localtalent

Terrible experience with this switch. Canal St park spots have meter numbers that don’t exist in Motu. ParkMobile stickers are scraped off the meters, but no new Motu labels exist. Just a complete disaster. A totally unnecessary, self-inflicted cluster.

So MobileGR is getting rid of ParkMobile as their tech partner for parking meters of June 21 and their 'replacement' (MOTU) isn't even available yet. I predict a cluster....

The big idea risk taker from an iconic local family that is behind them both.

Welp, the experts have spoken. Moving on, then... PS Grand Rapids is a terrible place to try to pull off a public arts festival, too. It’ll never work.

I’ll just say that this birdie is reliable and I believe something is percolating here at some level. There was way too much detail around it, including preliminary budget, potential funding sources, etc to have just been made up out of nowhere. Time will tell.

A little birdie tells me this is actively being studied. Anyone know more? And no, not streetcars.... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirates_Air_Line_(cable_car)

I can understand being disappointed that we won't have a new 40 story building to gaze upon, but those criticizing the 'value engineering' are really looking at it from the wrong end. The numbers have to work. Frequently in Grand Rapids, the numbers DON'T work. Why? Many will hate this, but it's because the rates people are willing to pay for 'Class A' or 'business hotel room' or 'downtown apartment' in West Michigan do not support larger scale projects. Want 40 stories? Then be prepared to pay $35/ft for office. Be prepared for $350/night rooms. Be prepared for $1,500 for a small apartment. Construction costs are up significantly in the past 10 years. Consumer pricing expectations have not risen accordingly.

It sold in a tax auction a couple years ago.

Last I saw on that site was approval on plans from the city. They’ve had engineer types poking around over there as recently as last week. I've heard nothing of the deal falling through. In fact, pretty sure there was a sale of the parcel a while back (from Walt to North Peak folks). Maybe that was all premature and it never closed? EDIT - per city, it closed last March for $950,000. Pretty sure plans didn't fall through...

I believe there is a glimmer of hope for coffee to return to the site of ill-fated Sparrows 2.

Very sad for this news.

Jolly Pumpkin is supposedly on track to open in the former Black Heron space sometime in March. Based on visible progress, I would assume that means late March.

Warner Tower and Franklin Partners projects are the best indicator of where Class A is heading in GR. These are folks who know the market, have made money here, and are allergic to bad deals.

There is demand, but not at Division & Weston. I think the ship sailed on that project and the next one envisioned for that spot. I’d expect a much less ambitious project at that site. But maybe not anytime soon.

If you think GR or Michigan has issues (what area doesn't?), wait til you see the DC area. In DC, yes you have transit...and ridiculously high housing costs, and gentrification, and poor schools, and high violent crime, and high taxes. GR has issues, no doubt. But I've witnessed that it is, in general, a community sincerely concerned about solving those issues. Sounds like you just want mass transit. Enjoy.

Looks to me like that Phase II tower is 16 stories...

It must be the merriest season of the year. I don’t generally find myself in alignment with your perspective (though I respect the consistency and knowledge you share). I was also ready to go full guns against some out of state interloper who tried to tell us what we needed when perfectly capable developers have been pulling us along for a decade and deserve preference for such a significant opportunity. But, just like you, I’m having a hard time coming up with a complaint with this plan. And it’s clearly the winner from what we’ve seen so far.

Has anyone noticed the price on the office listing for Warner Tower???

Work has begun at the former Black Heron space.

Turns out my gut instinct was just a bad burrito. lol. Yes, I got bad intel. And I’m happy it was bad intel.

Call it a gut instinct. ;-)

Who’s ready for The Rapid to lose 35% of funding? Millage is going down today. Probably 62%-38% ish. Expect the May request to represent a substantial increase.

My understanding is that significant investment is going into the Black Heron location for Jolly Pumpkin and that will be their permanent spot.

Thurs, Nov 9. 2:30pm. 1120 Monroe Ave NW, 2nd Floor.

Got a postcard for public hearing notice: '449, 453, 457 & 499 Bridge St NW Greg Lobdell is requesting approval for outdoor seating, live entertainment, and a bar within a proposed 5-story mixed-use building.' Greg is Northern United Brewing Company (Jolly Pumpkin, among others). The site is Red Lion. Commence speculation!