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Icehouse GRCF's new home


GRCF

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I wanted to keep Urban Planet updated on the progress of the renovation of the Icehouse new home of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. We changed the address from 72 Grandville S.W. to 185 Oakes S.W. as the main entrance to the building is on Oakes. Fryling Construction is our contractor and Design + is the architectural firm. Construction started about a month ago and is progressing well at this point. You can check out the progress by going to the GRCF website at www.grfoundation.org and there are pictures and a blog for the building! So far so good!

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Thanks for the update GRCF! You don't happen to have the latest plans that you can post, do you? I understand there's going to be a large (arched?) atrium over the old loading dock area, and 1 or 2 bridges across the atrium connecting the upstairs areas (?) Does that sound right?

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Sorry for the delay in responding to the request to show our plans! I am providing the link to our "Building Blog" on the Grand Rapids Community Foundation website that shows the plans and provides an update periodically plus pictures of the rehab! http://www.grfoundation.org/icehouseblog/

We are using every inch of space in this great building and we are having two bridges constructed that will access the second level of what were the horse stables back in the day and now will become our staff work room! The building parallel to Grandville will house our offices. The middle building with the main entrance off of Oakes will be our reception area and as you continue back into what had been a loading dock there will be a "prefunction area". The actual "Icehouse" room will now be a large conference room that can be divided into two rooms. The area into the first floor of the "stables" will now contain our meeting room/conference area - including two small conference rooms, the library, a board room, a kitchen and storage room. It will be a welcoming building and great space!

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First of all - - - - great photos from Fotoman! As to twoshort's comment re: the bridges - women in skirts. We recently held an event at The Bob and as I was looking up at the bridge - well let's just say I made sure our contractor knew that I wanted a solid surface on the floor of our bridges. So thanks for the caution! New pics up today on our website - www.grfoundation.org. Thanks everyone! Diana

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So I just now picked up the 4th (2008) edition of the Bike GR map.

Diana, thank you (GRCF) for helping to sponsor it and make it happen.

(this is where Josh chimes in with, "don't you go shopping at bicycle stores in the spring?")

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It's kind of sad and a little off topic, but it appears that the famous clydesdale beer company may be bought out. I bring this article up because Icehouse was originally built by the Anheuser company.

From the article:

"Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis superbrewer, is the unhappy target of a $46.35 billion takeover attempt by InBev, a Belgian company run by Brazilian moneymen, which is the world's No. 1 beermaker

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Actually, all I have to say is "Thank You," as well. I hope that someday the BikeGR map can continue to improve and that we only increase the number of purple lines on it through good planning, increased education, and more people experiencing the joy of freedom from automobiles.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Just took a tour through the building yesterday and it is definitely amazing! I can't believe its the same building with chemical destroyed floors and crazy heaved concrete floors! The skylight and bridge create a dramatic lobby area. Its going to look great once finishes are wrapped up and furniture is moved in! Can't wait!

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  • 2 months later...

I may not make any friends by saying this, but the white block lettering that they put on the side facing Grandville Ave. is terrible!

For all that they have done to the interior and, for that matter, the exterior of the building, I am completely disappointed with this. It just does not do the building or the foundation justice. It appears as if absolutely no thought or investment went in to this major detail.

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