Wealthy Street Mega Thread

[ctpgr34]

Cool little update on upcoming breweries- http://www.wzzm13.com/life/food/new-breweries-continue-to-open-in-grand-rapids/64950437

[GRDadof3]

52 minutes ago, ctpgr34 said:

Cool little update on upcoming breweries- http://www.wzzm13.com/life/food/new-breweries-continue-to-open-in-grand-rapids/64950437

I'm sorry, but MLive and these TV stations do not do lifestyle pieces very well. Amy Sherman used to have a pretty cool beer show but this has been WOODTV-ized.

[GRDadof3]

Hard to believe that Wealthy Street has moved to humdrum status on this board, but I did see that the Green Cane project is still moving through the system on the Brownfield agenda (I believe). 

[mpchicago]

I think this topic has been all over the GR boards here on UP, but Vander Mill Cider is sent to open on Monday........In DOWNTOWN Grand Rapids.  The writer of the article wanted to make it very clear that this was in DOWNTOWN Grand Rapids.    Obviously not downtown, but nevertheless, very happy to see these guys open their doors.  I look forward to visiting. 

[sfloria]

I noticed on my way home yesterday that there is a large addition being built onto the building along 131 between Franklin and Hall.  I know Founders was planning on locating storage there but I didn't realize it would be a multi story addition.  Sorry no picture.

[discgrab21]

51 minutes ago, sfloria said:

I noticed on my way home yesterday that there is a large addition being built onto the building along 131 between Franklin and Hall.  I know Founders was planning on locating storage there but I didn't realize it would be a multi story addition.  Sorry no picture.

I noticed and was wondering the exact same thing...

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, discgrab21 said:

I noticed and was wondering the exact same thing...

A company in there is adding a new blown film extrusion tower. I think I posted something about it somewhere around here a few months ago.

If you've never seen one in action, they're pretty fascinating. It's how they make plastic bags, shrink wrap, etc.. I believe it's the first in this area. 

 

 

6 hours ago, mpchicago said:

I think this topic has been all over the GR boards here on UP, but Vander Mill Cider is sent to open on Monday........In DOWNTOWN Grand Rapids.  The writer of the article wanted to make it very clear that this was in DOWNTOWN Grand Rapids.    Obviously not downtown, but nevertheless, very happy to see these guys open their doors.  I look forward to visiting. 

I took some pics a few months ago. Again, can't remember where I posted them.

I've heard people refer to Eastown as "downtown." It's not. 

 

[thebeerqueer]

21 hours ago, discgrab21 said:

I noticed and was wondering the exact same thing...

Yep, that's them. 

[ctpgr34]

Greyline opened today- http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/grand-rapids-west/new-brewery-opens-on-grand-rapids-west-side/154383483

[GRDadof3]

On 1/25/2016 at 8:27 AM, elcelc said:

Hmmm.  That might explain why I don't know who's involved with Sway.  Because I really don't know.  GRBC and City Built are in 616, what's one more?  I hadn't seen the 7 Monks name pop up yet.

Apparently it is 7 Monks going in the Michigan Street development:
 

https://mibiz.com/item/23613-7-monks-taproom-plans-grand-rapids-location-on-michigan-street#sthash.4E8UNamc.dpuf

 

[GRDadof3]

On 4/26/2016 at 4:49 PM, ctpgr34 said:

Greyline opened today- http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/grand-rapids-west/new-brewery-opens-on-grand-rapids-west-side/154383483

Tried it, not bad. A lot of the beers tasted like Founders, and I recognized some of the servers there were former Founders people. Apparently the brewmaster is from Founders. It's definitely a West Sider crowd.

[thebeerqueer]

5 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Tried it, not bad. A lot of the beers tasted like Founders, and I recognized some of the servers there were former Founders people. Apparently the brewmaster is from Founders. It's definitely a West Sider crowd.

The brewer is one of the original Founders brewers, responsible for some of their most successful beers. And many of the servers/bartenders have been with Founders for years. I really enjoyed the beers I had there. In my experience visiting new breweries, they rarely have enough quality beer on tap and struggle to keep up. I was there with a group of people and everyone liked what they had. I'm not sure I recognized the crowd as being a 'West Sider crowd' but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It will be interesting to see how they do at that location. 

[elcelc]

49 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Apparently it is 7 Monks going in the Michigan Street development:
 

https://mibiz.com/item/23613-7-monks-taproom-plans-grand-rapids-location-on-michigan-street#sthash.4E8UNamc.dpuf

 

Yup.  Sway is out.  Monks are in.  Haven't been to the TC one, so I'm excited.

13 minutes ago, thebeerqueer said:

The brewer is one of the original Founders brewers, responsible for some of their most successful beers. And many of the servers/bartenders have been with Founders for years. I really enjoyed the beers I had there. In my experience visiting new breweries, they rarely have enough quality beer on tap and struggle to keep up. I was there with a group of people and everyone liked what they had. I'm not sure I recognized the crowd as being a 'West Sider crowd' but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It will be interesting to see how they do at that location. 

Made it over the weekend and also like Founders, it was crammed and loud.  What I did try was good but I'll check back after the initial hoopla wears off.

[mpchicago]

Nice article in Sunday's Chicago Tribune about Vander Mill .  It filled a full page in the Travel section.

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, thebeerqueer said:

The brewer is one of the original Founders brewers, responsible for some of their most successful beers. And many of the servers/bartenders have been with Founders for years. I really enjoyed the beers I had there. In my experience visiting new breweries, they rarely have enough quality beer on tap and struggle to keep up. I was there with a group of people and everyone liked what they had. I'm not sure I recognized the crowd as being a 'West Sider crowd' but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It will be interesting to see how they do at that location. 

I went with a friend who's a longtime West Sider (born and raised and went to Union) and he recognized half the crowd from high school. 

[ctpgr34]

This building looks to have been sold and the rumor is, wait for it, wait for it, that it will be a brewery.  I found very little info on the city site, but it mentioned the location would produce 15 jobs.  I did not realize that it had a pretty good sized parking lot in the back.  Hopefully more concrete information soon.  This is on Plainfield north of Knapp in Cheshire Village. 

[thebeerqueer]

41 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

I went with a friend who's a longtime West Sider (born and raised and went to Union) and he recognized half the crowd from high school. 

I guess it is a West Sider place, I was there with my childhood neighbor and friend from grade school. 

[EastownLeo]

Construction has started at 1555 Wealthy.  From the renderings they are not doing anything to the existing building just building on the parking lot next to Papa John's

Link shows rendering and floor plan.

http://www.eastown.org/1555-wealthy-development/

 

Edited May 12, 2016 by EastownLeo

[x99]

This is really nice.  I wondered why the rendering looked so bad, and it's because it is terribly reduced in size from the original here: www.eastown.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/1555-Wealthy-Color-Rendering.pdf.  You gotta blow that up until it looks right.  This is a nice building.  Wait, did I say that already?  It's fairly restrained, but it has an actual cornice, nice brickwork, a sizeable post holding up the corner of the building so it does not appear to be floating, nice trim and molding around the windows... all in all, it hits all the elements it needs to for a building to look quite pleasing.  WOW!  

I will say I'm not in love with the rusticated block, but that just seems kinda petty.  The fibercement isn't my favorite either, but I recognize the cost concerns.  Hopefully it's a 5-1/4" max with about a 1" exposure, smooth finish, and not some cornball Orion-grade 8" slab stuff with fake woodgrain texture on it that looks like the rub rail on an old Burger King drive through.  Ironically, this squat little building takes more advantage of the three stories it has to work with than a lot of the "big guy's" recent vertical trailer parks do.  Good job, Sears Architects.   Seems historic districts aren't even necessary when you have actual taste.  

...Now just convince the developers to spring for a real eye-popper of a cornice and something classically fun and interesting on the parapet wall over the central single window.  C'mon, you know you want to...  Or maybe slap a curved bow window on there that terminates into a turret with an onion dome.  Or maybe slap put that on the corner springing out the corner post just because.  You know you want to, and I know you've done 'em before...   Hey, a guy can dream, right?  

[EastownLeo]

I do wonder about the congestion of traffic and parking in this part of the street now that all of papa johns parking is gone.

[GRDadof3]

7 hours ago, EastownLeo said:

Construction has started at 1555 Wealthy.  From the renderings they are not doing anything to the existing building just building on the parking lot next to Papa John's

Link shows rendering and floor plan.

http://www.eastown.org/1555-wealthy-development/

 

 

For some reason I was thinking they were going to build on the parking lot on the West end of the building. Looks nice though.

[ctpgr34]

Looks like Speciation Artisan Ale found at spot on West River, just south of 4 Mile.  I believe this is the building at 3720 West River Drive

[mpchicago]

2 hours ago, ctpgr34 said:

Looks like Speciation Artisan Ale found at spot on West River, just south of 4 Mile.  I believe this is the building at 3720 West River Drive

Comstock Park is becoming quite the little brewing enclave. 

[GRDadof3]

On 5/17/2016 at 10:21 AM, mpchicago said:

Comstock Park is becoming quite the little brewing enclave. 

I noticed a "Bier" tasting room and distillery on West River Drive the other way from Comstock Park. Sort of by English Terrace? Anyone know what I'm talking bout? 

Never you mind, found it:

http://www.bierdistillery.com/

It appeared to be open to the public. 

[GR_Urbanist]

The long empty lot at the NE corner of Fuller and Wealthy, that has been for sale for the past few months, has a "Pending" sign up.

Good to see it may have sold quick! So expect some news on that soon hopefully.