Venue Tower at the BOB - 20 Monroe Live - House of Blues/Live Nation Venue

[MJLO]

15 minutes ago, EastownLeo said:

Heavy machinery and dump trucks were in the lot this morning. Saw front end loaders scooping up the island leftovers and it looks like they are now starting the parking lot removal.

Parking lot removal done.....no movement until March.

[organsnyder]

View from my office window.

[GRDadof3]

4 hours ago, jas49503 said:

there is parking reserved in a nearby ramp. I can remember which one but presumably one that is adjacent. I don't know what that means for the people who would be parking there otherwise. 

There is or was a skywalk planned to connect to the Ottawa Fulton ramp across the street, but I don't recall there being any parking reserved for this project. How can they reserve parking spaces for a project that might take 2 years to build?

[Dj Augustine]

They are no longer planning on the skywalk to the ramp.

[ironyisadeadscene]

Almost the whole parking lot is dug up, and they were moving more machinery to the site this afternoons.

[GRDadof3]

On the city's list of commercial permits it only lists the two-story entertainment venue at 11 Ottawa on it, not the tower. Just FYI. 

[mpchicago]

33 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

On the city's list of commercial permits it only lists the two-story entertainment venue at 11 Ottawa on it, not the tower. Just FYI. 

I recall that it was the plan to start the venue first, and that the low rise would be the second phase. I thought it was strange that they said kick off would be in December.  I DO think they were caught off guard with this "construction weather."  Normally ground frozen and a foot of snow is on the ground. I guess WE got lucky.

[organsnyder]

Looks like work is progressing. I saw a smallish crane on site this morning (though I can't see enough from my office window to see what they're actually working on).

[GRDadof3]

8 hours ago, organsnyder said:

Looks like work is progressing. I saw a smallish crane on site this morning (though I can't see enough from my office window to see what they're actually working on).

I'll try to get some updated pics this week. 

[GRDadof3]

Full steam shovel ahead. 

[GRDadof3]

Orion and Gilmore are having their ground-breaking ceremony February 3rd for The Venue and Venue Tower (88 units, market rate), which is in line with the most recent news on this. So I guess that answers that question. 

Updated renderings coming next week, according to the newswire I am holding in my inbox. 

 

[WMrapids]

It says it's back up to 14 floors now but last I heard it was 10...

[ironyisadeadscene]

Last I had heard, it was 12. 14 is better than 12, obviously. Still, wish it was the original 20...

[joeDowntown]

They want to keep us guessing. I didn't think the tower would get built this year. I'd be happy to be wrong on my 2016 predictions.

joe

[ctpgr34]

Was thinking about holding this link back, but figured you'd find it eventually   http://fox17online.com/2016/02/02/renderings-released-for-new-b-o-b-tower/

I do find the TGIF on the wrong side AND no longer in the building funny

Looking back a few pages, these are nothing new.  

Edited February 2, 2016 by ctpgr34

[joeDowntown]

From what I can tell it looks like they changed the roofline (no rooftop access?) and opened up a balcony on the 2nd or third story. 

OLD:

NEW:

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

From what I can tell it looks like they changed the roofline (no rooftop access?) and opened up a balcony on the 2nd or third story. 

OLD:

NEW:

 

The velocity of a beer bottle thrown from a 10 story building is higher than from a 2nd story balcony?

[WMrapids]

Groundbreaking at 11:30am today.

[ctpgr34]

8 stories?????  http://mibiz.com/item/23311-venue-tower-breaks-ground-in-downtown-grand-rapids

[GRDadof3]

36 minutes ago, ctpgr34 said:

8 stories?????  http://mibiz.com/item/23311-venue-tower-breaks-ground-in-downtown-grand-rapids

8 floors above the 3 story-ish Venue?

It says 140 feet tall so it's slightly taller than 20 Fulton East. 

 

[MJLO]

So that's 2 officially working toward going vertical right now.  I wonder if we'll see any movement on the SIBSCO tower, or the Hotel and Apartment tower prosed on NoMo.   Is it possible we could have 5 10+ story buildings under construction/breaking ground come summer?

[GRDadof3]

57 minutes ago, MJLO said:

So that's 2 officially working toward going vertical right now.  I wonder if we'll see any movement on the SIBSCO tower, or the Hotel and Apartment tower prosed on NoMo.   Is it possible we could have 5 10+ story buildings under construction/breaking ground come summer?

I would bet the NoMo hotel is another year off before it starts. But Fulton will look interesting, with 20 Fulton East and Venue Tower going up, plus the Fulton Place over by GVSU getting close to completion by this Summer. 

Based on the SIBSCO discussions it sounds like Twelve Weston needs more tenants before it kicks off. 

ICON II (601 Bond) says it will commence mid-summer 2016, so it won't really be that vertical until next Fall. 

This time next year will be a really exciting time in GR though. 

 

 

 

[ant33]

So after the venue, 20 e fulton, 12 weston and the north Monroe project, what else would be a 10+ story project. Are you still considering arena place finishing up construction this summer? 

It would definitely be a sight to see if this were the case.

[egrguy]

Looks like this project is going to have 24 micro-lofts. From the comments section it appears to be $850-$1000 for the micro unit. If I was still single; I'd like that option. Very little maintenance/upkeep would be required. I am curious to what the market is going to be. You can be a homeowner for less then that in many of GR's walkable neighborhoods. I suppose you are trading upkeep time for costs?

I hope it works, it would certainly add density.

24 'micro-lofts' included in downtown's $33M 'Venue Tower' apartment project

[organsnyder]

I work with a lot of single 20-somethings on my team at work. They're already drooling over those apartments—right in the middle of everything (including, for us, across the street from work), and a simple lifestyle. They're at a stage where they don't want to be tied down by a mortgage and home repairs; and, for some people, that stage can extend to 30 or later.

I still prefer the stability and space of owning a detached single-family home, but I have three kids. If I were in a different stage of life, I'd definitely be intrigued at the idea.