Riverfront Project

[NorthCoast]

This article was fairly thorough.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss...9430.xml&coll=6

what do you mean?

I'm just wondering if a casion would be the permanent solution to the issue of the need for an economic buoy or would it have the same fate as a mall...thrive for 10 years or so with a boom of uncontrolled growth and then when all the land is used up and the nostalgia is gone does it just sit there or are there reasons to believe that it can viable to the responsible growth of the city over a substantial amount of time and be an anchor for the community?

[twoshort]

This article was fairly thorough.

Oh i didn't see that you wrote '(in one location or another)'. I thought you meant we for sure are getting one in Grand Rapids.

[GaryP]

I'm just wondering if a casion would be the permanent solution to the issue of the need for an economic buoy or would it have the same fate as a mall...thrive for 10 years or so with a boom of uncontrolled growth and then when all the land is used up and the nostalgia is gone does it just sit there or are there reasons to believe that it can viable to the responsible growth of the city over a substantial amount of time and be an anchor for the community?

I can't answer your question, but what I think will happen is that whatever higher end retail that accompanies the casino will draw residents interested in living near it, which will result in residential development, and things will hopefully snowball from there.

[NorthCoast]

I can't answer your question, but what I think will happen is that whatever higher end retail that accompanies the casino will draw residents interested in living near it, which will result in residential development, and things will hopefully snowball from there.

Gotcha

[Paris Texas]

Love the market idea, hate the casino idea. How far behind residential does retail usually follow, or is expected to follow in Grand Rapids anyway?

[snoogit]

I know I mentioned it in the other thread, but a Waterpark/retail/hotel development would be real nice for this land. Although how many families will go to a waterpark thats next to a gentlemen's club?

[Rizzo]

Probably the same amount of people if there wasn't a gentlemen's club. The two attractions might even share markets.

The family can go to the water park. The kids can go off and play at the water slide, while mom hits the strip club, and dad hits the casino. Families are always looking at multiple attractions where the family can "have at it," spliting up and having fun individually.

[snoogit]

Probably the same amount of people if there wasn't a gentlemen's club. The two attractions might even share markets.

The family can go to the water park. The kids can go off and play at the water slide, while mom hits the strip club, and dad hits the casino. Families are always looking at multiple attractions where the family can "have at it," spliting up and having fun individually.

I dont see mom going to the strip club, and dad going to the casino, maybe the other way around

[GRDadof3]

I still think that with the right plan and developments around it, a Market on Market could really revitalize the area. I brought this up earlier in the post but I don't think I did a real good job selling it. I'm basing this suggestion off of historic Findlay Market located in a section of Cincinnati known as "Over the Rhine". This is an area of town in which almost no new buildings have been built in the past 100 years making it one of the best preserved 19th century neighborhoods in the country per Cincinnati Transit. Unfortunately like many older neighborhoods from about 1945-Present it suffered from severe urban decline due to the flight to suburbia and poor city planning. The refurbishing of this market has been one of the cornerstones to breathing new life into this district and has helped to begin revitalizing the neighborhood around it.

Findlay Market

I wish I could provide other examples but Cincinnati is the only other city I really know asides from GR.

I caught your post j3shafer. That's why I mentioned Chelsea Market in NY. The problem is is that there are no existing structures there currently to draw from, and this lot is not within walking distance of a large concentration of neighborhoods like Heartside is (thinking of the old proposed urban market on Ionia).

[eagle]

Not if we build an even bigger, 'World's Largest Strip Club' there!!!

In all seriousness, all I want is something that truly incorporates the river and brings regional attention and attraction. I'd love to have a bar-deck overlooking the river in this town, maybe some riverside shops plus Parisian-style bouquinists...maybe a cross between Cleveland Flats District/SanAntonio Riverwalk. Our own Grand River District.

Cleveland

Riverwalk

Had our wedding reception in the flats. It was cool at the time (6 years ago) but is all deserted now.

[GR8scott]

^yeah that looks pretty cool and I think you would need to utilize the river for sure but I dont know if residential or even a shopping center would be very good at that particular location. It is surrounded by old industrial buildings and looks pretty rundown for that stuff and 131 kind of forms a barrier with the rest of downtown where people might not want to walk from monroe center all the way over there to go to another shop. I think a casino or stadium would be a good fit though.

[NorthCoast]

I caught your post j3shafer. That's why I mentioned Chelsea Market in NY. The problem is is that there are no existing structures there currently to draw from, and this lot is not within walking distance of a large concentration of neighborhoods like Heartside is (thinking of the old proposed urban market on Ionia).

Yeah thats why if I were to do it I'd make the market itself not overly huge and try to plot some vertical residential units around it. The proposed river island could help with the space issue and a nice light rail mass transit unit would really help the need for traffic

[GRDadof3]

According to the Business Journal today, they've already gotten some inquiries on this property. The Commissioners want to put together a relocation plan first before they put out RFP's though, and they are going to have the property appraised, surveyed and put together a marketing plan. Based on the article, it sounds like they are pretty serious about doing this now.

BTW: The sale would not include the "island" in the river

[Prankster]

BTW: The sale would not include the "island" in the river

Seeing as that island is underwater half the year, it makes sense. Plus, the river is not really at its widest at that point.

[PBJ]

Seeing as that island is underwater half the year, it makes sense. Plus, the river is not really at its widest at that point.

it would be cool to have a foot bridge to it, and then to the otherside though.. even if it's closed part of the time when it's flooded..

[Prankster]

it would be cool to have a foot bridge to it, and then to the otherside though.. even if it's closed part of the time when it's flooded..

The train tressle would make a great ped bridge too, if it was ever deactivated. It has a lot of character to it, kind of like the ped bridge by Eberhard Center.

[PBJ]

The train tressle would make a great ped bridge too, if it was ever deactivated. It has a lot of character to it, kind of like the ped bridge by Eberhard Center.

Good place to sit and drink beer in the summer so I've heard..

(and yes, you can hear the trains comming so you can get off it before they arrive since they aren't flying through there )

[GRDadof3]

A better use for a river view

As if written by this very board Sounds like GRCentro, Rizzo and I are going to work up some stuff and hopefully submit it to the Commissioners in a couple of weeks. I guess we're going to nix the casino idea, and just go with an entertainment/shopping/residential complex.

[PBJ]

A better use for a river view

As if written by this very board Sounds like GRCentro, Rizzo and I are going to work up some stuff and hopefully submit it to the Commissioners in a couple of weeks. I guess we're going to nix the casino idea, and just go with an entertainment/shopping/residential complex.

Wellllll.. duh.. ... Good to see our views are shared by others who can get the word out past our little community

[torgo]

Wellllll.. duh.. ... Good to see our views are shared by others who can get the word out past our little community

I think thats a view held by a lot of people...now I hope that developers and our elected officials will look to really capitalize on the river.

[blindside]

A better use for a river view

As if written by this very board Sounds like GRCentro, Rizzo and I are going to work up some stuff and hopefully submit it to the Commissioners in a couple of weeks. I guess we're going to nix the casino idea, and just go with an entertainment/shopping/residential complex.

Hey, if the development is going to be an entertainment and shopping destination, then don't leave out the possibility of a hotel. Hotels and condos=highrises .

[john_denver]

Does anyone have any suggestions as where to re-locate the Public Works garage? I would think Parks & Rec. and Streets and Sanitation departments would be easier to re-locate. The IT department might take a unique site.

It seems like where to re-locate is an important issue for the city. One that could really slow this whole idea to a dead stop.

I do remember someone in this forum mention possible sites further down Market near EPSD (where it stinks).

[GRDadof3]

Sorry, forgot to mention hotel.

I think we'll be pleasantly shocked by the proposals that come forward, and from where they come. If the city's figure of $37 - $40 million is correct, then figure at least $150 million for demolition and construction Here's a sampling of google search hits for "$200 million mixed-use", on similar sized parcels:

Park Place Annapolis

Houston Pavilions

Trilogy - Boston

Greektown - Baltimore

I'm not trying to make you guys giddy, we're goin big-time!!

[PBJ]

Does anyone have any suggestions as where to re-locate the Public Works garage? I would think Parks & Rec. and Streets and Sanitation departments would be easier to re-locate. The IT department might take a unique site.

I do remember someone in this forum mention possible sites further down Market near EPSD (where it stinks).

I'm 98.9% sure Eric over at Terra Firma has some open space on Grandville that's already setup/wired for a "High Tech" use.. like perhaps above Bistro

[GRDadof3]

I think it's going to be too difficult to get ITP to relocate too. That garage they have on Wealthy is just too convenient to the new ITP Station. So I pared down the parking ramp. We'll just have to do some underground parking as well (probably under the hotel).

BTW: Don't know if you guys noticed, but that editorial was from the Press Editor, not just someone writing in.