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Grand Rapids Then and Now

6th Gen local

By 6th Gen local
in Grand Rapids

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MJLO
MJLO

WOW!

civitas
civitas

Reorganizing old image folders and found a group of walking-around photos from 2006 - the era of cranes everywhere.  Much has changed and much has stayed the same.  

kevin8gr
kevin8gr

Slide taken from my grandpa's (Russ Molt) collection. Ionia street looking north as the "new" weather ball is being installed in the 1960's.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
Posted

Maybe Eric can answer this, but how did they get 44 Grandville to match the new addition that was put on? All the brick is like a "buff" color now, but in that picture, it looks pretty dark. Anyone remember what they did (paint the bricks, strip them off)?

162063616_2515f8e2fa.jpg

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here is 44 Grandville today:

http://public.carwm.com/public/carpagerpt....LS=357794&C=&B=

And the addition that was put on for USXChange:

http://public.carwm.com/public/carpagerpt....LS=355946&C=&B=

BTW joe, that BOB picture shows very well what Plaza Towers (Eastbank Tower) looked like before it was re-skinned.

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

Posted
Posted

GRdad,

The building in the picture was re-skinned. All of the brick was ripped off and new brick was put on. I think they may have actually followed the details of the building next door. They then painted the brick on the second building to match the newly reskinned building and added the section in the middle (which was a nasty looking alley).

I'm sure I have pictures of the other building. I just have to find my other picture book.

It is funny that my picture taking was based on cost back then because of the price of film, development and the limited number of shots. :)

Joe

Maybe Eric can answer this, but how did they get 44 Grandville to match the new addition that was put on? All the brick is like a "buff" color now, but in that picture, it looks pretty dark. Anyone remember what they did (paint the bricks, strip them off)?

162063616_2515f8e2fa.jpg

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here is 44 Grandville today:

http://public.carwm.com/public/carpagerpt....LS=357794&C=&B=

And the addition that was put on for USXChange:

http://public.carwm.com/public/carpagerpt....LS=355946&C=&B=

BTW joe, that BOB picture shows very well what Plaza Towers (Eastbank Tower) looked like before it was re-skinned.

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Allison Slater Town

Allison Slater

Posted
Posted

Nice.. I was about to ask if anyone had pics of eastbank before they re-tiled it. I used to think the red looked prettier, but now I'm glad it's white/creme with red hilights rather than reversed.

Here's a question... on the side of the Waters Building now facing the current Ellis parking garage... it looks like there used to be a huge mural along that wall... does anybody have pics of the mural?

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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It was a butterfly but I don't have any pictures of it.

Nice.. I was about to ask if anyone had pics of eastbank before they re-tiled it. I used to think the red looked prettier, but now I'm glad it's white/creme with red hilights rather than reversed.

Here's a question... on the side of the Waters Building now facing the current Ellis parking garage... it looks like there used to be a huge mural along that wall... does anybody have pics of the mural?

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andrew.w Hamlet

andrew.w

Posted
Posted (edited)

Before (or maybe after) the butterfly there was "art" that was created with 1/2 sections of corregated metal pipe attached horizontally in a pattern on the wall.

I don't remember the pipe construction but I remember somthing similar with short sections of pipe attached vertically near the main entrance to the Amway Grand. That isn't still there is it?

Edited by andrew69@ltu
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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

Posted
Posted

Civitas, wasn't this actually on the parking structure at Lyon / Ottawa? Or did the places have this crap? ;)

Joe

Before (or maybe after) the butterfly there was "art" that was created with 1/2 sections of corregated metal pipe attached horizontally in a pattern on the wall.
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civitas Burg

civitas

Posted
Posted

Civitas, wasn't this actually on the parking structure at Lyon / Ottawa? Or did the places have this crap? ;)

Joe

Might have been. I used to lease a space in that ramp. I thought it was on the butterfly wall, but then I can't remember if I had breakfast this morning.

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eagle Whistle-Stop

eagle

Posted
Posted

These old pics are great. It's hard to remember what downtown was like when everything south of Pearl was abandoned.

I was too yound at the time (and lived in the suburbs) to remember the initial revitalization of downtown. Downtown to me was just the Grand Plaza and DeVos Hall.

When Eastbank towers was proposed the whole area must have still been abandoned buildings. Who originally envisioned a successful condo/hotel/apartment building in that area? That must have been a pretty radical concept. At that time it probably was an accurate statement (a statement many still make today) to say "why would anyone want to live downtown, especially in that area?" It was pretty risky to build the largest and tallest building in downtown, in a blighted area, and expect people to want to live there.

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