RiversideGR

fun thread on reddit about GR:

a little update in the Kingma's reno/expansion: hopefully the expanded deli means better options/service for the prepared food. they had served hot sandwiches previously but always acted annoyed when you ordered one.

Hmmm...sorry about that. I am always confused as to why I can view Mlive articles without the paywall but others seem to get caught? I'm not a subscriber... Nothing crazy, but here are the parts that I thought were interesting: The CAA is "hopeful" that a soccer stadium will be built by 2026. Grand Action 2.0 has been leading the process forward, but the CAA would be the owner and operator of the stadium if it is build. The exact location hasn't been disclosed, but it is assumed to be the spot near the YMCA that has been previously discussed. The league hasn't been disclosed but it is suggested that it would be a USL team. The architectural process is near the same stage as the amphitheater project, so the design must be pretty far along. DGRI is indicating that mixed-income housing could accompany the development.

It appears that this project is still alive https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/08/fingers-are-crossed-grand-rapids-pro-soccer-stadium-could-open-by-2026.html?outputType=amp

I refuse to get excited again given how long we have been waiting, but it looks like they are working on the kitchen system for 616 Kabob Stop again (old Subway across from Kingma's).

Some signs of life for the "River North" apartment development on Monroe: The project is going before the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority tomorrow. The report submitted to the city still lists "Fall 2023" as the projected start date for the first phase. There are also some updated renderings here: Resolution approving and recommending a Brownfield Plan Amendment for the RiverNorth Redevelopment Project located at 1340 Monroe Avenue NW - Grand Rapids, Michigan (iqm2.com)

A fast-casual Mediterranean chain called Pita Way is coming to the Knapps Corner area with another location in Wyoming. Although it is a chain, I'm always happy to see another healthy casual option. Looks like they have quite a few locations across the state already. Anyone tried this place and know if it's any good? Order Mediterranean Food Online - Pita Way | Fresh Foods Near Me in MI

Pinnacle construction made a post in linkedin about the groundbreaking. They tagged "Quickwater Coffee Roasters" in the post. I know the developer has previously mentioned that the ground level retail space is intended to be a cafe...maybe they already have a tenant set up? (also entirely possible that I am reading too much into this)

i remember seeing that....the claims in that post didn't seem to have any merit but idk much about the property either way.

anyone have intel on what is happening at this building at Coit and Dale? The windows are boarded up like they are being replaced and there have been crews working inside...

oh interesting! I didn't realize that they changed the project name from "Hillcrest Apartments" to "The Current".

Just to ease any concerns that this building was going to look like a big slab of concrete like the Grand Castle, you can see the progress on the (faux) brick outlines and on the left side you can see an example of the exterior finished color. I am very interested to see what goes in to the retail space.... I've also seen some poured concrete for the Quimby/Plainfield apartments but there wasn't much to look at yet so I will spare you the photo. Haven't seen any movement in the flower/wine shop renovation yet, but Kingma's is currently in the middle of their interior building expansion.

I never ate there either. Seems weird to go to a chain for a burger when there are plenty of local places that probably do it just as good or better.

The name on the application is Tad Feutz. I googled him and this article says he is a co-owner of The Win Tavern in Jennison... The Win Tavern is known for its burgers, but loved because it takes care of those in need - mlive.com

I was torn on posting on this thread or the "downtown exodus" thread, but there is an application in with the city to open a bar/restaurant in at 59 Commerce Ave, which I believe is this space directly adjacent to Stellas. Would be cool to see that block fill in!

View from my dentist’s office

35 units isn’t even very dense. The online petition I saw made a bunch of vague claims about environmental impacts that weren’t supported with any evidence. nature shouldn’t be something that is exclusively available for owners of single-family homes.

I second a lot of your feelings. Here is my question: is there an example of a city who has done it well? a model for others to work with? we are far from unique in our struggles with homelessness, in fact, many cities have it MUCH worse. I think another question would be: what does success look like and how to do we track it? Is it tied to the amount of homeless people living on our streets? is it tied to crime rates? is it tied to a "feeling" that things are better? I doubt that it looks like a complete eradication of homelessness (although in a perfect world everyone would have somewhere to live)

I live in the neighborhood and haven't heard anything but robberies there recently but I wanted to check. I looked at the address on the Grand Rapids Crime map and filtered for Burglaries, Robberies, and Thefts and going back to the beginning of 2023. Only one incident happened within 500 feet of the building and it was a block south. I think that business was getting hit a lot in 2019 and 2020 but it seems to have really died down. having a lot of people living on the block instead of abandoned buildings should also be a deterrent.

I think one great thing about GR is that each of these areas have their own distinct feel. It will be interesting to see how Creston evolves with this new surge of development

IDK how reliable this is but here is some information on average rents in GR: Rental Market Trends & Average Rent in Grand Rapids, MI | Rent. Also this: source

Sounds like this place is still moving forward, with a goal to open late this year: source

a different ice cream/froyo place is opening in Studio Park Elsa’s brings ice cream, seasonal treats to downtown Grand Rapids - mlive.com

Tucked into this article is a little tidbit that Kingmas is expanding the footprint of their grocery store. https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/retail/creston-businesses-contend-with-months-long-plainfield-avenue-construction-detours/ “…Kingma’s plans to take advantage of the reduced traffic to embark on an expansion project to add 15 feet along one side of the store. The project, which will give Kingma’s space for a new catering endeavor and another cash register, was initially slated to happen this fall. ‘As long as things are torn up on the road, we may as well tear up our store,’ Hartline said.”

Saw crews doing work out there today. It looks like they were pulling the underground tanks from the former gas station that was there. Great to see polluted properties get redeveloped.