54equalsunity

Nice to see this project moving along, even if it is rather uninspiring. https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/apartment-complex-to-redevelop-former-studio-28/amp/?__twitter_impression=true HŌM Flats at 28 West Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I think that about sums it up. My wife and I went hiking at Seidman Park this past summer and stopped in Ada for ice cream on the way back. The newness and the all-at-once development kinda creeped me out. However, It seemed pleasant and quaint and village-ey enough, and I'm glad it's there to provide a number of small-town food and shopping attractions. I kinda just lump it in with all the other massive urban-suburban town center-type projects that are proposed or happening across the country. They all make me go, "meh." Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

If the Renaissance Center can have a CVS (which must be supported entirely by office workers, because it's not really evident for hotel guests in that maze of a building), I'd think we could have one downtown. I'm not hopeful for one anytime soon, however. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I remember reading an article similar to this one a while back. It looks like Amazon is just working to expand its delivery empire without having to be directly involved in the delivery business. https://www.fastcompany.com/40590799/amazon-wants-hundreds-of-startups-to-help-deliver-its-packages And who needs vans when we can **bring on the drones** [emoji38] Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I wonder if the parking spaces were part of a business plan for it to service more outside patients, but the volume from discharge meds and staff fills proved to be enough for the pharmacy. I'm curious to hear about the signage, at any rate. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I definitely see your point on the last mile issue. There are big employment centers in every corner of the metro. I do think people will undertake the process you've described above *if driving is inconvenient enough.* As long as we can find a way to put money into transit as the city/řegion continues to grow, it will work. Hell, look at the West Michigan Express. That project has generated a lot of interest from people who I thought would never want to do anything but drive. A big issue I have with adding more lanes (besides those I've already voiced) is this: I've only been here for a couple years, but I've been here long enough to drive all around the metro at all times of day, and outside of rush hour (which *has* gotten longer) the traffic is not bad. Even during rush hour, it's busy, but not soul-crushing, and what we're left with outside of rush hour are these big, empty roads that aren't serving any purpose other than taking up space. We've been trying this approach since the 50s. There has to be a better way, right? Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I've talked about this on some part of this forum before. I agree that we could use a pharmacy in downtown proper. Absolutely. However, there is the Meijer in Spectrum (as mentioned) and there is also the Wege Pharmacy in the office building at 300/310 Lafayette behind MHSM. There is a Walgreens on Michigan just east of College, but it isn't your typical retail establishment and services mostly specialty medications (read: expensive). My dream would be to see/work in an urban Walgreens/CVS a la Chicago, but alas, it needs the foot traffic. Drive thrus suck. Also... Why is it bad that Walgreens closes for lunch? The alternative (which is still the case in most all pharmacies) is that pharmacists work their *entire shift* with no break or lunch. At all. These are the people evaluating and verifying the appropriateness and accuracy of your prescription medications. We deserve to close during the day because most of the time there is only one pharmacist on duty. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

The last thing we need to do is add more highway miles to a system we already can't pay for. I don't think this line of thought is too progressive... Why not invest all that money we'd spend building roads into transit services that could get people from Rockford, Cedar Springs, even up to the county line to downtown without adding to traffic congestion? If we continue to rely on cars, it's an unsolvable problem. Knowing MDOT, though, y'all will get your wish eventually. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Yes. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

South side. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Well of course! I was just coming at it from "which of the two would I prefer" thinking. I think Grand Rapids does do a good job of having a unique skyline and attracting tourists. Any time I talk to people who live on the east side they always have a story about themselves or someone they know coming to visit. Also, to support my love of our skyline: when I was going to school in Big Rapids I would make a point of taking 131/196 through town instead of 96 on my way back and forth from Flint just to see the skyline. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

These places also tend to be soulless tourist traps with no culture. I'll take a modest skyline over hotel high rises. Hell, I'd take a city of 4-6 story buildings as long as it had all the amenities spread out in a walkable fashion. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

"Modifications include changing the striping configuration to create one travel lane in either direction and a center left-turn lane, plus a parking lane on the south side of the road." As someone who has crossed Michigan at Grand many times, this diet will be very welcome to all in the area. Drivers are constantly flying through there and weaving around others turning left. The article states that the diet was planned for "this spring" (2019), so I don't know what the holdup is... https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/gr-planners-to-implement-road-diet-along-michigan Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

You can say that again! I keep trying to figure how long I'll have to rent for before I can muster up enough for a house in decent shape in a walkable neighborhood (nothing else will do). It's a double edged sword for me, though... West Michigan is NOT good for pharmacist jobs right now. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

As much as I dislike the government spending money on highway infrastructure, this project is pretty damn impressive. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I heartily disagree, especially because this section of Michigan is a vital connection between Monroe North, Bridge Street, downtown, and the rest of the Medical Mile, all of which have significant amounts of pedestrian traffic. This area will never be a pedestrian utopia, but it could at least be bearable to walk through. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

That McDonald's should be torn down and used as filler in another location's Big Macs, and then never be spoken of again. It's too bad it's (presumably) such a profitable location. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Outside of rush hour and major events at Van Andel (which pale in comparison to rush hour, even), that area is not a pain to drive through. I drive for a rideshare service and if anything I get caught up more by traffic lights than actual traffic. And outside of the rush hours, that holds true for anywhere in the metro area. Besides, the city saw fit to construct dedicated bike lanes on Division (taking away lanes from cars, oh, the horror!), and the downtown stretch of Fulton is much, much livelier than that. Granted, the traffic counts are higher, but if we're going to play the "cars = space for cars" game we're going to lose every time. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I think dieting Fulton down to three lanes would be a great idea. Why should cars be the priority? Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Do you really need bike lanes? I'm a full proponent of just biking in the traffic lane, especially in an "urban" environment like "downtown" Ada. After all, it's just paint... Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I also took a picture today! Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Does anyone use Google Maps? I don't ride the bus too often, but when I have Maps has worked well However, I do also have Transit installed. It's a quality app. What I would like to see is smartphone integration for the Wave card. I saw it advertised when they rolled out the system. Any word on when that is coming? Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I do what you do, but if a bus wants to be aggressive about it I'm all for waiting for them to clear the intersection. As a pedestrian, though, I treat cars in totally the opposite way. Just walk through the damn crosswalk! Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Oh, I totally get the appeal of the Castle. You just wouldn't catch me living there. I lived in the most boring and dreary of buildings at College Hill Apartments. It was the walkability that I needed. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Ha! Having lived in the Ann Arbor version of the student ghetto, I'd say there's nothing privileged about not wanting to live in slumlord-owned housing. No one should have to live like that, especially for those prices. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk