mpchicago

That plastic sheeting looks similar to the glazing (windows) that Franklin Partners had proposed for the building.

Right, Yikes! I recall the neighborhood association really put the kibosh on that.

Right, remember they shot down the Starbucks drive thru building next to McDonald's that Terra Firma and Kamell Chamelly where working on.

I could never figure out why the city allowed that car wash to be built there, it doesn't fit at all into the "master plan" for that stretch. It's a very suburban type of operation/building.

The building will extend out past where the parking garage ends, all the way to sidewalk on Ottawa. Not sure how wide sidewalk will be, but don't see that there would be room for a pocket park. If you look at pic that Joe took, I think you can see where they are working on the foundation along Ottawa. While the latest rending that Chris posted above is small and hard to see detail, I still like what I see.

Can't say I'm in love with what I see, but I'm hopeful that it will look/function better than what is there now when complete. I trust they will not be using purple pavers. Would clash with red brick building I would think.

Yes, too many parking lots, but this is needed green space/improvement for the area. Hopefully as time goes on those parking lots are filled with more buildings and more green space. Looks like the old gas station corner is set aside for a future building....Wonder what that could be?

" The Finnley" a micro-hotel is planned for 65 Monroe Center, kitty-corner from where RDV plans a 32 unit boutique hotel at the Morton. The DDA just approved a small grant for the project. Looks like only minor improvement to the exterior mainly involving the stairs, sidewalk and light-well along Ionia. The building could use a new skin all together. https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/developer-plans-micro-hotel-on-monroe-center

Not sure how many people knew there was office space, let a lone a third floor at the Downtown Market, but there is. Company will fill space with 100 employees. Seems like a nice win for the facility. https://www.grbj.com/articles/95382-data-company-comes-to-downtown-market

I think someone posted that rendering somewhere back a few pages, but its a good nonetheless! I do hope they include what appears to be light bars across the top cornices. It would really add some PIZZAZZ!

Yes, agreed. When I saw that I was shocked.

A even bigger issue is that the city has a problem of actual missing and undersized street signs, especially downtown. Those traffic light masts should have have street signes hanging from them and should be 2 or 3 times larger than typical street signs. Back in the 1980's the city actually had integrated lighted street signed attached the traffic light masts. Why did that go away?

What is being removed to add this deli?

Agreed, looks better, I hope that grey is brick and not EFIS? Is that corner still waiting for a grocery store, is that the hang up there?

Nice! Steel Structure! That will go up quickly!

My thought was, why did you scale back your other projects like Venue Tower, and why didn't you include more square feet in your Warner Tower project if land is so scarce?

Detroit's Atwater sells to Molson Coors. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2020/01/22/detroits-atwater-brewery-sells-molson-coors/4541579002/

WOOD -TV Story on this project, and nice drone footage showing progress on the Hinman site next door.

The city commission has approved the option for Wheeler Development to purchase the Fulton/Ionia property. If project moves forward at currently proposed - 24 story - 280 foot height, it would stand slightly taller than the Bridgewater Place office building, making the 4 tallest building in GR. Bridgewater Place stands at 272 feet tall. https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2020/01/proposed-24-story-building-in-downtown-grand-rapids-gets-first-approval.html

Spectrum has closed on the Gill Industries site in Monroe North. The $100 million dollar building will be 300,000 square feet, about 100,000 square feet larger than the Doug Meijer Health Innovations Center. I think Warner Tower is 290,000 square feet. The question remains, with a 5 acre site, how will they configure the building and parking? Construction won't begin till 2021. https://mibiz.com/sections/health-care/spectrum-health-closes-deal-for-gill-property-moves-ahead-with-building-plan

I'm happy to see such an ambitious project for this site, and that the Wheeler's are using someone other than Concept Design/Ghafari to design the project. My biggest concern, and it's too early to tell, is how the screening will look for the parking garage. Wheeler projects have a bad reputation of doing a sub par job of covering parking.

Knoll is closing up shop in Kentwood. The facility was once the world headquarters of Westinghouse Furniture Systems. In 1990 Westinghouse merged with Knoll, eventually taking on the name Knoll for all operations, and over time cut back production in Grand Rapids. They are eliminating the last 200 jobs that are left. Sad to see. https://knoll.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/knoll-inc-announces-closure-grand-rapids-manufacturing-facility Back in 1984 President's Reagan and Ford visited after an expansion of the complex.

Frankly, I like the fact that the streets in the central core are "a mess." It gives downtown more character.

I was wondering the status of this project recently. Glad to see it's moving forward. Yes, you can call this Wealthy Street, just to the north of the Donkey. Good looking indeed!

Site of the Kortlander Building when "Herp's" (Herpolshimer's) added sky walk to parking Garage. It might have been around the time City Centre was under construction.