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New projects on the West Side


GRDadof3

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3 hours ago, thebeerqueer said:

Ugh, I've grown accustom to having a great coffee shop within walking distance to my house. I understand that they wont be moving all that far away but I'm just whining. Hopefully The Rower's Club opens soon (last I heard was mid-April) and there will be options.  

You can stop the Coffee Shop at the new Meijer on Bridge Street!  :P

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4 minutes ago, thebeerqueer said:

Sounds like you've got some inside info, care to share?

I truly know very little about the project other than knowing some of the shop owners who have met with/interviewed with Meijer to talk details about the coffee shop space, all of which (that I know of) are local. 

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17 hours ago, GVSUChris said:

I truly know very little about the project other than knowing some of the shop owners who have met with/interviewed with Meijer to talk details about the coffee shop space, all of which (that I know of) are local. 

That's a good sign. This project will be pretty new and exciting for GR.

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The west side is definitely looking to be the future hot place to live.

Developers have lots of underutilized buildings owned by landlords with dollar signs in their eyes, plenty of easy opportunity to demolish the abundant ratty structures that dot the area, no obnoxious historical district red tape, and there is an abundance of territory on a large expansive flat plain within easy distance of DT, not to mention the best freeway access of any part of town.

Kind of nervous that this may suck energy from the Uptown area, but there is plenty to go around apparently.

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1 hour ago, GR_Urbanist said:

The west side is definitely looking to be the future hot place to live.

Developers have lots of underutilized buildings owned by landlords with dollar signs in their eyes, plenty of easy opportunity to demolish the abundant ratty structures that dot the area, no obnoxious historical district red tape, and there is an abundance of territory on a large expansive flat plain within easy distance of DT, not to mention the best freeway access of any part of town.

Kind of nervous that this may suck energy from the Uptown area, but there is plenty to go around apparently.

As I was walking around Bridge St last night with a friend, it really struck me for the first time how much it's already transformed.  The restaurant stock alone can compete with Uptown, if it hasn't already surpassed it.  Given its immediate proximity to the downtown area, and the hundreds of millions of dollars Rockford is pumping into it, it probably will suck away a bit of momentum from Uptown.  There might not be an urban neighborhood in the state that rivals it soon.

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It is astonishing, isnt it?

And you still have to remind yourself that this is all PRE-MEIJER.

If that Meijer takes off, which it is a lock that it will, then all bets are off as no Meijer sits in a retail void. other retail will join them.

 

With them to the north, and GVSU to the south, everything in-between is about to get real interesting.

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3 hours ago, EastownLeo said:

If I'm not mistaken, 422 Bridge is the parking lot across from The Knickerbocker. So is this a new build? Seems like they give very little info. I'm kind of doubting it would be a stand alone coffee shop, probably part of a bigger development.

Or is it 442 Bridge, and that was just a typo for GRBJ? That seems more like it.

Edited by Pattmost20
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1 hour ago, Pattmost20 said:

If I'm not mistaken, 422 Bridge is the parking lot across from The Knickerbocker. So is this a new build? Seems like they give very little info. I'm kind of doubting it would be a stand alone coffee shop, probably part of a bigger development.

Or is it 442 Bridge, and that was just a typo for GRBJ? That seems more like it.

It's a typo.  The picture shows 442 Bridge (Renee Austin's old space behind Stanley Ketchel).

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When I first moved here in the spring of 2008 I lived up the hill off Lake MI Drive and would bicycle down to the city.  No bike lanes btw.  Founders had recently relocated and pretty much the only choice for a craft beer other than Hopcat.  This was a reintroduction to Midwest living (and cloudy days) after years in the southwest, a confluence in time when the recession was starting to hit GR so bad I remember homeowners bringing trash to apartment dumpsters just to save on trash collection fees.   River House was nearing completion at just the wrong time but at least Konkle's poured a cheap Pabst when I wanted to slum it. 

You can imagine my initial wtf moments cycling past blocks of boarded buildings on Bridge questioning my sanity for an upper Midwest lifestyle.  Yet despite my moments of doubt there was a sense things were about to change for the better.  Maybe it was the enthusiasm which comes living in a new place ... or the gleanings of potential thanks to the toehold Union Square, The Boardwalk, Founders, Van Andel Arena and Medical Mile were making during the 'city of cranes' period.  It took a while but am glad that sense of encouragement has been validated.

If new residents only knew what this place, and Bridge St in particular, was like not 10 even years ago.  Jeez, I'm starting to sound like an old timer!

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On 4/3/2017 at 0:35 PM, EastownLeo said:

I'm glad to see another shop open up that will add to the daytime vibrancy of this neighborhood. There are plenty of places to grab a bite and a beer after work and on the weekends but I'm excited to see the daytime choices rounding out.

 

22 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

It is astonishing, isnt it?

And you still have to remind yourself that this is all PRE-MEIJER.

If that Meijer takes off, which it is a lock that it will, then all bets are off as no Meijer sits in a retail void. other retail will join them.

 

With them to the north, and GVSU to the south, everything in-between is about to get real interesting.

I couldn't agree more. Meijer is a huge draw for other retailers but I'm not sure how this will work in this corridor but am excited to watch ... and benefit from the increased amenities in my neighborhood. Now if we could just attract a great bakery ...

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48 minutes ago, thebeerqueer said:

I'm glad to see another shop open up that will add to the daytime vibrancy of this neighborhood. There are plenty of places to grab a bite and a beer after work and on the weekends but I'm excited to see the daytime choices rounding out.

 

I couldn't agree more. Meijer is a huge draw for other retailers but I'm not sure how this will work in this corridor but am excited to watch ... and benefit from the increased amenities in my neighborhood. Now if we could just attract a great bakery ...

But you have Arnie's on Leonard

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