Predictions for the coming year

[organsnyder]

1 hour ago, jdkacz said:

Is #12 the Charley's Crab location? The DeVos umbrella owns that property don't they? I could certainly see something there (I imagine it has to? Would they build another higher end hotel project?)

No—the lot immediately adjacent to the north. Though I wouldn't be surprised/disappointed if the Charley's Crab property was included in plans for the location.

[GRDadof3]

Some teasers in here but not a lot of exciting specifics. If the biggest deal I was working on right now was where to find a spot for a Chik-Fil-A, I'd seriously be doing some soul searching as to my career choice. 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2016/01/2016_will_be_better_than_2015.html

 

[joeDowntown]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

Some teasers in here but not a lot of exciting specifics. If the biggest deal I was working on right now was where to find a spot for a Chik-Fil-A, I'd seriously be doing some soul searching as to my career choice. 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2016/01/2016_will_be_better_than_2015.html

 

It's the "holy grail of the fast food industry" according to this article. LOL

[GRDadof3]

On 1/5/2016 at 5:15 PM, jdkacz said:

I

The long deserted Derby condo project in East gets new life (the non-denominational church on Lake and Croswell has been bulldozed)

 

 

You're right, the church is gone!  Anyone know what's planned here? J. Peterson does predominantly single-family homes..

 

[joeDowntown]

They are building two single family homes. One on Lake Drive, the other on Croswell. 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

Several people guessed that the movie theater project and Lyon & Ottawa would be revived. 

Early prediction for 2017: Grand Rapids will be a boomtown, carrying into 2018. Hard to see beyond that but I assume the overall national economy will see some kind of slowdown, cyclical. Nothing major, IMO. A lot will depend on who becomes President.

But locally I think the fundamentals are sound for a very healthy 5 - 10 year growth spurt like the 90's in West Michigan. 

[WMrapids]

On January 4, 2016 at 1:36 PM, RegalTDP said:

--I still think Chik-Fil-A will enter the market soon.

--Maybe beyond 2016, but Gaines Township will grow even more, and development will spill further into Caledonia Township.

Not only one Chick-Fil-A but two! Another one looking to situate in the Meijer parking lot on 56th and Clyde Park plus the one in Gaines Township.

http://fox17online.com/2016/05/02/chick-fil-a-restaurant-approved-by-wyoming-zoning-board/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_FOX_17

[GRDadof3]

Everyone check to see how you did! 

[GRDadof3]

On 12/22/2015 at 9:33 AM, GRDadof3 said:

OK I'll go first. 

Things we know about:

) Twelve Weston, 20 Fulton East and Icon on Bond 2 will all be underway, and fairly vertical by this time next year - Oops. 1 of them has. 

) The Hilton Garden Inn - Embassy Suites in Monroe North will FINALLY break ground, either at the end of the 2016 or early 2017, after their new hotel on the Beltline is substantially complete - Oops. 

) The new parking garage behind the arena will move forward, possibly breaking ground - Oops. 

) The big apartment project off of Benson and Michigan will break ground, or at least demo of all the houses will begin - Yup. 

) The project at 234 Market will break ground, stunning everyone by the speed of the project. It will begin the transformation of Market into Grand Rapids' version of the Gulch in Nashville.  - Yup. 

) One of 616's projects in Creston will be underway - Nope. 

) The Venue at the BOB will announce a major national promo partnership - Haha! Yep. 

) Carlton Place will start construction - ???

) The two apartment projects North of 196 in Belknap Lookout will be well underway and almost complete - Yup. 

) GVSU will begin construction on its Belknap project - Yes! 

) SIBSCO will unveil plans for the 5/3 Bank building site, with a 28 story tower as its centerpiece - Nope. 

) New Holland Brewing Co will hold its grand opening during ArtPrize. Atwater Brewery will already be open at the Rowe. - Sort of, but both are open. 

) 619 Wealthy will finally begin - ???

) Switch will open its data center first phase to much fanfare - Not open yet but getting there. 

) Fancy renderings will show up for Lyon/Ottawa. Everyone will be impressed. - Hehe. 

) The Display Pack building will begin renovations - Yup. 

) The Laker Line will begin construction late in the year - Nope. 

) Several apartment/mixed use projects will quietly die - Haha. 

) Despite a softening in the U.S. economy by 2020, GR will continue to grow at breakneck speed, with population growth jumping to 2%+ a year - I believe so. 

 

New stuff (these are just speculation)

) A new mid-rise will be announced for the MSU site, healthcare/health sciences related. - Nope. 

) Whole Foods will finally announce GR in its 2017 expansion plans. Everyone will complain about the location. - Nope. 

) Ikea will announce GR in its 2017/18 expansion plans. Everyone will complain about the location (like, along the South Beltline) - Nope. 

) Meijer will announce moving its IT department to downtown. Steelcase and Amway follow suit. - Nope, but Spectrum did! 

) Priority Health will announce some major move or expansion - Major renovation of their campus took place, so sorta. 

) The Baker Furniture building along Monroe will be unveiled - Nope. 

) A major funding victory will come for the river restoration, and actual excavation work in the river will begin (to much awe). - Nope, just the rebuilding of the riverbanks has started. 

) Tesla will announce a major West Michigan expansion - Oh Telsa my Tesla. 

) Another large data center operator will open on the 36th Street GM site - Nope, but we'll see!

) Plans for the 600 block of Bridge Street will be unveiled, with a new mid-scale retail complex as the centerpiece, ala Shops at Roosevelt Collection in Chicago. - Yup!

) And I'll keep thinking on it. 

 

[organsnyder]

On 1/6/2016 at 9:01 AM, organsnyder said:

Here's my list:

1. Switch finishes construction on its first datacenter. Plans are announced for construction of an extended stay hotel nearby, as well as at least two low-end chain restaurants (Applebees, Chilis). Right-ish. Two hotels were announced, but no restaurants (that I remember).
2. Residential fiber finally starts becoming available in GR. Lightspeed continues its rollout by expanding into three residential neighborhoods: East Hills, Garfield Park/Alger Heights, and Belknap. Wrong. Sadly, they're still exclusively downtown.
3. The BOB's expansion continues to underwhelm in scope and construction speed. Wrong. Scope has remained, and they've definitely made progress. :-)
4. The Arena South movie theater project breaks ground. Wrong-ish. No ground-breaking, but progress was made on the properties.
5. Downtown parking becomes more of a concern as surface lots are developed and monthly parkers make it difficult to find daily spaces. The city announces plans to construct a new ramp south of the arena to increase capacity. Mixed. Parking continues to be a hot-button issue (easiest prediction ever), but no ramp was announced.
6. The river restoration project is fully funded, with a scheduled completion date in 2019. Wrong. Nothing that concrete. But the target date might be accurate.
7. Zipcar comes to downtown GR. Wrong.
8. Burton Heights finally starts to see some activity; in addition to plans to redevelop the former Burton Heights UMC into low-income housing, at least one major commercial development is announced for the Burton & Division intersection. Mixed. The Rockford Construction plans for Cottage Grove come close.
9. Perceived crime and instability continues to hamper development on Division from Cherry to Cottage Grove. Probably. This one isn't really verifiable.
10. A chain pharmacy announces plans to come to downtown GR, located near Monroe Center. Wrong.
11. Mayor Bliss announces an aggressive campaign to reduce homelessness using a housing-first model, with Well House playing an integral role. Mixed. Nothing specific, but Well House has certainly continued to grow.
12. The large surface lot on the river south of Fulton starts to receive attention for development; nothing concrete is announced. Mixed. Another one that's hard to prove either way; it's certainly received unofficial attention, but nothing official (and public).
13. Azzar passes away; his estate liquidates his properties. Wrong.

 

[joeDowntown]

On 12/28/2015 at 3:11 PM, joeDowntown said:

My Predictions (in no particular order of what I am hoping will get done (or not), or have some knowledge that it will get done (or not)) 

1. 921 Cherry - The four story structure between Grove and Windsor Cottage will break ground. Nope. Where'd this project go?

2. Venue Tower will be postponed due to lack of available parking for residents. I think this will be a long-term gain as it will eventually lead to the tower becoming the original height. Nope. And Nope.

2a. While the tower is a no go, the Venue and B.O.B. expansions will move full steam ahead. Yes and No. Number 2 negates giving me any credit.

3. Speaking of parking crunch, the parking structure attached to Van Andel Arena will be fast-tracked to reduce burden on parking woes. This will also open up the door for some movement in Arena South. Nope!

4. Arena South will take shape. With Arena Place nearing completion and tenants (both residential and commercial) moving in, plans for the Arena 4 parking lot will take shape. Potentially with a smaller building on Oakes next to the "Michigan Hardware Building" (100 Grandville) being built first. It'll be an multi-phased buildout to accomadate the loss of parking. Yes, plans were announced. But I got the order wrong.

4a. A proposal for a building on the Rockford Development owned land will surface this year. Nope! Don't they have an option on this property? When does it run out?

5. Twelve Weston won’t happen. Let's face it, it's not time for Class A office space on that corner. The Orion building where Warner is moving will suck the wind (and potential tenants) away from that development. Look on the bright-side, the hole brings wetlands to the city.  Yes. 

6. CWD will announce an ambitious re-skinning of 50 Monroe. They will focus efforts on the Monroe and Ottawa sides, restoring the original facade (hey, if they could do it to the DA Blodgett building, they can do it here). The north and South sides will include windows "where necessary", but will configured with future development in mind. Half credit? No, nothing was announced, but they've definitely been up to something. 

6a. Still no word about the Yantrasast designed hotel in the parking lot of 50 Monroe. I think this will move forward at some point, but with a different purpose (not a hotel). No and no. Sounds like the hotel is going in 50 Monroe. And nothing was announced for the parking lot.

7. MSU will announce an expansion before ever occupying the MSU Research Center. MSU will rent space in a 20+ story, mixed use building (with parking) on one of the lots next to the current Research building. Nope!

8. U of M will not let "little brother" get all the press and will announce a presence downtown, near the site of VAI. Nope!

9. No more blighted buildings in the core. The Keeler building will be released from the clutches of Azzar and 13(?) Ionia (next to Tannery Row) will finally get a new owner. The AT&T building will still look like a crying shame of it's former glory, but at least it is still being used. Sadly, no. So close, but yet, so far on The Keeler building. 13 Ionia is like a shrine to Ionia's boarded up past.

10. Village at Knapp's Crossings and "Breton Village" (the mall, outlots and across Breton) will become THE high-end retail centers in Grand Rapids. Nope!

11. The impact of Switch Communications will be felt in Grand Rapids with a high-demand for construction jobs, Grand Rapids construction companies will battle for workers, "importing" workers from other states. I don't think so? I'm no expert on construction labor, but I haven't heard of any turf wars for contractors.

12. The Embassy Suites / Combo hotel project will start construction close to the end of the year along with Icon on Bond II, changing the face of Monroe North. Nope!

13. 5/3rd building will be sold and plans for the Calder Plaza park redo will be incorporated into a new development on the parking area north of 5/3rd. Kinda no. 5/3 was sold, Calder Plaza has proposals for a redo, but no redevelopment of the parking area. 

14. The Holiday Inn on Pearl will propose expansion plans for their site on Pearl Street, potentially putting two brands in one location (similar to Monroe North). Nope!

I left out a couple of "givens" (in my book) such as 20 E. Fulton (will start soon after the Holidays).

Joe

 

Man, I didn't do so well in 2016.  And the things I was right on were developments NOT being built. I'm a real negative Nancy. I promise to Make Predictions GREAT Again in 2017.  

[WMrapids]

39 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

I promise to Make Predictions GREAT Again in 2017.  

joeDowntown 2017!

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Man, I didn't do so well in 2016.  And the things I was right on were developments NOT being built. I'm a real negative Nancy. I promise to Make Predictions GREAT Again in 2017.  

You're batting as well as Nate Silver!  

[egrguy]

On 1/5/2016 at 5:15 PM, jdkacz said:

Chick Fil A, Whole Foods make announcements to enter GR. Ikea does not come to GR as we are sandwiched between Detroit's and Chicago's stores.

Chick Fil A did enter with two stores.  2/3 right.

On 1/5/2016 at 5:15 PM, jdkacz said:

West Coast Coffee is gone... so there is opportunity for the market to expand.

I forgot what is filling that spot.

Olga's is still empty, let's go Cheesecake for 2016!

Nothing there yet.

GRFC announces they have plans to continue to rise up the soccer pyramid.

This looks like it could be in the works for the future.

A new brewery by the West MI Whitecaps. While Atwater is moving downtown, I still feel another satellite brewery will make the plunge to GR. I'm going to go with Griffin Claw this time around.

I was wrong on the brewery but right on the location as Elk Brewing located a second spot there.

The long deserted Derby condo project in East gets new life (the non-denominational church on Lake and Croswell has been bulldozed)

Nope

The crazy castle project in Grandville does not  get built. (I want an easy one to look back on) 

I was wrong in a good way on this one.

 

 

[Allison Slater]

On 1/5/2016 at 9:20 AM, tSlater said:

Oh I dearly hope this would come to pass, but they haven't even reached Indianapolis yet.

My predictions:
Wrong: + No -major- retailers Downtown yet, but a couple more retail stores open on the Division Ave. corridor near Bold Socks and Villa.
Half True: (It is still empty, right?) + Dodd's Record Shop on Division sits empty, Lucky's expresses interest in expanding into that space.
Wrong I think?: + More developments proposed in the Michigan Ave. Corridor
Wrong Wrong Wrong: + Parking garage in cooperation with Ellis at Division & Library included in plans for redevelopment of the Keeler from its new owner.
Wrong: + Anger against gentrification intensifies and results in some feet-on-the-ground protests outside of at least one development.
Right!: + UofM ends up doing nothing in GR, for this year...
Wrong: + Icon on Bond II and Monroe North Hotel break ground.
Thankfully Wrong: + Bob Tower shrinks again to 0 floors.  It will be years before anything happens with that spot aside from just a venue.
Right: + ICCF development continues to go nowhere.
+ 5/3rd site is sold but no plans for any changes occur.
Half Wrong. A fiber provider is establishing, just not Google Fiber: + No google fiber.  Monopolistic state laws prevent much progress on fiber networks.
Partly Right: + More residential projects proposed in Monroe North, Heartside, West Side, and State St.  Proposals for projects seem to start flooding in as demand for housing increases and the available housing is eaten up.
Wrong?+ Drone delivery is allowed but the regulations are too prohibitive for it to really take off beyond a couple businesses.

My predictions sound awfully pessimistic, don't they...
 

Being a pessimistic list, I suppose it's good I was so wrong.

[x99]

 

18 hours ago, organsnyder said:

13.  Azzar passes away; his estate liquidates his properties. Wrong.

You know, I feel sort of bad and sort of not bad about saying that's a nice thing to have on the wish list...

[Pattmost20]

19 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

) Carlton Place will start construction - ???

Pretty sure that was an old name for the Fulton Square development, so that would be correct.

[GRDadof3]

56 minutes ago, Pattmost20 said:

Pretty sure that was an old name for the Fulton Square development, so that would be correct.

Ohhhh, right. 

OK, my predictions for this year, and what we'll see by year's end:

) The first part of the residential portion of the "Meijer project" on the West Side started, going vertical, as well as the new WMCAT/Tech shop joint venture (I'm speculating on the joint venture based on news reports)

) GVSU Health Sciences in Belknap shell will be finished. It will look HUGE.

) MSU CHM opening in the Fall

) 234 Market shell finished. It will look HUGE.

) Lyon and Ottawa starts, 10 floors finished by the end of the year, maybe 12.

) 601 Lake Michigan Drive shell finished. It will also look HUGE compared to the surrounding neighborhood.

) Kingsley bldg finished

) 616's Kregel project on Wealthy underway

) Orion's project on the riverfront shelled in

) Proos project shelled in, and looks HUGE (OK I'll stop with the HUGE)

) The project at the old Ryder truck facility on the riverfront underway (saw them demo'ing the other day)

) One of the Creston apartment projects will be started. Only one.

) Cheshire Village will become the new next hip neighborhood with their new cafe and a pub across the street from each other

) 42 story tower started, 10 floors complete by this time next year

) 20 Fulton East announces a chain drugstore on the ground floor

) Return of the rapids project begins (5th time's a charm right?)

) Fulton Square will open

) Switch opens the Pyramid

) Twelve Weston gets started

) Breton Village de-mall opens

) Venue and Venue Tower open. "Nowhere to park" will become a resounding noise filling the interweb and Gilmore's FB page.

 

New stuff and trends

) Founders expands again, taking over the entire building on Hynes and options another. That whole red warehouse area will become a Founders Village, including low income dormitory housing for employees. 

) 50% of the churches in the city go on the market, none of them sells

) Rockford builds townhomes on the site behind Alabama apts

) GVSU unveils plans for phase 2 of their health sciences expansion, next to Cook Devos. 

) 500 room hotel and expanded convention center announced, without renderings. Everyone is confused by the location.  Talk of new hotel puts Calder Plaza redesign on hold..

) A big announcement comes involving either a) big new company to the area expanding to the area or b) an existing company with a presence here moving more jobs here. It won't seem like a big announcement at first, because it will be a name very few people are familiar with...

) Knapp's Corner announces store lineup, some are cool and new to the area, others are same-ol same-ol

) MDOT announces expansion of several highways in Grand Rapids, including East Beltline, I-96 east of the beltline, and I-196 from the river to Lake Michigan Drive

) Meijer Gardens announces a big 10 year expansion initiative/fundraising campaign. 

) Public Museum and Zoo announce big plans with the recently passed increased tax revenue

) Talk of a USL soccer stadium and expansion heats up

) Whole Foods and IKEA continue to ignore this market

) Theater project downtown is re-imagined into a smaller theater/bowling alley/live music venue. Slated to begin in 2018..

) City invests money into Gillette Pedestrian bridge (please) in conjunction with Lyon Square project

) Spectrum announces expansion near Michigan Street on the old GRCC football field, half of it will be a new parking ramp.

) With Grand Rapids basically at "full employment," workforce growth slows to 1.5% annual rate. MSA population jumps up to 2% annual growth. City reaches 198,000.

) I'll think of some others.. gotta run. 

[Pattmost20]

I'll give this a go:

2017 Grand Rapids predictions:

-Soccer Stadium Site announced, construction to begin in second half of the year

-Hotel Tower announced for parking lot next to Charley's Crab

-50 Monroe will be slated for demolition after finding structural damage, to be rebuilt as Hotel/Retail/Apartments

-Arena South Theater Project will break ground

-Betsy DeVos uses her position to "encourage" the Post Office to vacate their river front location

-Diamond Place retail tenant announcement will be underwhelming

-Continue to see a boom in business growth in the Monroe North District

-Fulton between Eastern and Diamond sees a large number of store fronts change hands, new businesses move in

-Fulton just west of the river will also see a number of new businesses move in

-City owned land on Market street south of 131 will finally be sold to developers

-The future use of the Padnos site on the west side will be announced

-Properties will start getting bought up further down Bridge street, past Stocking

-A few of the parking lots on the west side, near GVSU, will start to be torn up for new construction

-Plans for the parking lot next to Grand Woods Lounge will be announced

-Grand Rapids to hit 197,000 residents, tying its all time high, Kent county to hit 650,000, GR Metro to hit 1.06 Million, and GR-Holland-Muskegon area to hit 1.46 million

[Dale]

Sorry if I missed it, but what about the 40-story tower ?

[GRDadof3]

5 hours ago, Pattmost20 said:

I'll give this a go:

2017 Grand Rapids predictions:

-Soccer Stadium Site announced, construction to begin in second half of the year

-Hotel Tower announced for parking lot next to Charley's Crab

-50 Monroe will be slated for demolition after finding structural damage, to be rebuilt as Hotel/Retail/Apartments

-Arena South Theater Project will break ground

-Betsy DeVos uses her position to "encourage" the Post Office to vacate their river front location

-Diamond Place retail tenant announcement will be underwhelming

-Continue to see a boom in business growth in the Monroe North District

-Fulton between Eastern and Diamond sees a large number of store fronts change hands, new businesses move in

-Fulton just west of the river will also see a number of new businesses move in

-City owned land on Market street south of 131 will finally be sold to developers

-The future use of the Padnos site on the west side will be announced

-Properties will start getting bought up further down Bridge street, past Stocking

-A few of the parking lots on the west side, near GVSU, will start to be torn up for new construction

-Plans for the parking lot next to Grand Woods Lounge will be announced

-Grand Rapids to hit 197,000 residents, tying its all time high, Kent county to hit 650,000, GR Metro to hit 1.06 Million, and GR-Holland-Muskegon area to hit 1.46 million

Your's is pretty good! 

3 hours ago, Dale said:

Sorry if I missed it, but what about the 40-story tower ?

I'm thinking it will be just starting around this time next year. Or maybe somewhat vertical. 

[Dale]

30 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Your's is pretty good! 

I'm thinking it will be just starting around this time next year. Or maybe somewhat vertical. 

Thanks! and very impressed with developments in GR!

[GRDadof3]

20 minutes ago, Dale said:

Thanks! and very impressed with developments in GR!

If it doesn't happen, you don't know me, you never met me. Capiche? 

19 hours ago, jdkacz said:

 

 

West Coast Coffee space:

http://www.grbj.com/articles/86798-market-expands-into-vacant-downtown-space

[GVSUChris]

In a total epiphany at the gym, my prediction came to me! With all the talk/speculation/wishful thinking that Betsy DeVos' proximity to the President Elect will help move the Post Office, I predict that Amway Hotel Corp. will tear down the Post Office and franchise out a 50 story gold plated Trump Hotel. 

There. That is my nightmare, er, prediction for '17. 

 

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, GVSUChris said:

In a total epiphany at the gym, my prediction came to me! With all the talk/speculation/wishful thinking that Betsy DeVos' proximity to the President Elect will help move the Post Office, I predict that Amway Hotel Corp. will tear down the Post Office and franchise out a 50 story gold plated Trump Hotel. 

There. That is my nightmare, er, prediction for '17. 

 

  25 stories of it will be a Christian School, paid for by the taxpayers.