601 Lake Michigan Dr (at Lexington) Project - West Side

[GRDadof3]

So one neighbor compares the development to Chicago and another to Detroit. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess neither of these people has left their own dumpy neighborhood in 30 years.

[MJLO]

It doesn't matter,  I have a feeling city hall is over SWANs propaganda and drama.   They will be dragged kicking and screaming into the 1990s if need be.

[TheLonesomeHobo]

I'm sure if a second McDonald's was proposed for the neighborhood everyone would be jumping for joy, the west side is essentially an urban trailer park.

[GRDadof3]

I'm sure if a second McDonald's was proposed for the neighborhood everyone would be jumping for joy, the west side is essentially an urban trailer park.

 

A second McDonalds yes but don't try to open a second hardware store.

[x99]

Why would you build something that nice over there--why not put it somewhere people actually want it?    I bet ICCF could make some room over in the Hill where the old liquor store was.  Two empty lot there b/t Prospect/Lafayette, house on Prospect, and then another large vacant wooded lot.  Plenty-ish amount of room.  Buy the house on Lafayette and get more room.  Move the houses, slap up building.  Me want more people with spare cash so can get more stores.  Simple caveman math that westsiders don't get.

 

Remind me again why anyone bothers with the west side?  They are whining about market rate apartments on a vacant lot on on a heavily trafficked road? 

 

EDIT:  Unlike the Eastown project, I didn't see any mention of tax subsidies or other "incentives" to develop this.  Is that really the case?  It's possible to do a project without tax dollars?  Who-da-thunk-it.

[Allison Slater]

I wonder if it's the whole neighbourhood or just the same few people being boisterous and attending every meeting on a project in the neighbourhood?

[MJLO]

I'm sure it's the latter.   It's always the loudest people in every group that set the tone for the reputation.

[thebeerqueer]

Soooooo ... from what I can tell the city commission approved the zoning change for this project (page 27 of the minutes).

 

http://grcity.us/city-clerk/CityCommission/072214%20OP%20-%20Pension%20Mtg%20Location.pdf

 

Has anyone heard of any other progress on this project? Things have been a little quiet on this one, especially since it had been such a lively debate earlier.

 

Bueller??

[GRDadof3]

This project is on January's Brownfield agenda.

 

Again, for those who like really detailed plans... (click on the image to see full size)

 

I generally don't believe that architects go to this length in the design process without some confidence that the project is a go. In the old days so many of them got burned by developers by drawing up plans for projects that never happened, and they never got paid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GRDadof3]

This project is in for permits, with First Companies acting as the G.C.. Interestingly First Companies is doing a lot of the work for 616 Development as well. 

If you don't know who First Companies is, they're one of the largest owners of commercial properties in West Michigan, predominantly industrial buildings near the airport. But lately they've been concentrating more on office buildings, and they also built out the space for Spectrum in 25 Ottawa. 

http://firstcompanies.com/

They sold a huge portfolio of buildings a few years ago to a California outfit, almost 30 buildings total I believe? 

http://www.grbj.com/articles/68403

 

[joeDowntown]

I like it. West side sure is changing rapidly!

Joe

[GRDadof3]

601 renderings of the retail storefronts, now listed on CARWM.

 

 

[gvsusean]

thats excellent. I have a random question, At what density of population do stores with these smaller footprints require to  be successful? If all the strreets were lined with buildings such as this, would two stories of residential above the retail be enough?

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, gvsusean said:

thats excellent. I have a random question, At what density of population do stores with these smaller footprints require to  be successful? If all the strreets were lined with buildings such as this, would two stories of residential above the retail be enough?

It would probably really depend on the retailer. I'd be surprised if any retailer could survive on just the people in its building, unless it was a really big building (over 400 or 500 residents).

This project and Fulton West will be interesting subjects to watch, as they are some of the first new buildings with ground floor retail that aren't in an already established retail district. Same with 616 on Michigan, which I notice hasn't filled any retail bays yet.

[MJLO]

Did this project stall?  When I drove by yesterday the site was fenced off, but it didn't look like there was any activity since they initially moved some earth.

[thebeerqueer]

On 8/12/2016 at 6:23 PM, MJLO said:

Did this project stall?  When I drove by yesterday the site was fenced off, but it didn't look like there was any activity since they initially moved some earth.

I do believe its stalled out. I heard they ran into a water issue. It does seem to be taking a long time for construction to start back up. 

[thebeerqueer]

Work is happening again on this project. Large amounts of earth being moved. New signage up. Lots of activity.

[GRLaker]

Here's to hoping it actually looks like the rendering and doesn't end up being a giant, flat, grey wall. 

[thebeerqueer]

New activity on this site. Large-ish crane on site and excavation happening. 

[GRDadof3]

On 11/29/2016 at 4:05 PM, thebeerqueer said:

New activity on this site. Large-ish crane on site and excavation happening. 

That's a huge hole in the ground on that site. yowza.

[thebeerqueer]

17 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

That's a huge hole in the ground on that site. yowza.

I thought the same thing. I couldn't remember if they're doing underground parking but that's what it looks like 

[GRDadof3]

6 hours ago, thebeerqueer said:

I thought the same thing. I couldn't remember if they're doing underground parking but that's what it looks like 

Oh for sure, I'd say so.

Big.hole. 

[EastownLeo]

19 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Oh for sure, I'd say so.

Big.hole. 

Garden Level parking. (basement)

[wingbert]

19 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Oh for sure, I'd say so.

Big.hole. 

It would appear Mike Mulligan didn't forget to leave himself a way out this time.

[GR_Urbanist]

That's interesting. I was always under the impression that you really could not dig down too far on the West side because you would hit bedrock faster than on the other side of the river. At least not far enough to fit underground parking.

 

It must have pertained to a very thin area nearest to the river?