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Martha's Vineyard


GRDadof3

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Martha's Vineyard is "dismantling" the building next door to provide more parking for them, Nantucket Bakery, and the building further East on Lyon. It created quite a firestorm on Facebook and Martha's removed their picture of the building being taken apart.

 

Thoughts? The building was apparently damaged by a fire long ago, was primarily vacant, and was infested with water damage. Buildings have obviously been in that bad of shape and been brought back.

 

 

Here's the building at 609 Lyon being removed:

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=609+lyon,+grand+rapids&hl=en&ll=42.966849,-85.65274&spn=0.007301,0.01929&hnear=609+Lyon+St+NE,+Grand+Rapids,+Kent,+Michigan+49503&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.967345,-85.653985&panoid=z91DV_irfnISew2DfBuIyA&cbp=12,347.89,,0,-11.41

 

 

8466133295_32e48490d5_c.jpg

 

 

The new backside of Martha's

 

8466133443_d91ce54516_c.jpg

 

 

8466133387_2c23e2912c_c.jpg

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The neighborhood association was told that the rear of the building has shifted and settled significantly, and various contractors had quoted $250,000 and up just to fix the foundation.  We were told that was a significant contributing factor to the decision to remove the building.  So the building had larger issues than just fire and water damage.

 

Mr. Chamelly has been gradually letting all the residential leases expire and not renewing them with new tenants over the past few years.

 

I LOVED going to Yoga on the Hill when it was in that building.  It was so convenient to our house and the instructor, Jennifer, was really awesome.

 

Would love to someday see the Lyon side of Martha's opened up again with some transparency.  It would really draw people from the front over to the other buildings

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Love Martha's, but this is unbelievable  I saw this topic and thought it was going to be about expansion or opening up a 2nd location, not demolishing a building for a parking lot! This isnt a grocery store. People are in and out of there within 10-15 minutes, and at the worse, people just use the church lot across the street to make a quick run into the store.

 

This "we need a lot" mentality will never die in GR when places like this engage in it too.

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I posted this idea on the Salon, but it would be nice to see the Union side of Martha's and Nantucket become a nice big outdoor seating/plaza area. Right now it's pretty car oriented, with the noses of the cars jutting into the sidewalk most of the time that I've been there. Imagine tables, planters, etc.. It could actually improve that intersection tremendously.

 

$250,000 just to repair a foundation of a building that would probably only be worth $400 - $500,000 seems like a losing proposition.

 

It could be worse, they could be tearing down the existing Martha's, moving it and making that a parking lot...

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Let the building crumble and become an eyesore and health hazard. Better than having a small parking lot to support a good business that residents are lucky to have. /sarcasm

How about we do something other than default to building a parking lot?

THIS was the first idea people came up with? Not rebuild the building? Not put some sort of outdoor seating area?

Nope! We dont know, therefore parking lot.

At least we know how GR lost all of our great buildings. Just say they are too far gone, and it will be too hard to replace them. Then just call the paving company.

Martha's was not losing business because they didn't have a dedicated lot. If they were then they would have gone under years ago and would not have thought of opening up a bakery next door.

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How about we do something other than default to building a parking lot?

THIS was the first idea people came up with? Not rebuild the building? Not put some sort of outdoor seating area?

Nope! We dont know, therefore parking lot.

At least we know how GR lost all of our great buildings. Just say they are too far gone, and it will be too hard to replace them. Then just call the paving company.

Martha's was not losing business because they didn't have a dedicated lot. If they were then they would have gone under years ago and would not have thought of opening up a bakery next door.

???

If the MV folks know how much it would have cost to have the foundation shored back up, clearly they performed their due diligence.

Upthread:

...the rear of the building has shifted and settled significantly, and various contractors had quoted $250,000 and up just to fix the foundation. We were told that was a significant contributing factor to the decision to remove the building. So the building had larger issues than just fire and water damage.

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It's one building in a city of 45 square miles. It's not like Saint Mary's clear cutting entire blocks of buildings.

 

If people are sad about this, perhaps we should also have some proper celebration for the 2 lots on Michigan Street next to the gas station at Eastern that aren't going to be bulldozed for a Car Wash. (yet).

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If people are sad about this, perhaps we should also have some proper celebration for the 2 lots on Michigan Street next to the gas station at Eastern that aren't going to be bulldozed for a Car Wash. (yet).

 

I'm trying to remember correctly, as I haven't been to Martha's in a couple of months (booze is cheaper at Meijer ;) ) but do people now park on the sidewalk on Union?

 

This guy did.

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=lyon+and+union,+grand+rapids,+mi&hl=en&ll=42.967483,-85.654441&spn=0.000441,0.000441&hnear=Lyon+St+NE+%26+Union+Ave+NE,+Grand+Rapids,+Kent,+Michigan+49503&gl=us&t=h&deg=90&z=21&layer=c&cbll=42.967514,-85.654469&panoid=XfegVe9YYymTJfijqfYx7w&cbp=12,53.98,,0,13.31

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It's one building in a city of 45 square miles. It's not like Saint Mary's clear cutting entire blocks of buildings.

 

Death by a thousand cuts. A building here that too hard to repair so it has to become a parking lot, a building there because it's just kinda in the way and no one will really miss it. Next thing you know you have the same thing that happened over the past 40 years.

 

Doesn't matter if it's St. Mary's, Ellis Parking Company, First Park Church, City Hall or this small store, structures just keep getting chipped away at. Not for new and better buildings, which rarely ever happens in this town, but for new places to park a car. Each structure is just let go because it's no biggie by itself, then latter we are all here complaining about the lack of urbanism in GR and how we have too many parking spots! Well, yeah!

 

And we aren't even talking about the dozens of buildings we are fond of that were slated for the same fate for the same reasons. One example was the Wealthy St. Theater.

 

It's just disappointing. These were the last people I would think would go this route. One of the last solid street walls in the area gets a big hole blown in it because it's easier.

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If people are sad about this, perhaps we should also have some proper celebration for the 2 lots on Michigan Street next to the gas station at Eastern that aren't going to be bulldozed for a Car Wash. (yet).

 

You mean these 2 buildings and notably the one on the right that looked crappy even 5 years ago?

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/lotil.jpg/

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You mean these 2 buildings and notably the one on the right that looked crappy even 5 years ago?

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/lotil.jpg/

 

Yep, I would rather have crappy buildings there, waiting for an actual worthwhile project that will add value to the business district and neighborhood, than a crappy car wash that's going to look ugly in two years and tie up the land for the next 20 years.

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yeah that is pretty much how people park there (and how i did this morning) as the big delivery truck brought supplies into that garage door in front of the parked cars...

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The demolition has been known as far back as at least last July.  I thought there was mention of it here on this forum, but I can't find it.

 

Here it is on Mlive; July 17, 2012

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2012/07/grand_rapids_craft_beer_boom_f.html

The whole block will get a new look in the coming months when the building in which O’Connor’s was previously located is demolished to make room for a small parking and green space area.

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Death by a thousand cuts. A building here that too hard to repair so it has to become a parking lot, a building there because it's just kinda in the way and no one will really miss it. Next thing you know you have the same thing that happened over the past 40 years.

 

Doesn't matter if it's St. Mary's, Ellis Parking Company, First Park Church, City Hall or this small store, structures just keep getting chipped away at. Not for new and better buildings, which rarely ever happens in this town, but for new places to park a car. Each structure is just let go because it's no biggie by itself, then latter we are all here complaining about the lack of urbanism in GR and how we have too many parking spots! Well, yeah!

 

And we aren't even talking about the dozens of buildings we are fond of that were slated for the same fate for the same reasons. One example was the Wealthy St. Theater.

 

It's just disappointing. These were the last people I would think would go this route. One of the last solid street walls in the area gets a big hole blown in it because it's easier.

 

I've spent quite a bit of time deep in Detroit over the last year and a half, and we really don't have much to complain about. 2/3's of the building stock is simply gone, not even for parking for a vibrant business.

 

I would guess the amount of land that was vacant that is now occupied by buildings, outweighs the number of "notable" buildings demolished for parking. It would be interesting to do a study, but I'll bet the net amount of building stock has increased in the city in the last 5 years. Anyone need to do a study for grad school? :)

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I vote to keep it (as if my vote really matters).  Today's economically non-viable project is tomorrow's great opportunity. A parking lot smashed between two buildings will probably never get redeveloped. But moth-balling the thing will allow a more innovative developer to figure out how to make it work. GR is a great and improving town, but the death by a thousand cuts is still a real challenge for the community. It's the balance of the short-term easy answers and the long-term desire for the community. Tearing down the building is the easy and uncreative out. 

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I vote to keep it (as if my vote really matters).  Today's economically non-viable project is tomorrow's great opportunity. A parking lot smashed between two buildings will probably never get redeveloped. But moth-balling the thing will allow a more innovative developer to figure out how to make it work. GR is a great and improving town, but the death by a thousand cuts is still a real challenge for the community. It's the balance of the short-term easy answers and the long-term desire for the community. Tearing down the building is the easy and uncreative out. 

 

The 2nd floor of the west half of the building no longer exists, as of my ride to work this morning.

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You mean these 2 buildings and notably the one on the right that looked crappy even 5 years ago?

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/lotil.jpg/

I've found the building to the right to be very interesting and would hate to see it go.  It doesn't show in that picture, but it's got a beautiful, textured, arched double-door which at the very least should be saved and put to use elsewhere.  I don't think there's much interesting with the rest of the building.

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Yep, I would rather have crappy buildings there, waiting for an actual worthwhile project that will add value to the business district and neighborhood, than a crappy car wash that's going to look ugly in two years and tie up the land for the next 20 years.

 

What would be your definition of a worthwhile project in such a heavily commercialized area with its gas stations and fast food joints?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Saw this on Facebook. Seems to be a lot of fretting and hand-wringing over this. If I compare it to, say, the Diocese tearing down an historic school for an empty plaza, I guess I'm not as riled up about this one. Thoughts?

 

318150_10101082044551065_1239820978_n.jp

 

Flat out disgusting. I personally will never buy from them again after this. Just look at the size of that hole in the streetwall!

 

And to think that the demographic that frequents this place the most are those that will tell you with a straight face that they want to live in a built urban environment and really "hate" car-centric places in the suburbs. They loved this place because it WAS somewhere that really seemed to fit that mold. I always held this place in such high esteem as a business that was on the other end of the scale from the Family Dollars and Walgreens. Places that were always looking for a way to scam a huge parking lot for their buildings no matter how ugly it made the surrounding area. Now what makes Martha's different? Just because this place is more fancy and sells cheese that is hard to pronounce?

 

And the thing that really hacks me off? How some dullards actually think this is going to be some great enhancement to the area! That this parking lot is somehow going to be used for festivals, beer tents, or goodness knows what imaginary foolishness. It is a parking lot. It WILL be used to park cars. It will be covered with fluid stains in the summer and with snow in the winter. It will have cheap saplings and juniper shrubs to try to cover it up from the street...poorly. It will not moonlight as a "festival plaza", piazza, or a community gathering place no more than the even bigger church parking lot across the street ever functioned as anything other than that.

 

I just wish they would at least acknowledge what they are doing, and spare us the fluffy "We are expanding our store" crap. They took advantage of a situation to needless turn a part of the urban fabric into a permanent hole. As if GR needs more of that.

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