Predictions for 2013

[VNG]

I am new here, so late is better than never. 

 

I see more redevelopment and infill development on Michigan Street, although the old Walgreens will remain vacant. 

The parking lot between B-Dubs and the cop shop will remain a parking lot. 

There will be a lot of speculation about the buildings south of Wealthy along 131, but nothing will happen.

Ground level of Monroe Center will reach 100% occupancy... at least during Art Prize. 

Spectrum will announce another expansion and take out the parking lot at Lafayette and Michigan. 

MSU will move all of the Human Sciences to GR and replace the GR Press building.

The Post Office will announce that they are relocating to Caladonia by the airport.

Public/Private/Non-profit partnerships will be at an all time high.

The Rapid will announce a BRT line from the 5/3rd into downtown.  

[fotoman311]

I am new here, so late is better than never. 

 

I see more redevelopment and infill development on Michigan Street, although the old Walgreens will remain vacant. 

The parking lot between B-Dubs and the cop shop will remain a parking lot. 

There will be a lot of speculation about the buildings south of Wealthy along 131, but nothing will happen.

Ground level of Monroe Center will reach 100% occupancy... at least during Art Prize. 

Spectrum will announce another expansion and take out the parking lot at Lafayette and Michigan. 

MSU will move all of the Human Sciences to GR and replace the GR Press building.

The Post Office will announce that they are relocating to Caladonia by the airport.

Public/Private/Non-profit partnerships will be at an all time high.

The Rapid will announce a BRT line from the 5/3rd into downtown.  

 

There is a new tenant in the works for the old Walgreens building on Michigan.  Will be a re-use of the existing building.  Should be on the Board of Zoning Appeals agenda soon and I imagine there will be a public announcement forthcoming.

Strike 1.

[Allison Slater]

Now that's the kind of prediction I like to see broken!

 

I'm not sure I could see BRT going to 5/3, however.  A ballpark-funded rapid-operated shuttle on game nights at most, but I wouldn't really expect that, either.

[Jippy]

Well, the year is over half done and we aren't doing too bad!  

 

64 predictions on the first page of UP...I'm sure there are more but I didn't feel like reading all your posts!

• 37 have come true
• 15 have not come true
• 12 are in progress or have partially come true

 

 

·         Yes - Herkimer addition well underway

·         Yes - Opening of the Urban Market

·         Yes - South Division and Cherry will look totally weird with a mid-rise going up

·         Yes - BRT infrastructure work underway (I believe)

·         Yes - New Amtrak station underway (same)

·         No- the Division/Wealthy development will score with a decent grocery store and start construction.

·         Yes - Rockford moving into the Westside they will convince more business to move into the area and renovate buildings on Bridge.

·         No- something concrete will be announced for the Celebration Cinema, maybe begin construction.

·         Yes - another apartment complex will be announced near the Downtown Market, either new or renovated bldg.

·         Yes - Another hotel will be announced either on Ionia or at Midtowne Village.

·         Kind of -MSU will announce plans for the Press site.

·         Attempted -The county will sell their riverfront site next to I-196.

·         Yes - Old's Manor will remain mothballed.

·         Yes? - -New tenant announced for the old Founders location on Monroe.

·         Yes - -Rockford will continue to float ideas for Morton House, maybe some demo there.

·         No? -Another brewpub will be announced for downtown, other than New Holland.

·         No -There will be preliminary talk about plans for demo, and build out of the oldest section of Butterworth Hospital.

·         In progress -Residential and commercial work on Belknap Hill.

·         Yes - More plans announced for Millennium Park.

·         Yes? - -100 Commerce will get a retail tenant.

·         Losing track of what year the 1960s urban renewal occurred -St. Mary's will demo more buildings for parking.

·         Yes - -More retail, and residential for Fairmount Square.

·         -Lyon Square project will finally get underway after years of delays.

·         Yes - -The Wild Bunch will remain the Wild Bunch.

• Yes - cwds glass tower across from the arena wont get built
• Kind of - a couple more small firms will move from the burbs to heartside
• No - the pres building will be torn down for msu parking
• No - modiv will expand
• Yes - additional lights on top of Mckay tower along with others
• Half yes - comerica bank building will expand its base and panera bread will move on ground floor
• Yes - various clean up through out the heartside.
• Yes - small midrise apartment building render for heartside. (maybe along ionia next to hopcat)
• Funding In progress - road up grades
• Kind of….river plan? - Grand Action will float their next initiative -- street car, outdoor music venue, or baseball related. All have been discussed in the past
• Yes - More downtown apartment projects proposed, including new-built over 10 stories tall on the parking south of the arena
• Yes - Active discussion of a new downtown office building
• Announced and probably under construction - Another hotel projects will be announced, but likely won't go anywhere
• Yes - The movie theater project will die
• Yes - More projects announced around Wealthy and Division/131
• Yes - Additional redevelopment projects advance in the East Hills area
• Yes - For the 5th consecutive year, the BOB expansion will be pushed back another year
• Not really major - A new major tenant will announce plans to move downtown

·         Improving -Downtown office towers will struggle for tenants, and demand for a new tower will remain low.  Small, renovated old buildings will stay a bigger draw for small businesses.  The trend will go beyond downtown, and we'll see projects popping up in Stockbridge and Creston.

·         No -Michigan Street east of the Mile will see new projects announced, now that Donk's is open and 833 Michigan will be overhauled.

·         Kind of -MSU will sit on the Press properties for at least this year.

·         Yes - -No one will attempt a ballot measure to take any suburbs out of ITP this year.

·         Yes -Trader Joe's will not enter the GR market, but a clothing retailer like H&M or Urban Outfitters will.

·         No -Rick DeVos will have an idea.

·         No -We'll discuss Rick's idea on this forum.

·         Yes - -The resurrected Kendall building will open to its new residents, and then the world will end the very next day.

·         Yes - Blue bridge stays blue.

·         Yes - Off-the-radar, unexpected developments.

·         No speculation - Old Manor gets speculation but nothing actually happens.

·         Yes - Bobville delayed again.

·         Yes - The black-and-wood former art deco bank on Monroe Center that was renovated only a few years ago continues to lose paint and be neglected.

·         Yes…both!- New apartment proposal outside the usual development areas, possibly around City Market, or hotel proposal in North Monroe or Heartside.

·         Not really - Speculation on a large site that isn't bound in actual plans but works well to get people talking.

·         No - The Derby in EGR will start come out of mothballs

·         Yes - - Old JA building on Division/Fulton will start renovations

·         No - Talk of Arena expansion plus new parking ramp on south end will heat up as Grand Action finishes Downtown Market

·         Yes..movie theater seems dead? - Midrise development announced for arena lot - may be part / adjacent to movie theater

·         Yes - - development on west side for GVSU student housing

·         No - talks of Spectrum demolition of last remnants of the old building with prominent new structure to replace it

·         No - GRID70 expansion will add 3-4 more satellite offices for corporations in the burbs - expanded air service at the airport (in addition to Southwest)

[GRDadof3]

Some of these cracked me up, particularly the Rick D*vos ones.

 

The movie theater is apparently still in the works. Next year, so I hear.

[RegalTDP]

 

• Kind of….river plan? - Grand Action will float their next initiative -- street car, outdoor music venue, or baseball related. All have been discussed in the past

 

Are you referring to the restoration project?  I don't believe Grand Action's involved in that.  Grand Rapids Whitewater hired the consultants and came up with the plan, and I've heard the DDA, GVMC, and the Feds mentioned as being involved in this, but I don't recall hearing Grand Action's name.  I could be wrong.  Otherwise, I'd call this a "No" for so far.

 

I would think Grand Action is waiting for Downtown Market to establish its presence before they haul out their next idea.  There's still some time this year left.

 

Nice score card!  Thanks for tallying that up.  

 

EDIT-

 

·         No speculation - Old Manor gets speculation but nothing actually happens.

 

 

You could arguably call this a "Kind of" also, since there has been speculation on the Post Office moving, and that directly affects Olds Manor.

[GRDadof3]

 

Are you referring to the restoration project?  I don't believe Grand Action's involved in that.  Grand Rapids Whitewater hired the consultants and came up with the plan, and I've heard the DDA, GVMC, and the Feds mentioned as being involved in this, but I don't recall hearing Grand Action's name.  I could be wrong.  Otherwise, I'd call this a "No" for so far.

 

I would think Grand Action is waiting for Downtown Market to establish its presence before they haul out their next idea.  There's still some time this year left.

 

Nice score card!  Thanks for tallying that up.  

 

EDIT-

 

You could arguably call this a "Kind of" also, since there has been speculation on the Post Office moving, and that directly affects Olds Manor.

 

 

Yes, and nothing is actually happening...

 

I have heard that possibly Devos and John Canepa have pledged some support to Whitewater. Don't know in what capacity.

[arcturus]

Bump, we're getting close. I gotta say, some of these predictions were downright prescient.

[GRDadof3]

I can't get the search function to work on here (urgh), but the Pike House where Design+/PAE used to be on Fulton is being taken over by a law firm, moving from the burbs:

 

http://rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/KellerAlmassian1212.aspx

[RegalTDP]

I can't get the search function to work on here (urgh), but the Pike House where Design+/PAE used to be on Fulton is being taken over by a law firm, moving from the burbs:

 

http://rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/KellerAlmassian1212.aspx

 

That's great!  I know the Almassians - good to see the firm committed to downtown.  Amazing that the house dates all the way back to 1844.

 

BTW, here's the old thread.  It's been archived.  I always use Google to find old threads, it's easier.

[GRDadof3]

That's great!  I know the Almassians - good to see the firm committed to downtown.  Amazing that the house dates all the way back to 1844.

 

BTW, here's the old thread.  It's been archived.  I always use Google to find old threads, it's easier.

 

Thanks. I should let the guy who owns this site know that the search function isn't working. Keep forgetting.