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The Grand River?! You mean GR has a River?


GR_Urbanist

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I like GRDad's idea...part park and part building.

The PO has to go but 100% park may not be great...besides...you would have the big garage doors of the Convention Center to your left as you look at the river.

 

 

I've talked to quite a few people who think a combo park-development is the way to do all this riverfront property. Instead it seems like several people at the city have it in their heads to go full bore on purchasing all this land. I almost get the feeling it's to block out development, so no (new) developer benefits from having riverfront access/views. 

 

Who benefits? People who own property across the street, or adjacent. Some of whom have been quoted in the paper as heavily pushing the city to get their grant application in for the Monroe property, the whole property. Follow the trail...

 

http://mibiz.com/news/real-estate/item/22307-grand-rapids%E2%80%99-

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I've talked to quite a few people who think a combo park-development is the way to do all this riverfront property. Instead it seems like several people at the city have it in their heads to go full bore on purchasing all this land. I almost get the feeling it's to block out development, so no (new) developer benefits from having riverfront access/views. 

 

Who benefits? People who own property across the street, or adjacent. Some of whom have been quoted in the paper as heavily pushing the city to get their grant application in for the Monroe property, the whole property. Follow the trail...

 

http://mibiz.com/news/real-estate/item/22307-grand-rapids%E2%80%99-

 

Steve Faber, executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, a nonprofit, non-governmental group that lobbies on behalf of public spaces in the city, agrees.

“No one thinks getting all those properties under one owner is a bad idea,” Faber said. “Where I’ve heard caution is whether we are backing ourselves into a corner. GR Forward shows at least a portion (of the site) being private development.

So the guy that is an advocate for public places says this is a bad idea? Why is the city full bore. I don't get it. I'm happy they are getting push back on their plan.

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Steve Faber, executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, a nonprofit, non-governmental group that lobbies on behalf of public spaces in the city, agrees.

“No one thinks getting all those properties under one owner is a bad idea,” Faber said. “Where I’ve heard caution is whether we are backing ourselves into a corner. GR Forward shows at least a portion (of the site) being private development.

So the guy that is an advocate for public places says this is a bad idea? Why is the city full bore. I don't get it. I'm happy they are getting push back on their plan.

 

 

 

Exactly. Why is the guy who advocates for additional parks saying that this shouldn't all be park land? And why are he and others being basically ignored? 

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The back of the Olds is not pretty.  A city park bounded on 3 sides by the back of Olds, garage bays of Devos, and I-196... that's not a place anyone will want to hang out at.  Or maybe it'll become the new Heartside Park.

There's supposed to be a public hearing on this at Innovation Central this month, right?  My voice may be small but it's better than nothing.  Who are the people I and others should contact to show support for a hybrid park & development plan?

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The back of the Olds is not pretty.  

 

 

I know this is heresy that could get me banned but I wouldn't mind if Olds/Rowe Hotel would just go away.  It's ugly on two sides and it doesn't fit the location anymore and I can't think of anything that could be done to it or the surrounding properties to make it fit much better.  Maybe someone can move it brick by brick down somewhere on Commerce where it might fit in better.    

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The back of the Olds is not pretty.  A city park bounded on 3 sides by the back of Olds, garage bays of Devos, and I-196... that's not a place anyone will want to hang out at.  Or maybe it'll become the new Heartside Park.

There's supposed to be a public hearing on this at Innovation Central this month, right?  My voice may be small but it's better than nothing.  Who are the people I and others should contact to show support for a hybrid park & development plan?

 

I think that hearing has passed, and the application submitted for the grant for the 6 acres North of I-196. That's not to say that it's too late. If you have a city commissioner, talk to them. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

A couple interesting things I found today while I was digging around.

First, this "site plan" for the grant proposal to buy the North Monroe properties. I LOVE the marsupial bridge idea! Not a fan at all of the park being where the post office is.

https://secure1.state.mi.us/mirgs/_Upload/11693-SitePlan.pdf

Second, take a look at page 22-23. Interesting that in their actual application they depict the possibility of two buildings. I wish that were the case. Didn't have a chance to read through the entire document.

http://grcity.us/design-and-development-services/Planning-Department/Documents/DRAFT%20MNRTF%20Acquisition%20Application.pdf

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A couple interesting things I found today while I was digging around.

First, this "site plan" for the grant proposal to buy the North Monroe properties. I LOVE the marsupial bridge idea! Not a fan at all of the park being where the post office is.

https://secure1.state.mi.us/mirgs/_Upload/11693-SitePlan.pdf

Second, take a look at page 22-23. Interesting that in their actual application they depict the possibility of two buildings. I wish that were the case. Didn't have a chance to read through the entire document.

http://grcity.us/design-and-development-services/Planning-Department/Documents/DRAFT%20MNRTF%20Acquisition%20Application.pdf

 

 

Wow, that marsupial bridge is a cool concept. 

 

Maybe they are keeping that idea open now. 

 

16965672937_8e8db86186_b.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Some of this starts to feel like: " Seriously, we're going to do it this time. No, we swear, we're really doing it." 

 

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20150510/NEWS/305109999/backers-ready-to-launch-grand-rapids-waterfront-metropolis-plan

 

And of course Crain's Detroit has to throw in there that: "Grand Rapids is hardly the first city in Michigan to look at reclaiming its waterfront."

 

Thanks Crain's. Don't forget Sault Saint Marie and Mackinaw City back in the 1960's. Or Traverse City in the 70's. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

The little trail from the North end of Canal Park up to Leonard is *finally* getting some love. BIG love. It's going to be a "demonstration" project for reworking the riverfront to make it more user friendly and flood friendly.

 

Instead of just grass and a standard sidewalk/bike trail, it will be an extra wide walk, and will include a boardwalk overlooking the river, extra landsacping and irrigation, removing portions of the floodwall to increase access to the river, a berm being built on the land side for flood control, and building a stub down to an area that will go under Leonard and connect to trails North. 

 

There was this from the GRForward River Plan, which is probably a pretty good representation of the project.

 

18320296880_e0bb55fd16_z.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

The Woda Group finally got its LIHTC funding credits for their riverfront development at the old Ryder Truck facility on Front St:

http://michigan.realestaterama.com/2015/07/16/woda-group-bringing-housing-diversity-to-north-side-of-grand-rapids-with-lihtc-funds-from-mshda-ID0973.html

Back in 2013 the project went on hold indefinitely due to lack of MSHDA support (I think there was a big changing of the guard at MSHDA back then?)

http://mibiz.com/news/design-build/item/21107-lack-of-mshda-support-stops-proposed-gr-housing-project

 

 

 

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The Woda Group finally got its LIHTC funding credits for their riverfront development at the old Ryder Truck facility on Front St:

http://michigan.realestaterama.com/2015/07/16/woda-group-bringing-housing-diversity-to-north-side-of-grand-rapids-with-lihtc-funds-from-mshda-ID0973.html

"Ensuring that individuals, regardless of their income, can find safe, affordable and well-built housing is vital not only for their personal success but for the success of our entire community. Our sincere thanks goes out to both the developers and MHSDA for their work on making these projects a reality.” - State Sen. Dave Hildenbrand

Thanks, Dave.  It's always nice to see you and the other folks from Lowell/Ada/Forest Hills breathe a sigh of relief for the "success of the community" when we stuff in another income segregated low income housing development somewhere near downtown Grand Rapids.  After all, nothing breeds success like concentrating subsidized housing in one area.  That's why all y'all lobbied so hard to have huge low income developments put in over that way in a location close to employment, Walmart, and Meijer, right?  :rolleyes:

Edited by x99
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Water access from Grand Rapids to Lake Michigan would be awesome.  It would definitely be an economic boost because it would create the need for marinas and other water/boating related enterprises. 

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Given that the DNR has yet to weigh in, it sounds as if the $30 million price tag is low. That said, once you have restored the rapids in Grand Rapids, it is hard not to imagine stretching the effort westward. Costs and timeline probably put this on something like a 10 year scale. But boy! It could open up value along the river.

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It sounds nice but I'm not sure about the long term  consequences. I read somewhere that dredging a river may cause more flooding and stress on bridges and flood walls. Knowing the problems we are facing with our infrastructure, I can see the use of a lot of work and money over this. Then you have to continually dredge the river as well which is more money from our pockets. There is the environmental impact too, I don't know about those effects but I'm sure there are plenty.

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It sounds nice but I'm not sure about the long term  consequences. I read somewhere that dredging a river may cause more flooding and stress on bridges and flood walls. Knowing the problems we are facing with our infrastructure, I can see the use of a lot of work and money over this. Then you have to continually dredge the river as well which is more money from our pockets. There is the environmental impact too, I don't know about those effects but I'm sure there are plenty.

That is true, dredging can open up a whole new level of erosion downstream, which might require floodwalls, which causes additional problems in itself. It will be interesting to hear what the DEQ has to say. The Grand River is a really long river from downtown to even Spring Lake area. I wonder if they're just thinking of dredging certain low areas? 

 

 

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There's a new 3 story apartment building being proposed for a parcel along the river by the old Amtrak station parking lot, 449 Market Ave. It's working its way through the city now.

I didn't find any images online but here's the parcel.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/455/20124239871_dac86468df_z.jpg

DTS - Winkelmann is working on the design (Verne Barry Place). Apparently one of the concerns is the large number of bonfires that are lit along the floodwall (on the river side, when the water is low).

 

 

 

 

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