sfloria

I like the interactive map. Very cool! I hope the projected development along the line actually comes to fruition. That would really help many areas that haven't seen growth in a long time.

There are a handful of these little old repair shop/gas stations that are vacant on corners on Wealthy or Franklin. It would be great if more of them were given attention like this one.

Wealthy Station Grill, which is on the corner where Family Dollar sits, has fantastic food. I don't see them going anywhere soon.

Thats a very factless, stereotypical statement that a lot of doubters of transit have unfortunately. I rode the bus to work everyday from the SE side of GR to downtown. Not because I couldn't afford a car, which I own, but because it was cheaper to take the bus than to pay for monthly parking at nearby ramp. There was a wide variety of people on the bus. People going to work, students, visitors. The city shouldn't be adopting parking regulations based on what currently works for a development in the suburbs. They should be looking to the future when more people are using the transit system.

Steel going up today!

Would that be Statutory Facadomy?

Thats exactly how I felt too. Its a shame it'll be a one story building along Division. I guess they wanted to smooth out the transition to the Dollar Store...

My money is on straightening Mt Vernon to connect to Front street so the navigation through there isn't such a maze.

I think that's a brilliant idea, but what would that do to the neighborhoods you are crossing through in the new path? Would you bury that whole section of new highway? I like the thought of completely rerouting 131 though. Old 131 could become a very nice boulevard at ground level bringing you into downtown.

Great news!! Must be why the city did the land swap with those parking lots recently.

There's a lot of activity on parcel C right now. Saw a small crane from 131.

A new article posted about the Amtrak station: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/03/work_on_new_grand_rapids_amtra.html It looks like that tall tower might be translucent, lit up from inside.

Thanks John. Somehow I had missed those. Im glad that there is a tall element to it so it'll be noticeable from the highway, otherwise i'm not sure it'd be visible. I think that'll be a great addition to that area. Seems like a hotel in that empty warehouse next door could be a good use.

Has there been a rendering of the new Amtrak station? Is it going to be as stunning as the current shed?

If I were to realign the streets I'd try to make Front more of a straight-through.

Sounds great! I'm glad there is more infil going into the southern part of downown. Lots of things brewing near Wealthy now! I just hope that Dwelling Place uses better materials than what they put on the Verne Berry Place. VBP could've looked much better with decent materials.

Is the cool news still coming?

Keep the chains on 28th street and alpine for all I care! I love the variety of places to eat at in the easttown area.

It's not retail. It will be office space.

Why has the HDVCH seemed to hit a roadblock on going vertical? Those stair towers haven't moved an inch in a couple months and now the steel has caught up and hasn't gone further either. Did they value engineer the height of the building?

A couple images from the roof of Riverhouse last week.

You can now see the stair tower for the Children's Hospital poking over the RDV buildings from the 6th Street bridge.

Ummm, what are they gonna do with this?? (Healing Gardens at Blodgett campus)

Thats a great angle, not one modern glass structure in view. Almost looks European.

Division is already the busiest bus route for ITP. They believe that the BRT will get the most ridership along this route. There will still be regular bus service along Division that will stop every 2 blocks or so. The BRT will only stop at major crossings. I think this is one step at moving parking lots out of downtown. Companies can provide insentive packages for employees to get off at 54th and use the BRT, instead of parking downtown and using the DASH. When more and more people get used to riding the BRT, I think it will be an easy transition to move into a light rail system. I agree it would make a lot more sense to just go for the light rail at the beginning... GRDad, I don't remember any specific examples of economic development that BRT lines spurred, but they did show several examples of cities that use them and the different style busses that are used. They "look" like they are on rails. The buses literally don't show their wheels. It gives the impression that its on some kind of track.