helped with resources, our efforts and our finances to see that numerous people from within our community purchased a home. So while your taking about it, we are doing it. And that was just as a neighbor because of passion and love for community - Noting else. But you always have those people who when you succeed on your own, it had to be through some form of illegitimacy. ALL GOOD. NOT FIRST OR LAST TIME THAT WILL BE THE CASE. As a company - The Gateway project, Trowbridge lofts, and numerous other small projects I put together in that neighborhood. One guy . All that while being a minority and an outsider who was being accused of being a drug dealer, who had his windows broken out, his home tagged on with hate speech, and on and on, all the while dealing with people like _ _ _.What you call gentrification, I call making our community better. Theses neighborhoods that are coming back fell into despair long ago and the moment they did, the day when they would become healthy again was inevitable. So I don’t believe the word gentrification is at all an accurate word to be used to describe what’s happening. The greater issue is the missed opportunity for those who live in these poorer neighborhoods and how do they participate and benefit when improvement occurs .In my Puerto Rican community in Chicago after being pushed out of Lincoln park in the 60’s and 70’s - when we then landed in Humboldt Park - most had a sense that they needed to own there homes. And moving to the least desirable of neighborhoods was how to achieve that . Then came the boom in the 90’s. And Homes went from being worth 50k to 400k in a matter of years . And then for the first time in any of our generations our parents had financial resources they had never had .We benefited. And our parents had something to give us . That’s how it should be !Gentrification today is still debated in Humboldt and in fact in recent years it’s probably become the most divisive - to a degree where business are posting signs saying you are not welcome .However, when you really take a snap shot, it’s more about identity than anything else . Our community feels as if it’s loosing its identity and who it is. No one complains about the financial gains, unless you didn’t own a home or business. But even those who didn’t own were somewhat insulated because it was our parents or cousins or fellow minority’s who owned. Maybe a false sense of comfort, but none the less it helped.If we’re thoughtful, then the neighborhoods that are still rough and where home values are still low in Grand Rapids, we have an opportunity. As I have learned. You can be known as Tattoo Tommy on the block and become a homeowner and a proud one. You just needed someone to give you the time of day and help to teach you a skill and then show him through action and means you believe in him. Let’s ask him if what’s happening in the neighborhood is a bad thing. Beers on me !