12 replies to this topic

[GRDadof3]

Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park embarks on $7.6 million in improvements
Posted by Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk | The Grand Rapids Press March 17, 2008 20:19PM


GRAND RAPIDS -- Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park breaks ground Tuesday on more than $7.6 million worth of improvements.
Press Photo/Adam BirdThe cafe at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park will be expanded with money from the capitol campaign.

A remodeled main entrance, an expanded cafe and a new and permanent tram station are among the improvements scheduled to take place.

But much of the work involves repairing, renovating or expanding infrastructure at the cultural landmark that's attracted more than 4.5 million visitors since opening in 1995.

In recent years, annual attendance at the 132-acre park has doubled to 534,000 last year.

More details of the renovations

Attendance has apparently spiked in recent years to 543,000 visitors/year.  I've noticed too recently that we've had to park further and further out in the outer lots (or, I should say I drop the family off and I park in the outer lots).

[Grand Rapidian]

I have always loved the Gardens and I am pleased to see the investment!  I had no idea that half a million people visit each year!

[Veloise]

Plus they are adding a small (four plots?) burial site. I guess that wouldn't serve as a great enticement for the capital campaign.

[Coleco]

I hope they replace the smelly tram and gas-powered utility trucks with quieter, no-emission electric cars and trams. That always annoys me about the gardens, which are one of my favorite places to visit in the area.

[GR Jackson]

I'm glad to see this.  Meijer Gardens is one of the best things Grand Rapids has to offer culturally.

[fotoman311]

GR Jackson, on Mar 18 2008, 10:50 AM, said:

I'm glad to see this.  Meijer Gardens is one of the best things Grand Rapids has to offer culturally.

Yeah, now all we need is some way for convention visitors staying downtown to get there without needing a car.   Hmmm....

I guess there's always the 15 bus.

Edited by fotoman311, 18 March 2008 - 05:56 PM.

[GR Jackson]

fotoman311, on Mar 18 2008, 06:55 PM, said:

Yeah, now all we need is some way for convention visitors staying downtown to get there without needing a car.   Hmmm....

I guess there's always the 15 bus.

Maybe since there was alot of DeVos money that went into the work on the gardens they could have shuttles from the Amway Grand or the Marriot.

[GRDadof3]

GR Jackson, on Mar 18 2008, 08:22 PM, said:

Maybe since there was alot of DeVos money that went into the work on the gardens they could have shuttles from the Amway Grand or the Marriot.

I could be mistaken, but I think for the larger conventions, there are charter buses that take people to Meijer Gardens and Rivertown Crossings ( )  on excursions.

[Veloise]

Seems like the best thread for this.

...a few years back GR Twp approved a future plan for another special land use: a small private cemetery. Memorable quote from the Press piece: "may we ask who is being interred?" (Duh.)

Kudos to Suzanne Geha, who scooped all the media outlets by breaking the news on Facebook.

(frequent flyer: the fridge and cupboards are full of m labels)

Edited by Veloise, 26 November 2011 - 06:58 AM.

[joeDowntown]

I forgot about this. Anyone know where the cemetery is located? He seemed like a great man. Very thankful for what he did for the community.

Joe

[Veloise]

Sprinkled throughout this board are comments and quotes about smaller-format urban Meijer stores, and how the company is resisting the notion. It will be interesting to see if that might have come from Fred.

[GRDadof3]

joeDowntown, on 26 November 2011 - 09:59 AM, said:

I forgot about this. Anyone know where the cemetery is located? He seemed like a great man. Very thankful for what he did for the community.

Joe

I want to say that it was somewhere back by the little homestead/farm in the back???

[Veloise]

GRDadof3, on 29 November 2011 - 09:58 AM, said:

I want to say that it was somewhere back by the little homestead/farm in the back???

Bingo!

http://www.mlive.com...id_to_re_1.html

Makes sense, since very rural farmsteads would have had their own little graveyards. And it's not like he needs to be on an island in a lake; the farm is accessible.