Wealthy Street Mega Thread

[joeDowntown]

While I don't know the specifics, it sounds like an axe has been fully ground.

 

I don't think it will really be THAT hard to turn Ron's into a clothing store. If they go for a grungy, urban feel it might fit perfect. A lot of clothing companies spend a lot of money to make a new retail space look like an old grungy garage.

 

Joe

[GR_Urbanist]

From the East Hills Council of Neighbors. Some really exciting plans for the old D&G liquor store!

 

http://www.easthillscouncil.org/news/east-hills-neighborhood-news-events-meetings

 

"On Wednesday, May 21st, the City of Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will meet to discuss two advisory proposed projects in East Hills at 619 Wealthy Street SE and 750 Cherry Street SE. East Hills staff will be present at this meeting. An advisory is simply an informal discussion between a potential applicant/owner and the HPC at which the HPC gives their advice and feedback about a potential project.  An advisory is none binding on the HPC or the “applicant”. The following designs are for discussion. We do not have the proposed designs for 750 Cherry Street SE."

 

 

Rendering [Concept 1]:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/8fd68df10c8ab4ec7b457015e/images/619_Wealthy_Street_SE_NARROW_CONCEPT.jpg

I like that one the best. Much more sleek.

 

Rendering [Concept 2]:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/8fd68df10c8ab4ec7b457015e/images/619_Wealthy_Street_SE_CONCEPT_B1.jpg

 

It is astonishing what they want to do here. A perfect mix of old and new that will really complete the west end of Wealthy District.

Edited April 29, 2014 by GR_Urbanist

[fotoman311]

From the East Hills Council of Neighbors. Some really exciting plans for the old D&G liquor store!

 

http://www.easthillscouncil.org/news/east-hills-neighborhood-news-events-meetings

 

 

Rendering [Concept 1]:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/8fd68df10c8ab4ec7b457015e/images/619_Wealthy_Street_SE_NARROW_CONCEPT.jpg

I like that one the best. Much more sleek.

 

Rendering [Concept 2]:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/8fd68df10c8ab4ec7b457015e/images/619_Wealthy_Street_SE_CONCEPT_B1.jpg

 

It is astonishing what they want to do here. A perfect mix of old and new that will really complete the west end of Wealthy District.

 

I definitely find the top design more aesthetically pleasing.

[Allison Slater]

Why are they sticking the residential on a sliver in the back instead of having it both there and above the storefronts?  Wouldn't they get better financial return on it that way or is there some weird height limitation on the frontage there?

[Gorath]

Why are they sticking the residential on a sliver in the back instead of having it both there and above the storefronts?  Wouldn't they get better financial return on it that way or is there some weird height limitation on the frontage there?

 

"On Wednesday, May 21st, the City of Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will meet to discuss two advisory proposed projects in East Hills at 619 Wealthy Street SE and 750 Cherry Street SE."

 

I'd say that if the HPC is involved then it's an historic building. I believe that prevents them from building above. 

[Allison Slater]

Oh, for some reason I was thinking it was completely new construction.  Makes much more sense.

(Although I still strongly disagree with the must-be-modern addition to historical design practice, the massing makes sense.)

Edited April 30, 2014 by tSlater

[walker]

Some observations and uneducated comments from my walk today down Wealthy:

 

FIRST: Ron's Hand Car Wash – after reading RequiredImformation’s post and observing no activity I was sure that L&B would just go out of business never to be seen again.  But today when I went by the car wash there was a heavy duty open trash truck at the big door and it looked like they were hauling out junk from the garage.  It's a long way from being re-purposed into a hot fashion boutique but it looks like they might really intend to make a stab at it, or maybe they're just collecting scrap metal.

 

 

SECOND: 619 Wealthy (old D&G liquor store) – so I go around the back of the building and try not to look too goofy or suspicious to the guys working on the house next door, and I roughly measure the length between the building’s edge and what I think might be the property line.  It’s twenty feet at the most.  The renderings show a three or four foot walkway/service area after the apartments go in, so that means the apartments would only be fifteen feet wide, seems pretty narrow to me.  It also seems to me that if you eliminate the current adequate service area behind the building you've also eliminated many possible tenants of the messier kind such as restaurants and food stores, places that need space to store trash.  Considering no one seems to be really interested in renting the bays now, it doesn't seem to me to be a good idea to eliminate whole classes of potential businesses.  And is demand so great along Wealthy that it makes sense to squeeze new apartments into an odd space like this?  Oh, and the city posted a new violation notice on 4/24 on the front of the building involving trash.

 

THIRD and FOURTH I posted in other threads already – new gas lines are going in on Wealthy and Lake DR before anymore buildings blow-up, and I saw the listing for the Modern Architecture lecture on the Wealthy Theatre marque.                  

Edited May 1, 2014 by walker

[GRDadof3]

Some observations and uneducated comments from my walk today down Wealthy:

 

FIRST: Ron's Hand Car Wash – after reading RequiredImformation’s post and observing no activity I was sure that J&B would just go out of business never to be seen again.  But today when I went by the car wash there was a heavy duty open trash truck at the big door and it looked like they were hauling out junk from the garage.  It's a long way from being re-purposed into a hot fashion boutique but it looks like they might really intend to make a stab at it, or maybe they're just collecting scrap metal.

 

 

SECOND: 619 Wealthy (old D&G liquor store) – so I go around the back of the building and try not to look too goofy or suspicious to the guys working on the house next door, and I roughly measure the length between the building’s edge and what I think might be the property line.  It’s twenty feet at the most.  The renderings show a three or four foot walkway/service area after the apartments go in, so that means the apartments would only be fifteen feet wide, seems pretty narrow to me.  It also seems to me that if you eliminate the current adequate service area behind the building you've also eliminated many possible tenants of the messier kind such as restaurants and food stores, places that need space to store trash.  Considering no one seems to be really interested in renting the bays now, it doesn't seem to me to be a good idea to eliminate whole classes of potential businesses.  And is demand so great along Wealthy that it makes sense to squeeze new apartments into an odd space like this?  Oh, and the city posted a new violation notice on 4/24 on the front of the building involving trash.

 

THIRD and FOURTH I posted in other threads already – new gas lines are going in on Wealthy and Lake DR before anymore buildings blow-up, and I saw the listing for the Modern Architecture lecture on the Wealthy Theatre marque.                  

 

 

 

I find it hard to believe that they'd completely do away with the service entrances. My question is, where will the tenants park??!!

 

If you look at the floorplans, it looks like 15 feet is wide enough. They're long and narrow apartments, so a 15 foot wide bedroom and a 15 foot wide kitchen is plenty big enough. The other bedroom looks like it's about 10 - 11 feet wide, which is pretty standard.

 

 

 

The other apartment concept cantilevers out over the old party store and has a bigger footprint.

 

[jas49503]

when the D&G building was for sale it included a parking lot across the street as well as the adjacent home.  I suspect that is where they would park. 

 

On another note, that cantilevered structure looks awful. at least to me, in the renderings.  It seems to me that if they remove the rear access it would diminish the value of those locations but not as much as you would think.  several of the properties on the south side don't have any significant rear access. the lawyers office for sale next to the winchester has only a narrow walkway leading to the rear of the building.  Cherie Inn doesn't have any rear access to speak of in that both sides off it face the street. they just put their trash out on lake drive. of course it smells bad when you are walking by, not very pleasant.  

[walker]

. . .  It seems to me that if they remove the rear access it would diminish the value of those locations but not as much as you would think.  several of the properties on the south side don't have any significant rear access. the lawyers office for sale next to the winchester has only a narrow walkway leading to the rear of the building.  Cherie Inn doesn't have any rear access to speak of in that both sides off it face the street. they just put their trash out on lake drive. of course it smells bad when you are walking by, not very pleasant.  

 

The Cherie Inn situation is not ideal.  The Cherie Inn has been around forever.  I suspect it may have had a different arrangement for its service area originally seeing how there used to be a gas station next door to its west and garbage was kept in galvanized cans back then rather than dumpsters.  Would someone today want to open a Cherie Inn in a space like that with an inadequate service area?   Certainly other types of businesses could go in the old D&G building but I guess I've got it stuck in my mind that the most likely successful type of business to go in there would be some kind of restaurant or food store, but not without an adequate service are in back.     

Edited May 3, 2014 by walker

[jas49503]

The Cherie Inn situation is not ideal.  The Cherie Inn has been around forever.  I suspect it may have had a different arrangement for its service area originally seeing how there used to be a gas station next door to its west and garbage was kept in galvanized cans back then rather than dumpsters.  Would someone today want to open a Cherie Inn in a space like that with an inadequate service area?   Certainly other types of businesses could go in the old D&G building but I guess I've got it stuck in my mind that the most likely successful type of business to go in there would be some kind of restaurant or food store, but not without an adequate service are in back.     

Well I won't argue that the Cherie inn situation isn't ideal. I run by there on occasion and hate when all their trash is out. It seems that there should be some kind of building/health code that would prevent new restaurant from putting their trash on the curb these days. That is the only place that I know that does it and as you noted, it has been there forever.  It seems that it may have been grandfathered in, if there is a more recent code/ordinance.

[elcelc]

What's this? Restaurant and microbrewery "coming soon" to the Downtown Market? Read all the way to the end.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/05/downtown_markets_newest_vendor_1.html

[fotoman311]

What's this? Restaurant and microbrewery "coming soon" to the Downtown Market? Read all the way to the end.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/05/downtown_markets_newest_vendor_1.html

 

Would be great if they have finally landed something. I will continue to not get my hopes up until more solid information is announced, or I hear info from a closer source.

Edited May 15, 2014 by fotoman311

[elcelc]

Yeah when the reporter puts "coming soon" in quotes that's not a good sign.

[GRDadof3]

More info on Harmony Brewing's plans for the West Side Little Mexico site:

 

http://rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/HarmonyBrewing0515.aspx

[The ATX]

More info on Harmony Brewing's plans for the West Side Little Mexico site:

 

http://rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/HarmonyBrewing0515.aspx

I'm glad to see that building put to a good use.  I used to love Little Mexico, and my Spanish class would take field trips there to experience "Mexican culture" when I was a kid.  I haven't been back to Grand Rapids in a while, but I guess Little Mexico probably closed a long time ago. 

[RegalTDP]

What's this? Restaurant and microbrewery "coming soon" to the Downtown Market? Read all the way to the end.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/05/downtown_markets_newest_vendor_1.html

 

I think the story of a new crepe place is the much more interesting aspect of the article.  GR's microbrew scene will continue to thrive with or without the Downtown Market's version, which is eternally "coming soon."  Not interesting.  But a couple that's moved here from Greece, and introducing food unique the area?  Much more exciting.  There's still a lot of room for this town's food scene to grow, and I hope the market helps that.

[GR_Urbanist]

L&B looks like it is about ready to open. Obviously still some work is needed outside. I seriously hope the HPC didnt tell them that they couldn't paint the exterior.

 

 

[sfloria]

They could probably take down the "Ron's Hand Car Wash" sign...

[walker]

They could probably take down the "Ron's Hand Car Wash" sign...

 

Walked by there today.  They've got a new sign up.

[joeDowntown]

Isn't the exterior tile? If so, I'd imagine that it will stay the same color.

 

Joe

 

 

L&B looks like it is about ready to open. Obviously still some work is needed outside. I seriously hope the HPC didnt tell them that they couldn't paint the exterior.

 

 

[arcturus]

Welcome our newest microbrew addition to the area, Gravel Bottom Brewery.

 

http://www.gravelbottom.com/

[fotoman311]

Welcome our newest microbrew addition to the area, Gravel Bottom Brewery.

 

http://www.gravelbottom.com/

Gravel Bottom has been open for quite a few months.  The newest brewpubs that I'm aware of are Elk Brewing on Wealthy and EB Coffee & Pub,  in a beautiful strip mall in Caledonia.

Edited June 22, 2014 by fotoman311

[GRDadof3]

Gravel Bottom has been open for quite a few months.  The newest brewpubs that I'm aware of are Elk Brewing on Wealthy and EB Coffee & Pub, a beautiful strip mall in Caledonia.

 

I hear that downtown Cedar Springs is getting a big brewery, of all places. And Rockford Brewing Co is looking at opening a full kitchen and searching for a chef.

[fotoman311]

I hear that downtown Cedar Springs is getting a big brewery, of all places. And Rockford Brewing Co is looking at opening a full kitchen and searching for a chef.

 

Another White Pine Trail destination.  Perhaps Sand Lake is next?

Edited June 22, 2014 by fotoman311