Riverfront Property Proposal(s)?

[localtalent]

I've even thrown in a Sketchup file while I was at it.

[tamias6]

Done.

I did this sketchup file of DT GR including buildings under construction and all the proposals I know of with published renderings and stand a good chance of making it to construction. Building heights are based on digesting photos and images posted here on UP. Thanks goes to who ever posted the GR Photo of the Day thread.

I think your Sketchup contributions are fantastic. I'm waiting for the 3d model of the entire downtown area with all the various new projects and proposals included....

[FlawlessDeveloper]

Well city folk...

My Sources are now telling me the City of Detroit people are telling Faust & Co. to be afraid of Grand Rapids.

They are offering him Belle Isle. to do his vision.

Ms. Granholm and Co. thinks that is his best opportunity anyways.

What do you guys think???

[tamias6]

If I were a developer offered the choice to invest either in GR or Detroit, GR would be the better choice as this metro area seems to be one of the few places still holding its own given the state's sagging economy. Detroit, on the other hand along with surrounding areas, seems to be suffering the full force of Michigan's negative economy which makes that area not so condusive to prospecting developers esp. when they intend to invest up to 2.5 billion dollars. However that does not mean Detroit is to be given up for dead. From what I gather from observing UP's Detroit forum it's DT is still showing signs of life and thus may present GR with some competition. As for Faust, if the Motor City is indeed looking into snatching Faust out of GR's hands, they would be strongly advised to look at his financial background and his ability to pull off the 2.5 billion dollar project he envisions before geting hopes up.

Well city folk...

My Sources are now telling me the City of Detroit people are telling Faust & Co. to be afraid of Grand Rapids.

They are offering him Belle Isle. to do his vision.

Ms. Granholm and Co. thinks that is his best opportunity anyways.

What do you guys think???

[blueradon]

If Faust were to move to Detroit...do you think we'd be better off?

Although if Detroit City leaders are trying to scare him off from GR, that's pretty low...but then again Detroit is probably pretty desperate given their situation.

I'm not going to start with one of those I hate Detroit sentences and then someone from Detroit comes on here and says I hate GR...but we do have 2 other proposals that can still be considered as well...so we're not at an all out loss

And what would happen if Faust did win the development and then his money went down the drain we'd have a huge pile of dirt in the middle of GR. I dunno what to think about all of it...just trying to look at this from different vantage points.

[AlexPKeaton]

I could see Detroit wanting the development. Who wouldn't? But I find it highly doubtful that they'd sell him Belle Isle, or that the people of Detroit would let the city do such a thing without making a big stink. Why not the old Tiger Stadium* or something near downtown?

*Please don't tear down the old Tiger Stadium. It's a landmark and should be preserved.

-nb

[WOT]

Well city folk...

My Sources are now telling me the City of Detroit people are telling Faust & Co. to be afraid of Grand Rapids.

They are offering him Belle Isle. to do his vision.

Ms. Granholm and Co. thinks that is his best opportunity anyways.

What do you guys think???

[hood]

First, there is no competion between Detroit and GR, they are entirely different. Detroit is a struggling city with a booming metro, the downtown is coming back and will eventually outpace GR's develoopments exponentially. It has a metro of well over 5 million, compared to GR's little under 800k.

I don't think the city of Detroit would be dumb enough to even mutter ideas of selling Belle Isle, they've done some (very, very) stupid things, but come on.

Sorry but it has already been established that the old Tiger Stadium is coming down for redevelopment. They will preserve the field and build condos and shops around it.

[joeDowntown]

I think exponentially is a strong word. While I'm sure Detroit has its fair share of development, the large amount of re-investment going on in the downtown core of GR should not be poo-pooed like GR is Detroit's red-headed stepchild.

Joe

[Rizzo]

Well city folk...

My Sources are now telling me the City of Detroit people are telling Faust & Co. to be afraid of Grand Rapids.

They are offering him Belle Isle. to do his vision.

Ms. Granholm and Co. thinks that is his best opportunity anyways.

What do you guys think???

[tamias6]

1. The GR metro area has a current population of 1.3 million people.

Wikipedia Article about GR

2. Elements of the old Tiger Stadium in addition to the baseball field are to be preserved.

Detroit News Article > Second Paragraph > Last Sentence

First, there is no competion between Detroit and GR, they are entirely different. Detroit is a struggling city with a booming metro, the downtown is coming back and will eventually outpace GR's develoopments exponentially. It has a metro of well over 5 million, compared to GR's little under 800k.

I don't think the city of Detroit would be dumb enough to even mutter ideas of selling Belle Isle, they've done some (very, very) stupid things, but come on.

Sorry but it has already been established that the old Tiger Stadium is coming down for redevelopment. They will preserve the field and build condos and shops around it.

[GRDadof3]

Well city folk...

My Sources are now telling me the City of Detroit people are telling Faust & Co. to be afraid of Grand Rapids.

They are offering him Belle Isle. to do his vision.

Ms. Granholm and Co. thinks that is his best opportunity anyways.

What do you guys think???

[jwazzz]

Not only would we be better off if Faust moved to Detroit, we should buy the ticket for him. His proposals have always read "scam" to me.

[JimInGR]

The population increase in Atlanta is misleading though. They've done a lot of annexation in the last ten years.

[GRDadof3]

The population increase in Atlanta is misleading though. They've done a lot of annexation in the last ten years.

[localtalent]

What a dumb and weak negotiating tactic on Faust's part. Call his bluff and send him packing.

[GRDadof3]

Negotiating tactic? Who's negotiating?

You continue to seem awfully quick to throw folks under the bus without much info.

[DwntwnGeo]

Nice try throwing this back on me, but when there is a bevy of negative information and not one ounce of positive information (or an information vacuum) about this guy, what do you expect? Flawlessdeveloper floated a rumor, and asked for opinions. Would you like me to make something up that is more to your liking?

[Rizzo]

Maybe let us wait this out until that part of full discloser arrives... The RFP will be officially issued and Grand Rapids Development Company will have its lime light back which must be fully detailed according to the City. I'm sure when that happens the game will be over (or the team scores for extra innings) and this thread will go down in UP history.

[localtalent]

Nice try throwing this back on me, but when there is a bevy of negative information and not one ounce of positive information (or an information vacuum) about this guy, what do you expect? Flawlessdeveloper floated a rumor, and asked for opinions. Would you like me to make something up that is more to your liking?

[GRDadof3]

I'm specifically wondering how you perceive this rumor to be a negotiating tactic by Faust?

I know you aren't a cheerleader for him, that's pretty obvious. But now you're playing a game of Telephone with what started as an unsubstantiated rumor. Next thing we know, the investigative geniuses over at WoodTV will be updating us all on how Faust is shopping the deal around to try to get the city to move faster or some garbage. Of course, they'll cite "anonymous sources" for that story.

And it will all be your fault.

Are you prepared to live with that kind of guilt???

[localtalent]

Guilt schmilt. I'm sure if WOODTV catches wind of this rumor, they'll draw their own conclusions.

You know, I would be a lot more on-board with this idea if it were something similar to this new Biotech Research Park being set up in Charlotte. Not only is the developer himself building a lot of the initial research facilities, he's setting up a venture capital fund to foster other startups. I think I read it's estimated to create over 37,000 jobs directly and indirectly over the next 20 years, much like Research Triangle Park has. And look, it was proposed last Sept. and is already under construction.. Only ours could be alternative energy and sustainability centered. I think I floated this idea way back in the beginning of all this crap.

We don't need another development to help us part ways with our money, we need advanced degree job growth.

[mgreven]

Personally, after following this whole thing for as long as we all have (a year) I'm just waiting and seeing. If nothing comes of this, there's plenty to get excited about downtown. If Faust has some "grand plan", then I'll be eager to see what it is. Why don't we all just wait and see - obviously the guy wants to invest in our city and it could really be something. We don't know enough to run him out of town like that and I hate to see this board be ticked at an outside developer that we really know nothing about.

[gvsusean]

Personally, after following this whole thing for as long as we all have (a year) I'm just waiting and seeing. If nothing comes of this, there's plenty to get excited about downtown. If Faust has some "grand plan", then I'll be eager to see what it is. Why don't we all just wait and see - obviously the guy wants to invest in our city and it could really be something. We don't know enough to run him out of town like that and I hate to see this board be ticked at an outside developer that we really know nothing about.

[tamias6]

Conspiriscy theories. Contraversies. Scandals. Political bickering. Phew!! This thread is starting to get like the squabbling one sees on Fox News. The only thing that's missing is Bill O'Reilly blaming Liberals Oh well, at this point and the way things have gotten with the Riverfront, I'm taking this all in as a form of entertainment now.