Jonesey

Saw this SLU application for 662 LEONARD ST NW: Leonard is gaining even more steam!

I really hope someone has some plans for the Adobe property. Honestly they should just demo that whole block. I think that's what we'll see in the future, it's mainly all rentals. Hopefully it's taller than four stories

I think housing next is really trying to meet with townships to get their heads out of their asses, GR is at least trying to loosen the zoning. Some of the citizens of the burbs are delusional. There was a guy in the Walker PC agenda talking about how he moved to Walker 40 blah blah years ago for the peace and quiet and now it's not peaceful or quiet lol. There's also the people that move into a new subdivision and then get mad and complain when they build one right next to it. Is it like this all over the country? What we need are some BIG national home building companies to come in and build, but I wouldn't blame them for not even wanting to deal with these people

https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/devries-jewelers-plans-to-redevelop-west-side-grand-rapids-eyesore/

Lannings is fenced off, demo time! The Victory on Leonard looks like it's very close to completion, I like it and it looks good! I'll have to get some photos

Yes, the rapids are pretty much dead, thanks to the feds (IIRC) shooting it down. The riverside trails are not dead though. The city is actively looking at acquiring easements and property to make them happen. The tunnel under Leonard should be happening fairly soon.

I would love to see Padnos move out of there, but that has got to be an environmental nightmare

They should use it for employees to grab an after shift drink

Did these people actually move to a developing downtown and expect peace and quiet? I worked on that stretch of market and the heavy commercial vehicles would shake our building, it's not exactly quiet. There is zero chance a few NIMBYs will stop this

"With room to grow" is encouraging and I'm glad they're thinking ahead. I think their end goal is MLS. Which presentation was that in?

Well that's exciting and encouraging. So possibly 36-48 stories (I know, I know, but I can dream) I feel like GR has a ton to offer for convention goers. If I was a business traveller, I'd much rather go to a city like GR than Vegas, Atlanta or Chicago

I really think a spring start is actually going to happen. The city approved the rental of trailer bathrooms, offices, and vehicle wash stations to move employees and vehicles off of the property and the county building is empty. I feel like this will be on a right deadline, if it's not ready by May 2026, they could potentially miss out on a ton of revenue.

I would think this would be just as "transformative" to the city as the amphitheater and soccer stadium. It may not be as obvious, but it could bring in a lot more money to GR and Kent County. Especially with the new hotel tax. I'm pessimistic but hopeful on those spring 2024 starting dates It sounds like AHC may be actually solidifying plans for their marker/fulton lot?

Yeah ask any city employee about Azzar and they will probably know who he is and have nothing good say about him. He is the ultimate slumlord. There was a lot of litigation over fixing the sidewalk vaults under this property and (IIRC) the city ended up footing the bill

Why not just use the dump? I'm sure there are liabilities and they want to put solar on there, but it could work. Isn't there like a 5 foot concrete cap on it? That or Millennium

I thought the whole reasoning behind that was there wasn't enough clearance under Wealthy?

I walked down pretty much the whole new stretch and saw two cars parked in it and one car driving down it. This stretch was striped with signage. I know this happened on Monroe by riverside, maybe they need more signage or better education and enforcement? Also GR re-striped north of Richmond, so now if you're going south the signage says both lanes are thru but they just mush into one with no warning. Don't get me wrong, I really love this, but it will take some getting used to... for a lot of people it's pretty foreign concept here... hopefully it will be the norm soon like AA

I think it's to make it more connective to the riverwalk/river. The two definitely feel disconnected now and going from one to the other is awkward. I think that's why they're getting rid of that "wall" of landscaping and opening it up (3rd rendering)

I think if anything, Wealthy becoming at grade is definitely going to happen, even if GR has to foot the bill. They already gave them $1m to look into it. It's awesome that they are also considering reconnecting Logan and Graham. I'm not loving that rendering of Wealthy remaining an overpass. It looks like a mass of concrete that could flood at any moment like over on the east side

I hope they at least consider possibly making this expandable in the future. At least on each end, it may be difficult on the sides with those massive awnings. I would think once this gets going a lot of those mainly rental housing blocks to the east would get razed for more dense housing would be built. (which I would be totally fine with)

Please not a giant guitar! I don't think Grand Action 2.0 would allow a casino there. Hasn't the one out by Muskegon been in litigation for a decade or two now? Gun Lake would definitely try to kill it too. Do casinos in downtowns ever actually attract tourists to the area? The casinos in Detroit are pretty depressing. A hotel overlooking the amphitheater with massive balconies and outdoor spaces would be pretty sweet, they could charge a premium on show nights too. If it's a hotel and condo it would make me think Acrisure, might be interest in the market/fulton lot. They've said they want to have a big impact on downtown development and growth. Was this where they were doing soil testing?

My thoughts exactly, especially with how difficult it is to recruit medical staff these days. Downtown, walkable housing at cost would be a huge plus. Go big too! It will fill up immediately.

There are significant elevation changes in the area and I dont think that would be possible. It's not much of a grid in that area, also probably due to the elevation changes. I believe that's the property across the street, it's not really buildable (also due to elevation changes). I think they said they could only fit two houses on it

How is it not accessible?

Why not just use the grass lot of the park for overflow parking like they've been doing forever? What's the issue? It might get a little muddy? If for some chance in hell this actually goes through, wouldn't they have to retain the storm water on the property like the state makes everyone else do?