Massive Riverfront Project

[GaryP]

I think there's a little difference between building a project like that in the middle of nowhere (or a tomato field) and building in the the middle of a city.

Ya, several billion dollars

[Rizzo]

So if Dave is right basicly everything we dreamed or hoped for is not on the list of what we will see... Does this kind of psssssssss any of your ballons? I'll take the billions and jobs, but this is just too bizare. Almost like they discovered aliens and God exists all at the same time/.

[HolidayInnExpress]

Maybe the answer is that the developer is acutally the Van Andel/DeVos team.

Well...one thing for sure is that they know about what is going on. I am sure that they are in circles where there are people with deep pockets who want to try "something new" and they could have encourage the choice of location...as well as kick in a few million.

[JimInGR]

Man this discussion is getting crazy with all the different ideas we're coming up with.

[Rizzo]

At some point in time if this idea just turns out to be bizzar and nothing related to urbanism or what we really need in Urban Grand Rapids then I think some people will not like the kind of attention given to GR...

[torgo]

Not to bash Devos/Vanandel, but they are not original enough to come up with something that has national significance

Besides, Dave said its not associated with any current development in GR. My wild stab is that the developer is some big-shot company from the east coast. WHAT they are building though, I wish I knew.

[snoogit]

So if Dave is right basicly everything we dreamed or hoped for is not on the list of what we will see... Does this kind of psssssssss any of your ballons? I'll take the billions and jobs, but this is just too bizare. Almost like they discovered aliens and God exists all at the same time/.

Alien spaceship landing pad.

[designcritic]

NOT EXCLUSIVE ENOUGH.

Hydro Electric Power Plant?

[torgo]

Please nothing by Frank Gehry

[Rizzo]

On that note I believe Grand Rapids was the first city to implement hydro electricity..

[snoogit]

Hydro Electric Power Plant?

Not exclusive enough.

I'm thinking this has to be something NO ONE IN THE US HAS.

I know its hard to think what that could be. Even I am having difficulty thinking of what that could be.

[Greedo]

Think outside of what the country already has, think of something no one else has. Think of this as something that no one in the entire nation has.

A GIANT horse!!

Crap. Nevermind.

[john_denver]

At this point I am just throwing it out there...

Maybe some kind of new fangled urban technology park?

Chicago-> Boeing->Grand Rapids?

I'm not suggesting they would move but maybe a high tech off shoot of what they do?

My gut feeling is something high tech built in a community setting; call it a "Tech Villiage".

[snoogit]

A GIANT horse!!

Crap. Nevermind.

I know my first thought was some 30 acre art exhibit, but that doesnt create jobs.

[GaryP]

If this is a for profit development, which I assume it is; I just can't believe the billions of dollars quote after reading Dave's report. No way someone stakes Billions on something that's totally new and never been done before, or something that is as 'out of the box' as this is apparently going to be.

[snoogit]

If this is a for profit development, which I assume it is; I just can't believe the billions of dollars quote after reading Dave's report. No way someone stakes Billions on something that's totally new and never been done before, or something that is as 'out of the box' as this is apparently going to be.

maybe its like that IBM commercial where the old man has a box that has an invention in it everyone will want to have.

I mean dave said this isnt a company expanding or moving into the area either, so I dont know.

[Rizzo]

What makes this even more bizzare is that the developer is probably viewing the thread from a secure untraceble server. He or She or partership of buisnessmen are right now just lauging their pants of as we come up with these outlandish and sometimes hilairous ideas....

[GR_Urbanist]

Maybe it will be an international space port or a solid gold parking lot?

I think we pretty much went through everything it could be. What else could they build???

[john_denver]

maybe its like that IBM commercial where the old man has a box that has an invention in it everyone will want to have.

I mean dave said this isnt a company expanding or moving into the area either, so I dont know.

Do we know that Dave's source was not just trying to mislead us?

Maybe they were just trying to confuse us!!

[dbrok]

Somebody already mentioned the Olympics on here, didn't they? I'm having so much trouble coming up with something that meets the criteria of what Dave laid out.

[Rizzo]

IF thats the fact then thank god. "Cause I don't know what the hell I would do if they put some Liberty College or some other development like that in there.

I can wait till Jeff comes back and sees his idea has just been invalidated.. He is just going to get crushed.

[snoogit]

Maybe it will be an international space port or a solid gold parking lot?

I think we pretty much went through everything it could be. What else could they build???

I dont know, but it has to be something that would cause anticipation on a national scale.

[Rizzo]

National scale, maybe government installation?

[snoogit]

Somebody already mentioned the Olympics on here, didn't they? I'm having so much trouble coming up with something that meets the criteria of what Dave laid out.

An olympic event would fit, the 2018 winter olympics would be something that would bring national significance, but olympics are decided about 10 years in advance, we are 2 years away from that decision, so I don't see that as being the case. If the developer has already taken 2 years to inquire about it?

[GaryP]

Maybe its some guy who wants to speculate on biotech firms, so he decided to build the right facilities here and then he plans on taking an equity position in the companies that move or start-up here for the free rent.