Downtown Hudsonville

[RegalTDP 497]

Caught this story a couple days ago.  They're calling it the Hudsonville Village Green, and they're shooting for 2030:

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/12/see_what_west_michigan_downtow.html

 

 

(via MLive)

 

 

Grandville is trying to revitalize their town square.  Ada is planning a whole new downtown.  Now Hudsonville is in the game with their own vision.

 

And it's all good - clearly suburbs everywhere are learning the value of placemaking.  In GR in particular, I think suburbanites are pining for their own versions of Gaslight Village or Rockford.  I also think new affluent residents to the area, moving from older places like Royal Oak or Lake Forest, miss the town squares of their old neighborhoods.

 

Now, Hudsonville isn't Ada, and doesn't have Amway to buy up all the land.  They've already hit snags:

 

 Hudsonville two years ago got a $238,900 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to buy a little over an acre of land to create the Village Green central park. But the city has been unable to agree on a price with landowners.

 

But on the other hand, housing developments will only grow in eastern Ottawa County between now and 2030.  Who knows what new private investment the area's growth will bring.

 

I wonder if more suburbs will enter the fray?  I predict Byron Center will be next with a plan for 84th Street.

[GRDadof3 3734]

Caught this story a couple days ago.  They're calling it the Hudsonville Village Green, and they're shooting for 2030:

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/12/see_what_west_michigan_downtow.html

 

 

Grandville is trying to revitalize their town square.  Ada is planning a whole new downtown.  Now Hudsonville is in the game with their own vision.

 

And it's all good - clearly suburbs everywhere are learning the value of placemaking.  In GR in particular, I think suburbanites are pining for their own versions of Gaslight Village or Rockford.  I also think new affluent residents to the area, moving from older places like Royal Oak or Lake Forest, miss the town squares of their old neighborhoods.

 

Now, Hudsonville isn't Ada, and doesn't have Amway to buy up all the land.  They've already hit snags:

 

 

But on the other hand, housing developments will only grow in eastern Ottawa County between now and 2030.  Who knows what new private investment the area's growth will bring.

 

I wonder if more suburbs will enter the fray?  I predict Byron Center will be next with a plan for 84th Street.

 

I am surprised that Byron Center's downtown hasn't been reworked a bit more. It's such a fast growing area and the M-6/BC Avenue area is starting to be the main draw. With Tanger pulling people to the East, I wonder if they'll do a major upgrade.