New projects on the West Side

[Jonesey]

Wow, yeah that's kind of a west side staple.  I love the revitalization of bridge street, but this area seems kind of stagnant.  I would think development  will eventually move west.  I thought I heard there was a purchase agreement for the church, any updates?  Bravo to the renovation of 1034 Bridge though, we need more of that!  IT will be interesting to see how the new Sovengard effects the area.

[thebeerqueer]

17 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I don't think Flamingo Room is closed yet. But at $2.1M for the land, I doubt someone will buy it for the bar.  Great name though, I'd like to own a dive bar named the Flamingo Room! It'd need an epic neon sign though...

Joe

The 'Dirty Bird' as is it's affectionally known in some circles, is still open. I drove by last night and they were having a big parking lot party with a food tent and tons of motorcycles. As someone that lives a few blocks away from there, I'm looking forward to fewer loud motorcycles pounding through my neighborhood. 

[Mjak]

Leonard street is really changing.   https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/developers-win-1-4m-in-tax-credits-for-55-unit-senior-housing-project-in-grand-rapids/

[Jonesey]

On 6/28/2023 at 12:01 PM, joeDowntown said:

I was on the CARWM site, and noticed this proposed building. Looks like it's on the land Sovengard initially wanted to build on before buying the building across the street. Could be a total speculative project that never happens, or maybe that section of Bridge will see new life once Sovengard is up and running?

 

Drove by today and the buildings on this parcel were demolished.  No details on the demo permit about replacement.  It would be cool if this got built especially with Sovergard across the street

[Jonesey]

With the west side booming so much, I wonder how much longer it will be until it looks like Belknap/Lookout with developers razing old rental housing stock by the block and replacing it with row/town houses or apartments.  I'm thinking just west of GVSU DT.  I don't think anyone would be opposed to that... well, except SWAN of course

[whitemice]

On 8/18/2023 at 6:25 PM, Jonesey said:

I wonder how much longer it will be until it looks like Belknap/Lookout with developers razing old rental housing stock

Hopefully soon!

[Cookin_peacocks]

On 8/18/2023 at 6:25 PM, Jonesey said:

With the west side booming so much, I wonder how much longer it will be until it looks like Belknap/Lookout with developers razing old rental housing stock by the block and replacing it with row/town houses or apartments.  I'm thinking just west of GVSU DT.  I don't think anyone would be opposed to that... well, except SWAN of course

Off topic nevermind 

Edited August 20, 2023 by Cookin_peacocks

[Jonesey]

It looked like they were gutting the old funeral home/mortuary on Stocking.  Hopefully demo is next and they start construction.  It's been almost three years since they  brought their proposal to the PC, but I think Woda is pretty good at actually getting their projects built

[joeDowntown]

3 hours ago, Jonesey said:

It looked like they were gutting the old funeral home/mortuary on Stocking.  Hopefully demo is next and they start construction.  It's been almost three years since they  brought their proposal to the PC, but I think Woda is pretty good at actually getting their projects built

I don’t even remember what they are building there. Can anyone refresh my memory?

Joe

[walker]

3 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I don’t even remember what they are building there. Can anyone refresh my memory?

Joe

MLIVE: WODA COOPER - 167m mixed income housing development replaces mortuary

[thebeerqueer]

9 hours ago, walker said:

MLIVE: WODA COOPER - 167m mixed income housing development replaces mortuary

These two buildings, while providing much needed affordable housing, will help push the density previously contained south of I-196 north into the neighborhood. 

[Zads]

9 hours ago, walker said:

MLIVE: WODA COOPER - 167m mixed income housing development replaces mortuary

Very pleased to see not only affordable housing but high density housing coming. Also great to see an empty parking lot being turned into something useful as well.

[arcturus]

Pretty much glory days for apartment developers.  Employment growth, barriers to home ownership with persistent high interest rates, scarce supply because fewer are selling, and new home construction still running at a tepid pace are all contributors.

It makes you wonder if economic circumstances are such that we're becoming more a nation of renters to buyers with an ever increasing amount of low income subsidies to fulfill the growing demand.

[thebeerqueer]

Couple of photos of projects on Bridge St.
 

The first is the little micro hotel, The Blue Jay, at 644 Bridge St NW. It will be interesting to see how this concept does in this neighborhood. 
 

The second and third photos are of the Sip Shine project in the old Harmony Hall building. 

[Cookin_peacocks]

Has anything been said about the apartments that were proposed a while back on Alabama?

 

Here, I think?

 

[Allison Slater]

On 9/13/2023 at 12:01 PM, arcturus said:

It makes you wonder if economic circumstances are such that we're becoming more a nation of renters to buyers with an ever increasing amount of low income subsidies to fulfill the growing demand.

Considering that a lot of entry level housing is being bought up by land management companies to be turned into rentals, and a lot of new home construction (and even entire developments) in many parts of the country are being purpose built as rental homes.. yes, yes we are definitely becoming a nation of renters instead of homeowners. The American Dream is on its deathbed. In Muskegon I can see four houses built within the past year. All four are rentals. I can also see a handful of older housing stock, half of which are rentals. Granted, I do live a handful of blocks outside of downtown.

[Jonesey]

On 9/13/2023 at 4:55 PM, Cookin_peacocks said:

Has anything been said about the apartments that were proposed a while back on Alabama?

 

Here, I think?

 

 

I'm curious too.  Maybe Rockford is just too busy at the moment?  Although now with the higher height restrictions, maybe they'll think about going taller

[demhem]

I wasn't able to snag a photo as I drove by, but the old Lexington School is being converted into housing with 39 residential units. Looks like an addition is planned as well. 

[joeDowntown]

Uh oh, the county just kicked a hornets nest:

https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/john-ball-zoo-neighbors-at-odds-over-proposed-parking-expansion-traffic-flow-changes/

Parking at the zoo can be a real pain. This seems like a logical plan (maybe more ramps are necessary to minimize impact on the park?). I don’t envy anyone that has to present this plan to the public. 

Joe

[StreetcarGR]

3 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Uh oh, the county just kicked a hornets nest:

https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/john-ball-zoo-neighbors-at-odds-over-proposed-parking-expansion-traffic-flow-changes/

Parking at the zoo can be a real pain. This seems like a logical plan (maybe more ramps are necessary to minimize impact on the park?). I don’t envy anyone that has to present this plan to the public. 

Joe

Strong Towns GR and others I'm sure are certainly planning to fight this tooth and nail. Some more integration into our public transit system would be my preferred solution. After all - there is (technically) a BRT stop right outside the park although more thought needs to be put into access to the zoo from that stop itself. 

[Zads]

3 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Uh oh, the county just kicked a hornets nest:

https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/john-ball-zoo-neighbors-at-odds-over-proposed-parking-expansion-traffic-flow-changes/

Parking at the zoo can be a real pain. This seems like a logical plan (maybe more ramps are necessary to minimize impact on the park?). I don’t envy anyone that has to present this plan to the public. 

Joe

The vote on the parking lot was postponed to the next meeting in November. https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/vote-on-john-ball-zoo-parking-lot-postponed-amid-opposition/

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, StreetcarGR said:

Strong Towns GR and others I'm sure are certainly planning to fight this tooth and nail. Some more integration into our public transit system would be my preferred solution. After all - there is (technically) a BRT stop right outside the park although more thought needs to be put into access to the zoo from that stop itself. 

I don't know what the percentage of people coming from the suburbs with young kids in toe to visit the zoo, who would want to add another step of finding a parking spot in a lot, then taking a bus is, but I imagine it is very, very small.  I see "take the bus" as an option as a non-starter, especially in this use case (commuters to college, commuters to office or hospital jobs seem like much lower hanging fruit). 

Joe

[GR_Urbanist]

The park is as close to sacred ground as you are ever going to get in GR. So I would just offer the person that is proposing this a blindfold and cigarette....because they are going to need it. The proposal they are offering is just laughably absurd, and taking 50%+ of the park for parking is just astonishing.

What is that building at the SW corner of the park, right along Butterworth? Why not use that land for a ramp? Redirect the small road that goes up to the hilltop pavilion and that way you completely eliminate the problem.

Otherwise there is no way they should expect to rip up a chunk of the park to park more cars. If they do this ramp correctly, they could potentially add park space by eliminating a surface lot.

Edited October 17, 2023 by GR_Urbanist

[Jonesey]

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?

[whitemice]

3 hours ago, Jonesey said:

Why not just use the grass lot of the park for overflow parking like they've been doing forever?  What's the issue?

Parking on a grass lot is not Accessible; that's a legitimate concern.  This plan is hot garbage, but that's a legitimate concern.

Why not charge for parking?

Why not integrate with the transit service?  There isn't even a sidewalk to the BRT station which is right there.

3 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

Why not use that land for a ramp?

Ramps are too expensive, the zoo / county parks cannot afford to build a ramp.

9 hours ago, StreetcarGR said:

Strong Towns GR and others I'm sure are certainly planning to fight this tooth and nail.

Hells yeah.  Any public official or employee willing to stand in front of a room and shill this garbage deserves all the abuse they get.