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Herkimer Commerce Project


GRDadof3

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This is a big enough project that I figured it deserved its own thread. New renderings are out:

 

http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/Herkimer0321.aspx

 

Even more at Dwelling Place's site:

 

http://www.dwellingplacegr.org/herkimer-apartments-renovation-and-architectual-drawings

 

It's kinda cool with that elevated walkway that resembles an old industrial facility.

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It is going to make a big difference for the whole block. The Herkimer will connect to Calumet Flats Apartments above God's Kitchen and they will have handicap access. As of now people must walk up a set or two of stairs to get to their apartments.
The street front commercial property on Commerce is already spoken for by Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

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It is going to make a big difference for the whole block. The Herkimer will connect to Calumet Flats Apartments above God's Kitchen and they will have handicap access. As of now people must walk up a set or two of stairs to get to their apartments.

The street front commercial property on Commerce is already spoken for by Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

 

I was just thinking that area needed another "Christian Mental Health Services" operation.

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They took great effort to come up with an innovative design. Kudos. 

 

My understanding is that the City has to sign off on LIHTC projects so when it decides there is enough affordable housing in the core, it can jump in at any time.

 

The State really needs to re-examine the net effect of its revised financial tools for redevelopment projects.

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They took great effort to come up with an innovative design. Kudos. 

 

My understanding is that the City has to sign off on LIHTC projects so when it decides there is enough affordable housing in the core, it can jump in at any time.

 

The State really needs to re-examine the net effect of its revised financial tools for redevelopment projects.

 

I've heard "murmurs" of looking at the number of LIHTC projects happening downtown, particularly at the DDA.

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I was just thinking that area needed another "Christian Mental Health Services" operation.

 

Commerce needs commerce, not more non-profits, storefront churches, and homeless services eating up ground floor space. That is what 2nd floors are for so that 5pm, or any day outside of Sunday, doesn't signal closing time for the whole building.

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I think GRDad was making a joke. I thought the same thing...

 

Commerce needs commerce, not more non-profits, storefront churches, and homeless services eating up ground floor space. That is what 2nd floors are for so that 5pm, or any day outside of Sunday, doesn't signal closing time for the whole building.

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Commerce needs commerce, not more non-profits, storefront churches, and homeless services eating up ground floor space. That is what 2nd floors are for so that 5pm, or any day outside of Sunday, doesn't signal closing time for the whole building.

 

As much as I understand the desire to have and to fill-up ground floor store fronts with high quality retail, I wonder, given big box stores and internet shopping, if there really would ever be enough demand to fill all the store fronts along Division, as well as along Wealthy, as well as along Cherry, as well as along State Street, as well as along Jefferson in front of Mary Free Bed, etc.  Given that we have neither the density nor demographics of say Manhattan or the Chicago Gold Coast, I don’t think we will ever be able to fill all those store fronts with trendy stores, galleries, and restaurants.  Unfortunately health clinics or other non-profits may be the highest use for a lot of these store fronts, at least for the foreseeable future.

Just out of curiosity as to what used to be in the store fronts along the Herkimer block back in its heyday, I Goggled till I found an online Polk Directory from 1922.  Here‘s a list of the businesses that were on the first floor on the Herkimer side of Division in 1922:

301 Wealthy – F H McGough & Son - church goods

305 Wealthy - George Bashara – grocer

307 Wealthy - Homer Furnace Company

311 Wealthy - Grand Rapids News Company

313 Wealthy - General Cigar Company

315 Wealthy - A & P (grocery)

317-319 - Wealthy - Holland Furnace Company

321 - Wealthy Madame Louise – milliner

327 - Herkimer Café

 

I don’t think we will see two grocery stores in one block ever again.

 

At least for me, schlepping through a Polk directory is pretty interesting:

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=ulTiAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA776&ots=HfBr-IEdMm&dq=%22grand%20rapids%22%201922%20%22polk%20directory%20%22&pg=PA968#v=onepage&q=%22grand%20rapids%22%201922%20%22polk%20directory%20%22&f=false

 

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Commerce needs commerce, not more non-profits, storefront churches, and homeless services eating up ground floor space. That is what 2nd floors are for so that 5pm, or any day outside of Sunday, doesn't signal closing time for the whole building.

 

Yes, I was being sarcastic. I'm sure Pine Rest does good work, but it just continues the concentration of services for mostly homeless people in that area.

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