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New Peter Martin Wege Theater


mgreven

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Looks like the GR Ballet Company wants to have a theater of their own for smaller performances. Hopefully, they'll make it look like a theater from the road because the building now kinda blends in. If all the riverfront stuff happens, they could be right in the middle of it. Here's the story...

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

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"GRBC, which enters its 35th season this fall and is Michigan's only professional ballet company"

I heard this through word of mouth before, but seeing it as official is pretty impressive for Grand Rapids. Kudos for the expansion and I look forward to seeing what the design rendersings will look like when available.

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I was thinking the same thing.

I'm glad I'm not the only one in the dark. When I saw people had responded, I was worried everyone would say, "I can't believe you don't know about HOUSEMAN!"

The only thing I can think of is that the football players at Houseman Field are going to start taking ballet here. :lol:

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The rendering in Press looks pretty cool. Not much detail. Any more renderings laying around out there? The big glass atrium will look cool coming around the s curve.

Is this the one mjak? This is quite a bit larger than I anticipated, and right up there with the Civic Theater renovation in size.

243567412_f0478610e3_o.jpg

This is actually the North elevation facing Goodrich based on the description in the ARTICLE.

While the theater will seat just 300, the stage itself, equipped with a sprung dance floor, will be larger than the stage of DeVos Performance Hall, said artistic director Gordon Peirce Schmidt.

"I can't think of any place nationally that has a space like this," Schmidt said, calling it a "beacon" for culture in Grand Rapids.

In fact, the building's design by Design Plus includes a dramatic, all-glass entrance and lobby that will re-orient the building's front toward Goodrich Street to the north.

And it will be LEED Certified with a Sedum roof.

Here's my interpretation of the addition:

243569770_3e65e0b25f_o.jpg

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That's Design+? Since when do they do glassy, modern, high-tech looking stuff?

jbr12, got an insider scoop for us?

Dad, I think you're bumping the building out too far to the north on that map. I don't think its that big of an addition. There wouldn't be any room for the parking lot they are showing in the rendering.

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That's Design+? Since when do they do glassy, modern, high-tech looking stuff?

jbr12, got an insider scoop for us?

Dad, I think you're bumping the building out too far to the north on that map. I don't think its that big of an addition. There wouldn't be any room for the parking lot they are showing in the rendering.

Either way, this addition will make for a nice architectual welcome mat for folks entering DT via the Grand Terminal.

Nice. :thumbsup:

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That's Design+? Since when do they do glassy, modern, high-tech looking stuff?

jbr12, got an insider scoop for us?

Dad, I think you're bumping the building out too far to the north on that map. I don't think its that big of an addition. There wouldn't be any room for the parking lot they are showing in the rendering.

Ah yes, you're right. Maybe more like this?

243803662_67f62cabf5_o.jpg

Although this was interesting in the article that I missed previously:

GRBC owns additional property across Goodrich Street and has petitioned the Grand Rapids City Commission to vacate that city street between Grandville Avenue and Ellsworth Avenue. The request was granted Tuesday, according to GRBC board president Scott Kearney.

The article also mentions that the Meijer and Royce families also donated money to the Ballet in this addition. I see a new Performing Arts Center in our future with all the money being given to the arts lately.

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Dad, I think you're bumping the building out too far to the north on that map. I don't think its that big of an addition. There wouldn't be any room for the parking lot they are showing in the rendering.

They could always build the parking lot on the street and on the lot across Goodrich?

"GRBC owns additional property across Goodrich Street and has petitioned the Grand Rapids City Commission to vacate that city street between Grandville Avenue and Ellsworth Avenue. The request was granted Tuesday, according to GRBC board president Scott Kearney."

Sounds like they will vacate that section of the street for the addition?

EDIT: oops, GRDad beat me to it...

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What's currently on lot -01? I would imagine that converting the street into parking, and then making -01 and -02 a greenspace with some sort of statue right in the middle of -01 could really boost the appearance of the area and make the project a lot more stunning to those coming from the north.

A beautiful old fire station. Don't even think about it. :thumbsup:

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