New projects on the West Side

[GR_Urbanist]

5 hours ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

Storage place. I asked at biggby.  On Friday 

I saw it a few days ago, and was taken a bit by suprise, but I managed to get a little bit of it driving by. Not a great photo, but it does show that it is fairly taller than it's neighbors.

 

[GRDadof3]

20 hours ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

Storage place. I asked at biggby.  On Friday 

Storage place? I would not have guessed that. 

[Jonesey]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

Storage place? I would not have guessed that. 

Yup, U-Haul.  I saw there is a large one that will be built on Michigan b/w Plymouth and Fuller, which is kind of a bummer, but I guess people gotta store their stuff

[joeDowntown]

Brann's on Leonard is closing on Friday. They plan to raze the current building (which makes me sad) and build a 4-5 story $30M  mixed use building w/ 170 parking spots . Doesn't say how many apartments. Also doesn't seem like they have a firm start date in mind. 

https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/restaurants-1/owners-to-raze-johnny-branns-steakhouse-for-new-30m-mixed-use-development/

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/report-johnny-branns-set-to-be-demolished-replaced-with-development/

[RegalTDP]

24 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

Brann's on Leonard is closing on Friday. They plan to raze the current building (which makes me sad) and build a 4-5 story $30M  mixed use building w/ 170 parking spots . Doesn't say how many apartments. Also doesn't seem like they have a firm start date in mind. 

https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/restaurants-1/owners-to-raze-johnny-branns-steakhouse-for-new-30m-mixed-use-development/

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/report-johnny-branns-set-to-be-demolished-replaced-with-development/

 

Razing 401 Leonard makes me sad too.  I wish there was a way they could keep the old "John Ley" building facade up (with a new paint job of course ) and construct around it.

That's what they did in LA for this apartment tower on Sunset Blvd.  The white facade with the Spanish tile used to be an Old Spaghetti Factory.  The city made the developer keep it and build the tower behind it.

[Jonesey]

This would be a whole lot cooler if Branns wasn't coming back lol.  Is there some underground society that keeps this place going?  So much more space for flags!

WoodTV says "60-102" apartments

[joeDowntown]

One interesting thing about saving the facade. The architecture company did the Corner Bar building after it burned down. Not saying someone will have the foresight to save it, but the architecture firm has experience with using an old facade. 

Joe

[Raildude's dad]

It wasn't a great decision to let the rooftop drain run down the side of the building.

Oops - I was trying to reply to the buildings for sale in Indiana - previous page

Edited June 7 by Raildude's dad

[GR_Urbanist]

Wait....what? 

And the city is letting them just demolish the building in the corner? Am I reading this right?

[joeDowntown]

8 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

Wait....what? 

And the city is letting them just demolish the building in the corner? Am I reading this right?

To me, it sounds like this is all in the early stages, so they haven’t gone before the planning commission, etc. the only thing happening for sure is the restaurant is closing on Friday. Everything else will be scrutinized when they come up with a plan. 

Joe

[Zads]

13 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

One interesting thing about saving the facade. The architecture company did the Corner Bar building after it burned down. Not saying someone will have the foresight to save it, but the architecture firm has experience with using an old facade. 

Joe

I really hope someone is smart enough to save the facade of this building at the very least. Tearing it down would be just shortsighted, but not surprising. Keep the history around but build around. It really aggravates me when people want to tear down old for new. Once you tear it down, you can't get it back. I've never been to Brann's, I've heard many things about it. I don't really care if you like them or not, just save the damn building, or at least the facade.

[joeDowntown]

Back in the day, Brann’s was a “fancy place to eat”. I think a lot of people have fond memories and it’s a beautiful old building. I really hope they save the facade as a nod to the history of that location. 

Joe

[Prankster]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

Back in the day, Brann’s was a “fancy place to eat”. I think a lot of people have fond memories and it’s a beautiful old building. I really hope they save the facade as a nod to the history of that location. 

Joe

This is the same guy who put up random metal panels on this building and had a fit when the city told him to remove them. I don’t think he is interested in preserving it. 

[GVSUChris]

I don't know how I missed these renderings (updated) before but here's a better glimpse at "Back Lot" on Bridge. 

 

[Zads]

On 6/9/2024 at 7:59 AM, GVSUChris said:

I don't know how I missed these renderings (updated) before but here's a better glimpse at "Back Lot" on Bridge. 

 

What a cool rendering. I really like that there's some greenery inside the structure so it has a park-like feel and the that the street wall wraps around Lexington with windows to make it look like a building. Great find!

[Jonesey]

Couple of things I saw today, plans were resubmitted for the people's cider co on Leonard, they added a story bringing it to four, yay!

Also this....

More momentum for Bridge St.  It looks like these are the same guys that own the smoke shop and the two other properties directly west of here.  I hope that frees them up for development, they look like they could both be demoed and the other parcel is a parking lot

On 6/9/2024 at 7:59 AM, GVSUChris said:

I don't know how I missed these renderings (updated) before but here's a better glimpse at "Back Lot" on Bridge. 

 

I love it... and you can't always get what you want, but I wish they would have incorporated some housing and height to the eastern portion

[Raildude's dad]

On 6/10/2024 at 8:17 AM, Zads said:

What a cool rendering. I really like that there's some greenery inside the structure so it has a park-like feel and the that the street wall wraps around Lexington with windows to make it look like a building. Great find!

I find it some what underwhelming. I can't see many folks wanting to sit out side in cool/cold weather.

[HavingAhoot]

I imagine this being similar to Little Fleet in TC is always busy with people sitting outside. Especially if they had a bonfire pit for fall/spring Michigan weather.  

[joeDowntown]

The Backlot, Bridge Street Bar and the permanent food truck on Wealthy Street were all approved yesterday. 

[Jonesey]

On 6/13/2024 at 8:36 PM, Raildude's dad said:

I find it some what underwhelming. I can't see many folks wanting to sit out side in cool/cold weather.

People do all the time already.  Our winters have been pretty moderate lately and I'm sure they will have heat lamps.

[Zads]

Leonard Street really is getting some development.

Apartments coming to Leonard and Gezon.

Paywall: https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/developer-revives-west-side-mixed-use-plan-with-more-housing/

"Site plans call for combining four parcels and constructing a new, four-story building with 28 studio and one-bedroom apartments and 2,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. A 30-space surface parking lot would be located behind the building."

On Leonard Street:

"Indigo’s plan joins a wave of new projects on Leonard Street to the west of U.S. 131. Those include Pickle x Pin, an indoor golf simulator and pickleball project being constructed at 662 Leonard St. NW and DeVries Jewelry Store Inc. redeveloping the former Lanning’s Restaurant building into its new showroom at 433 Leonard St. NW. As well, a mixed-use housing development with 102 apartments, retail space and a restaurant would replace Johnny Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille at 401 Leonard St. NW."

[Jonesey]

1 hour ago, Zads said:

Leonard Street really is getting some development.

Apartments coming to Leonard and Gezon.

Paywall: https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/developer-revives-west-side-mixed-use-plan-with-more-housing/

"Site plans call for combining four parcels and constructing a new, four-story building with 28 studio and one-bedroom apartments and 2,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. A 30-space surface parking lot would be located behind the building."

On Leonard Street:

"Indigo’s plan joins a wave of new projects on Leonard Street to the west of U.S. 131. Those include Pickle x Pin, an indoor golf simulator and pickleball project being constructed at 662 Leonard St. NW and DeVries Jewelry Store Inc. redeveloping the former Lanning’s Restaurant building into its new showroom at 433 Leonard St. NW. As well, a mixed-use housing development with 102 apartments, retail space and a restaurant would replace Johnny Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille at 401 Leonard St. NW."

Looks like they started working on Pickle x Pin.  I really hope all this development keeps going, there's so many underutilized spots down that stretch.  I really hope we see the 10 story tower come back and hopefully they start on the new apartments at the old funeral home.

Also, Bagel Kitchen recently opened and seems to be very well received

[arcturus]

20 hours ago, Zads said:

Leonard Street really is getting some development.

Yep. 

 

[GR_Urbanist]

Leonard street is hard to peg. It will have a hard time being like Bridge Street because it is a massively long strip, and without the twin anchors of New Holland and Bridge Street Market to grow off of. I see lots of nicely done rehabs, but they cant really work together to form a tight district like Bridge St, because it sort of operates more like a corridor to move lots of traffic (poorly). Likely due to being bookended by the 131 on-ramp and Alpine, and that it was the bleeding edge of GR decades ago, so it doesn't have that "near DT neighborhood" vibe  that Bridge street benefited from. Also, there are lots of significant buildings in need of renovations on Leonard (and some annoying suburban elements), so it will be a while before we see what will become of the area, but the transition from old blue collar west side is seriously starting to show.

I really wish there was a place for a large traffic circle to breakup the street some and definitely 3 strategically placed mid-rises closer to Broadway, to at least concentrate some people in there.

 

 

Edited June 20 by GR_Urbanist

[Zads]

I'd love to see the old theatre on Leonard and McReynolds renovated, just east of Alpine. I have no idea what it used to look like inside or why it's vacant (I'm not originally from GR), but to see that come back to life in some form would be awesome.