New Walgreens Development at Michigan and Fuller

[Kib]

Why, I don't think this was an either/or situation?

I don't know, the Knapp store expenditure easily could have been in the $15-$20M ballpark, they're still making acquisitions of other grocers and related businesses and properties and their stock is worth roughly half of what it was three years ago. Not a formula for throwing a store up in a location that has historically has had performance issues. For that matter, I'm surprised Spartan hasn't been snapped up by KR/WMT/NAFC/SVU. Don't get me wrong, they're a fine local company, but there's a reason you no longer see a Piggly Wiggly on every corner of the country anymore.

[winjer]

Wal-Mart is cheaper than D&W too.

Well, Trader Joe's has a lot of good stuff (like delicious ajvar, but it's called "bell pepper sauce") at a reasonable price.

As for Wal-Mart, I've only been there once, but I hear that they too have both local and organic produce for fantastic prices. If Wal-Mart were to build an urban-format store on Wealthy/Division it would do a world of good.

Plum Market and Whole Foods, on the other hand, only benefit the wealthy.

[Veloise]

Be a great place for a smaller, urban-format Meijer. Back to square one, since that's what was there originally.

(testing the hypothesis that the movers & shakers monitor UP for development ideas and strategy)

[GR Jackson]

I was reading on this and it seemed to be insinuated that D&W bought that store with no intention to develop it, but just to snuff the family fare competition in the area. Any thoughts?

[trongrr]

I was reading on this and it seemed to be insinuated that D&W bought that store with no intention to develop it, but just to snuff the family fare competition in the area. Any thoughts?

Jackson - Spartan Stores owns both D&W and Family Fare, along with a few other marks (Felpausch Food Centers, Glen's Markets and VG's), so I'm not too sure it's for that reason. In my mind it's a risk/reward issue more than anything. I'd love to see something on the corner, as it would serve a great many people, but I still realize they have to make a business decision, mostly based on their profit versus the good will of having a neighborhood store.

[suydam]

I was reading on this and it seemed to be insinuated that D&W bought that store with no intention to develop it, but just to snuff the family fare competition in the area. Any thoughts?

Plus it wasn't Family Fare, it was Duthler's which is a customer of Spartan branded products, but not owned by Spartan.

[wingbert]

I'm not exactly sure why they bought it. I would like to assume the intention was good. They sure were happy to receive the public accolades and goodwill that came with the announcement. However, they then sat on it for over two years without doing anything and now blame the economic downturn. The economic downturn didn't seem to have an effect on their plans for the store at Knapp's Corners or the financial outlay to purchase the little league fields in Hudsonville while simultaneously purchasing a separate parcel to develop and relocate those little league fields or to expand and remodel the Kentwood store, etc. It gives the appearance that their focus is the suburbs rather than investment in the city.

[MJLO]

Well I think supermarkets are a suburban concept to begin with. So it makes sense that they would consider those locations a more sound investment. I dunno how much that area could support a fresh market concept anyway. Obviously they don't, it sucks, but they gotta consider the whole risk/return on anything they do. If they just went in and built stuff to bolster the ambience of an area, i'd bet in no time their stock would be cut in half again! With that said, I'll take me some Marthas Vineyard over a cookie cutter concept anyday.

[wmrharris]

I'm not exactly sure why they bought it. I would like to assume the intention was good. They sure were happy to receive the public accolades and goodwill that came with the announcement. However, they then sat on it for over two years without doing anything and now blame the economic downturn. The economic downturn didn't seem to have an effect on their plans for the store at Knapp's Corners or the financial outlay to purchase the little league fields in Hudsonville while simultaneously purchasing a separate parcel to develop and relocate those little league fields or to expand and remodel the Kentwood store, etc. It gives the appearance that their focus is the suburbs rather than investment in the city.

It struck me at the time that it was a real estate bet on the medical developments to the west. With the coming med school and residents, there would be a need for additional housing, particularly for young families. The residential properties on the east side of the Hill (roughly Eastern/Fountain/Fuller/Michigan -- does this have a name?) look promising in terms of gentrification. This is the Riley build rationale. GRPS is deciding between Hillcrest, just east, and Congress, just north. These all seem signs of the long term re-shaping. In this light, the D&W seemed a nice location relative to the locale and the Cascade-bound traffic from the Medical side of things.

[fotoman311]

It struck me at the time that it was a real estate bet on the medical developments to the west. With the coming med school and residents, there would be a need for additional housing, particularly for young families. The residential properties on the east side of the Hill (roughly Eastern/Fountain/Fuller/Michigan -- does this have a name?) look promising in terms of gentrification. This is the Riley build rationale. GRPS is deciding between Hillcrest, just east, and Congress, just north. These all seem signs of the long term re-shaping. In this light, the D&W seemed a nice location relative to the locale and the Cascade-bound traffic from the Medical side of things.

It's called Midtown. http://www.cridata.o..._GR.aspx?HID=20

I live here and am involved with the neighborhood association.

Don't feel bad for not knowing, though. I'm often surprised by how many people I meet who don't even know the name of the neighborhood they LIVE in.

You can see all of GR's neighborhoods on this cool map maintained by the Community Research Institute at GVSU: http://www.cridata.org/Neighb_GR.aspx

I do wish that Spartan had not changed their mind. I was disappointed in their decision, based on the success of Rylee's right nearby. I do believe that somebody should be able to make the property work as a food store.

[wmrharris]

It's called Midtown. http://www.cridata.o..._GR.aspx?HID=20

I live here and am involved with the neighborhood association.

Don't feel bad for not knowing, though. I'm often surprised by how many people I meet who don't even know the name of the neighborhood they LIVE in.

that's right. I've seen the signs. I've had my own informal names, "the Flats" or NoHo (North of Houseman). Of course I live in a neighborhood that's not a neighborhood, aka the South East Side. More precisely there is the strip of blocks between Adams and Hall -- old pct 20 -- my haunt, that I give the name Sooth (South of Ottawa Hills).

[RegalTDP]

that's right. I've seen the signs. I've had my own informal names, "the Flats" or NoHo (North of Houseman). Of course I live in a neighborhood that's not a neighborhood, aka the South East Side. More precisely there is the strip of blocks between Adams and Hall -- old pct 20 -- my haunt, that I give the name Sooth (South of Ottawa Hills).

NoHo and Sooth. I like 'em.

[Veloise]

Be a great place for a smaller, urban-format Meijer. Back to square one, since that's what was there originally.

(testing the hypothesis that the movers & shakers monitor UP for development ideas and strategy)

:waves hello to the Meijer Facebook person:

[Veloise]

Found this letter in Sunday's paper. (MLive no longer posts published letters.)

Urban areas need Spartan store, too

(Sunday, May 23 Grand Rapids Press)

Spartan Stores announced that it would not be building a D&W Fresh Market at the corner of Michigan and Fuller, a grocery-starved neighborhood encompassing the east end of Medical Mile and the site of the former Duthler's Foods ("Spartan hasn't given up on growth," Press, May 14).

This project had been anticipated for over two years. Spartan attributed the "difficult decision" to economic uncertainty. On May 13, Spartan Stores announced "better than expected" fourth quarter results, representing the second highest year of profits in the company's 92-year history ("Spartan Stores boast big year," Press). Are we to assume that information was not available to the company two weeks earlier?

On May 16, Spartan opened its new Knapp's Crossing D&W Fresh Market, an affluent location with a Meijer superstore a quarter-mile away. Just what we needed, huh? Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?

Spartan Stores and its D&W Fresh Market brand need to pay more attention to being good citizens, and that includes investing in urban and downtown Grand Rapids neighborhoods, and opening stores where a footprint and a need already exists.

DARLA ALEXANDER/Grand Rapids

[OneSweetWorld]

Just thought I would fan the flames with this little tidbit of information:

The Spartan Store at Lake Michigan Drive & Collindale, where many people frequently wait for the Rapid, has put up signs along the edge of their parking lot. "Customer Parking Only" or something along those lines. Note: the parking lot is NEVER full, especially that far corner.

Stark contrast to Meijer, which openly offers its parking lots as park and ride locations for Rapid Riders. Yet another reason to shop at Meijer, I guess..

[mgreven]

I was just at Fulton Street Family Fare and heard one employee say to another, "Have you seen the remodel plans?" They went into the back so I asked another employee and he said that they were doing a complete $1.5 million dollar overhaul of the store. He was very excited. Didn't seem like a secret since he yelled at another employee, "When does the remodel start?" to which the reply was August 2nd. Great news!!

[joeDowntown]

That is good news. The Fulton street location is centrally located, but it needs a little TLC.

Joe

[GR Jackson]

I hope they add a few more cash registers and cashiers. Every time I am in there there are very long lines to check out.

[zenstyle]

I've often wondered why the produce selection at Fulton Heights/Family Fare is so spartan (heh). Is it because of the proximity of the Farmers' Market, the store managers thinking people will get their produce there instead of dinking around with the supermarket produce? If that's the theory, it doesn't work in the off-season.

[trongrr]

So now it looks like Walgreen's wants to relocate their store to the corner of Fuller and Michigan. Ugh.

[GR_Urbanist]

So now it looks like Walgreen's wants to relocate their store to the corner of Fuller and Michigan. Ugh.

Well that's that then.

Family Dollar, Walgreen's logo building, 2 gas stations, and that thing that holds Subway.

Wish that dry cleaning shop and the hardware store had some better neighbors to complement the effort that they put into their shops.

And the former Walgreens site will never attract much of anything. They never do.

But in keeping with apparently our state's new motto...

"It's better than nothing"!

Marginally better.

[AlexPKeaton]

So long as it's good urbanism, a Walgreen's there is fine. That said, there's just about 0% chance what they build will be good urbanism.

[Timize]

I don't think the Afendoulis building (that holds Subway and Biggby) is an atrocious eyesore as everyone thinks it is. It could have been prettier, but there are worse looking buildings around that intersection. The only thing I hate about it is the parking lot.

[AlexPKeaton]

I don't think the Afendoulis building (that holds Subway and Biggby) is an atrocious eyesore as everyone thinks it is. It could have been prettier, but there are worse looking buildings around that intersection. The only thing I hate about it is the parking lot.

It's not so much that the building itself is ugly, but that it just gets a few basic things completely wrong. There is a little strip of vegetation between the building and the sidewalk which is idiotic for a building attempting to be flush with the street. I don't know why they even bothered building flush with the street if the entrances face the parking lot anyway.

[Gorath]

So long as it's good urbanism, a Walgreen's there is fine. That said, there's just about 0% chance what they build will be good urbanism.

And .... the new Walgreens will be built to face Fuller and not Michigan. Which goes against the Michigan Corridor master plan.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/11/grand_rapids_planners_approve.html