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Spectrum Health relocating 500 employees downtown


organsnyder

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So dumb question here:   When referencing parking availability and studies does this accommodate both city owned and private spaces?  When you say that these Spectrum employees will be absorbing so many spaces, are the spaces coming online at Arena Place included? 

City owned are the only reliable figures I have.  But there isn't all that much private parking that isn't tied to a building.  Arena Place is captive parking, and was far too little for the number of people going into the building.  Miller Johnson has 100 lawyers and paralegals before you even get to support staff.  That's one space each.  DOMOREGOOD is something like 30-50 people.  Then you have Meritage, plus 100 residential units, and the 280 space ramp looks laughable.  It was probably all spoken for before a shovel hit the ground.  No way anyone at 25 Ottawa is using that now or ever.  Also interesting is that law firms used to take up almost 600 square feet of space per person.  So assuming the space Miller Johnson is currently in eventually goes to someone else, the same space needs twice as much parking to support it at the modern 300 square feet per person.  Those parking spaces do not exist.

The only thing that saves the situation for everyone else that had a development on the table or who has space for lease is if the "parking cash out plan" is a raging success.  If it doesn't work... oh, boy.  It's going to be like trying to sell space that doesn't have running water.

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I do think that some of this pressure on the system is making at least a few people at the city nervous, and they're hurriedly trying to come up with solutions. I know the heads of major foundations and businesses downtown are starting to raise major concerns with the city and DGRI. Whether anyone is taking these concerns seriously is a good question...

 

My guess is all parties are taking it very seriously.  Any developer in their right mind understands their success is in part based on affordable, convenient parking, and this influx might very well cool anything new (if it hasn't already) until it's resolved which in turn is putting pressure on the city.

Wasn't long ago we were talking about too much parking downtown.  Well UP'ers, your dream has come true.  Now too little.  Put me down in the 'annual predictions' category for 2016 for some major infrastructure announcements including parking and transportation.  This talk about where's the cart is typical in any city.  The horse always comes first.

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So dumb question here:   When referencing parking availability and studies does this accommodate both city owned and private spaces?  When you say that these Spectrum employees will be absorbing so many spaces, are the spaces coming online at Arena Place included? 

 

As x99 said, the parking ramp in Arena Place was a net negative for parking in that area (their needs will spill over and create demand for the surrounding area). That's why Advantage Marketing and Sales left and why the Community Foundation is highly concerned about it. Most of GRCF's visitors are elderly and can't walk 2 blocks, not less 500 feet to a parking lot. They relied heavily on the lot next door and that's basically not available anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I think infill development is great. But it's just another example of the city being caught without (what seems like) much of a plan in place, other than people will ride the bus or bike. 

It's why the CAA is being pressured to build a new ramp, albeit they're probably a few years late. 

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City owned are the only reliable figures I have.  But there isn't all that much private parking that isn't tied to a building.  Arena Place is captive parking, and was far too little for the number of people going into the building.  Miller Johnson has 100 lawyers and paralegals before you even get to support staff.  That's one space each.  DOMOREGOOD is something like 30-50 people.  Then you have Meritage, plus 100 residential units, and the 280 space ramp looks laughable.  It was probably all spoken for before a shovel hit the ground.  No way anyone at 25 Ottawa is using that now or ever.  Also interesting is that law firms used to take up almost 600 square feet of space per person.  So assuming the space Miller Johnson is currently in eventually goes to someone else, the same space needs twice as much parking to support it at the modern 300 square feet per person.  Those parking spaces do not exist.

The only thing that saves the situation for everyone else that had a development on the table or who has space for lease is if the "parking cash out plan" is a raging success.  If it doesn't work... oh, boy.  It's going to be like trying to sell space that doesn't have running water.

There are actually about 8615 parking spots downtown, ramp and otherwise. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/10/parking_in_downtown_grand_rapi.html

Some lots are obviously used way more than others (South of Fulton behind the arena has a 90% usage rate), while others like Mason St are empty (a walk from there to Spectrum's new office would be about 1 1/4 miles and would take the average citizen probably 20 minutes, maybe more in the winter). 

 

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There are actually about 8615 parking spots downtown, ramp and otherwise. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/10/parking_in_downtown_grand_rapi.html

Some lots are obviously used way more than others (South of Fulton behind the arena has a 90% usage rate), while others like Mason St are empty (a walk from there to Spectrum's new office would be about 1 1/4 miles and would take the average citizen probably 20 minutes, maybe more in the winter). 

Fair enough.  I'm just inventorying parking ramp space, which seems to be a necessity for selling Class A office space.  Class B I would guess depends on the tenant mix.  Bankers and lawyers in Class B won't take it without ramp space.  Other occupations you might have more flexibility.  Still, I'm a little surprised they need 300 spaces for IT workers where the downtown location is being used as a selling point.  I don't mean to demean IT workers, but that's contrary to all the rhetoric:  The younger, trendier Millenials weren't supposed to need all this parking.  That's why there are bike lanes sucking up all the traffic lanes.  

Accommodating events like ArtPrize also presents a challenge.  With 600 to 1000 open spaces, it wasn't so bad.  The last couple days, all of the ramps are full all the way up to the top, including Ellis, which is attached to a building that is currently almost entirely empty.

Still, it's pretty cool that Spectrum saw a benefit to putting 500 people downtown, even if does create a lot of short-term issues.  

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Fair enough.  I'm just inventorying parking ramp space, which seems to be a necessity for selling Class A office space.  Class B I would guess depends on the tenant mix.  Bankers and lawyers in Class B won't take it without ramp space.  Other occupations you might have more flexibility.  Still, I'm a little surprised they need 300 spaces for IT workers where the downtown location is being used as a selling point.  I don't mean to demean IT workers, but that's contrary to all the rhetoric:  The younger, trendier Millenials weren't supposed to need all this parking.  That's why there are bike lanes sucking up all the traffic lanes.  

Accommodating events like ArtPrize also presents a challenge.  With 600 to 1000 open spaces, it wasn't so bad.  The last couple days, all of the ramps are full all the way up to the top, including Ellis, which is attached to a building that is currently almost entirely empty.

Still, it's pretty cool that Spectrum saw a benefit to putting 500 people downtown, even if does create a lot of short-term issues.  

Exactly. It's a big show of faith of what downtown has to offer from one the area's largest employers, no doubt. 

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I have been wondering, why couldn't Spectrum utilize some of the less utilized land they own on Michigan? 25 Ottawa is a cool old building, which is a selling point; but they could build a new office building specifically for their needs and have access to all the current parking infastructure. They likely have much grander plans for the area then I realize.

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I have been wondering, why couldn't Spectrum utilize some of the less utilized land they own on Michigan? 25 Ottawa is a cool old building, which is a selling point; but they could build a new office building specifically for their needs and have access to all the current parking infastructure. They likely have much grander plans for the area then I realize.

They continue to grow with no signs of letting up, so they're in acquisition mode (why they've also basically taken over the Brass Works Building too). 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Open House today for some of the Priority Health people who will be moving to floors 5 and 6.  Parking questions abounded but not a lot of concrete info shared yet AFAIK. Early Nov move in dates for the PH team so details should be coming soon.  The building and layout is shaping up nicely. I hope I get to move there eventually.  One pic attached.

 

IMG_20151028_122358894.jpg

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We also got to sample some excellent food—Chris Perkey, who is opening the Iron restaurant downstairs, catered the open house.

There has been quite a bit of grumbling about parking, mainly because there are parts that still aren't clear. I imagine that the parking worries are much greater for those not already working downtown.

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