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Eastown Flats - 1400 &1415 Wealthy St.


Gorath

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm not pleased with the fenestration.

 

While the form of the building is largely a traditional apartment complex, the details are all wrong.  The windows protrude, instead of being recessed.  This essentially causes the building to look like a large box with holes cut in and windows taped on as an afterthought.  The lintels, which ought to appear (even if they actually are not) as a structural element extending slightly beyond the window, instead stop at the edges of the window, making them superfluous and stupid looking. 

 

These turned out even worse than I thought they would, sadly.

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This project turned out not too shabbily. Not as bad as what I think a lot of people fearing.

 

 

It is actually fairly nice. I was able to get real close (peeking through the doors), until the glare of the construction guys gave me a hint to shoo. The whole thing turned out real well. The retail there will have a 1st class space.

 

But I will agree with x99. The details are off in a lot of places. This building is more function than form which is the "hot" thing right now. But I dont think the mission was ever to make a landmark than to have an reasonably acceptable infill that houses people and provides retail space.

 

 

Maybe when the Eastown Street Fair rolls around we will have a better idea how it ultimately fits in.

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While the form of the building is largely a traditional apartment complex, the details are all wrong.  The windows protrude, instead of being recessed.  This essentially causes the building to look like a large box with holes cut in and windows taped on as an afterthought.  The lintels, which ought to appear (even if they actually are not) as a structural element extending slightly beyond the window, instead stop at the edges of the window, making them superfluous and stupid looking. 

 

These turned out even worse than I thought they would, sadly.

 

 

Uh oh, here's Breaking News!  X99 hates the design of another building.  

 

every-time-you-are-tempted-to-react-in-t

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Uh oh, here's Breaking News!  X99 hates the design of another building. 

 

In all fairness, it isn't the overall design.  It's the facade choice.  These were originally proposed in a far higher quality when most of the neighborhood hearing process was going on.  Those designs were quite good, and I held them up as models of good infill.  What was actually built was cheapened trashchitecture.  Better than a vacant lot, but not something to be proud of.

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I'm not pleased with the fenestration.

 

Made me look it up.

 

 

While the form of the building is largely a traditional apartment complex, the details are all wrong.  The windows protrude, instead of being recessed.  This essentially causes the building to look like a large box with holes cut in and windows taped on as an afterthought.  The lintels, which ought to appear (even if they actually are not) as a structural element extending slightly beyond the window, instead stop at the edges of the window, making them superfluous and stupid looking. 

 

These turned out even worse than I thought they would, sadly.

 

My planning school edumacation missed the units on architecture. Thanks for this explanation; it helps to know why you don't like it. (I could see someone 'shopping those elements back into the above photo.)

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My planning school edumacation missed the units on architecture. Thanks for this explanation; it helps to know why you don't like it. (I could see someone 'shopping those elements back into the above photo.)

 

Doesn't even need to be photoshopped.  That was essentially the original proposal: 

 

13923259-large.jpg

 

Even the updated version (sans brick) at least had the window sash in a dark near-black, which helps the sash to recede somewhat.  What we wound up with was bright white shiny vinyl sash, flush mounted, set against a dark structure.  It's a fairly major architectural faux pas for this style of building (and since the windows are vinyl, this is basically unfixable).  Perhaps Integrated approved this revision, perhaps not.  I don't know.  But the end result has more in common with the worst of mid-90's tract housing than the handsome structure above.  Details, details.

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I'll have to agree the building is a major disappointment compared to what was shown in the renderings.  That said, I don't hate the building, but I'm not a fan either.  It's "meh."  The fenestration, as x99 pointed out is an issue but that's not the major one for me.  The major one for me is that stone ground level with the metal/vinyl siding above, capped with what can't even be called a cornice but rather just an edge, makes it feel like a bigger building got its top chopped off.  (Which, I suppose, is exactly what happened.)

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Doesn't even need to be photoshopped.  That was essentially the original proposal: 

 

13923259-large.jpg

 

Even the updated version (sans brick) at least had the window sash in a dark near-black, which helps the sash to recede somewhat.  What we wound up with was bright white shiny vinyl sash, flush mounted, set against a dark structure.  It's a fairly major architectural faux pas for this style of building (and since the windows are vinyl, this is basically unfixable).  Perhaps Integrated approved this revision, perhaps not.  I don't know.  But the end result has more in common with the worst of mid-90's tract housing than the handsome structure above.  Details, details.

 

No, that's the building on the North side of the street in your rendering. 

 

This is the rendering of the South building from back in January. There may have been an earlier rendition of it though. 

 

16147296739_6c4e034d6c_b.jpg

 

 

 

Yes, there was this one: 

 

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/116057-eastown-flats-1400-1415-wealthy-st/?p=1285773

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Other than the black windows, doesn't look much different than the renderings. Personally I think it is good infill, will help the neighborhood and was a somewhat bold development on two crappy, under-utilized pieces of property. Is it the Taj Mahal? No. But it is very similar to development I see all over the country (that I've always wondered why we don't have more of). 

 

Joe

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OMG we ARE splitting hairs!!! Looks fine. 

 

But they left out the semi-transparent ghost trees! :P

 

 

I drove by today and saw some personal items on a couple of the balconies, so I guess it's complete enough on the inside for people to move in.

 

Amazing that 2 years ago that this was a dingy car wash! Overall I happy at how it turned out.

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But they left out the semi-transparent ghost trees! :P

 

 

I drove by today and saw some personal items on a couple of the balconies, so I guess it's complete enough on the inside for people to move in.

 

Amazing that 2 years ago that this was a dingy car wash! Overall I happy at how it turned out.

 

I will say, FYI to the developers: do not have sprinklers that spray right onto that white stone. I can already see rusty/hard water stains. Just sayin..

 

I totally forgot about the car wash already. You're right though. And from certain vantage points walking along Lake Drive and looking between the buildings over to Wealthy, it looks like the neighborhood has a lot more density. All growed up.

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I will say, FYI to the developers: do not have sprinklers that spray right onto that white stone. I can already see rusty/hard water stains. Just sayin..

 

I totally forgot about the car wash already. You're right though. And from certain vantage points walking along Lake Drive and looking between the buildings over to Wealthy, it looks like the neighborhood has a lot more density. All growed up.

 

I rode by this yesterday.  I also really love the physical presence this adds to the streetscape when looking down toward Wealthy.  I still think the street-level facade of the North building is really terrible.  I think that's the part I'm most disappointed with.

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  • 1 month later...

I was through GR on Saturday on my way to Muskegon. It was the first time I had seen the city in about 3.5 years so it was nice seeing all the changes. Unfortunately it started pouring shortly after I arrived so I didn't go to a lot of areas I had planned to. I did see these new buildings though. While they may not be perfect (nothing is) I think they are a nice addition to the neighborhood and are nicer than the Phoenix Building down the street.

19303739833_cb141d3357_b.jpgEastown Flats by Brandon Bartoszek, on Flickr

 

19303748123_d90ae94dbf_b.jpgEastown Flats by Brandon Bartoszek, on Flickr

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I was through GR on Saturday on my way to Muskegon. It was the first time I had seen the city in about 3.5 years so it was nice seeing all the changes. Unfortunately it started pouring shortly after I arrived so I didn't go to a lot of areas I had planned to. I did see these new buildings though. While they may not be perfect (nothing is) I think they are a nice addition to the neighborhood and are nicer than the Phoenix Building down the street.

19303739833_cb141d3357_b.jpgEastown Flats by Brandon Bartoszek, on Flickr

 

19303748123_d90ae94dbf_b.jpgEastown Flats by Brandon Bartoszek, on Flickr

Thanks for the pics Brandon! Well done. 

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