New projects on the West Side

[TheLonesomeHobo]

a little birdie told me today that the little building between the old Kales Corner and the new development on Bridge is going to be developed into a reincarnation of Red Hot In

[Prankster]

12 hours ago, TheLonesomeHobo said:

a little birdie told me today that the little building between the old Kales Corner and the new development on Bridge is going to be developed into a reincarnation of Red Hot In

A diner would be a good addition to that stretch of road. It adds some more variety. 

[Cookin_peacocks]

It looks good, but also familiar. Was the sign up in the last few years and removed when the new  building went up?

 

I didnt pay much attention.

 

Also, I hope it gets moved soon as the lot is developed. A boy can dream.

 

 

[joeDowntown]

I was looking for something in the last Planning Commission Agenda Packet and it looks like the bar / restaurant proposed for 345 Summer Avenue NW back in 2020 is back on. Looks like a pretty cool plan with a big patio on the loading dock. The South side of the building will look drastically different with all of the windows. Owned by the same group as Butcher's Union and O'Tooles. 

There's also a huge (and cool) development proposed on Burton by Bethany Christian Services (wrong topic, I know). Looks like a lot of affordable housing (single family?) plus a big addition to their offices (if people are interested).

EDIT: I thought I was looking at the September 23rd packet, but it looks like I was looking at the October 14 packet. So these developments are on the docket.

Joe
 

[RegalTDP]

13 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

There's also a huge (and cool) development proposed on Burton by Bethany Christian Services (wrong topic, I know). Looks like a lot of affordable housing (single family?) plus a big addition to their offices (if people are interested).

We brought that up on this thread here.  Incredible to see neighbors opposing single family housing of comparable density in a single family housing neighborhood. 

[GRDadof3]

20 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I was looking for something in the last Planning Commission Agenda Packet and it looks like the bar / restaurant proposed for 345 Summer Avenue NW back in 2020 is back on. Looks like a pretty cool plan with a big patio on the loading dock. The South side of the building will look drastically different with all of the windows. Owned by the same group as Butcher's Union and O'Tooles. 

There's also a huge (and cool) development proposed on Burton by Bethany Christian Services (wrong topic, I know). Looks like a lot of affordable housing (single family?) plus a big addition to their offices (if people are interested).

EDIT: I thought I was looking at the September 23rd packet, but it looks like I was looking at the October 14 packet. So these developments are on the docket.

Joe
 

I'm confused. How can that be the South elevation of this building:

https://goo.gl/maps/yZyCQr6TSeDkgFx4A

 

I can definitely see the East elevation in the current building's details...but....

[HomePortSupplyCo]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

I'm confused. How can that be the South elevation of this building:

My guess is that this portion of the building is going to be demo'd.  If you look at the East view it stops at this point.

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, GreatLakesPrintShop said:

My guess is that this portion of the building is going to be demo'd.  If you look at the East view it stops at this point.

That's a lot of building to demolish. I'm surprised. But that would be the only way you'd get the South elevation exposed. 

I read the description in the Planning Commision agenda. I'm even more confused now.  

http://grandrapidscitymi.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=6324&MediaPosition=&ID=17022&CssClass=

[joeDowntown]

So I think the elevations are confusing. The way I'm reading it (and looking the the plans), they aren't knocking down anything (the building to the south at 337 Summer).

On the elevations I shared, Patio Elevation North and Patio Elevation South are the same - one is a view looking north (brick wall), the other is looking south (the windows), but the South view is actually the northern wall of the building (where the loading dock is, which will be filled to grade level). Does that make sense?  Also, the southeast section of the building will be unfinished (marked as "future" and probably why they didn't restore the windows on that side (yet). 

Here's the floor plan:

So the windows on the "Patio Elevation South are actually these old boarded up windows:
 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

17 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

So I think the elevations are confusing. The way I'm reading it (and looking the the plans), they aren't knocking down anything (the building to the south at 337 Summer).

On the elevations I shared, Patio Elevation North and Patio Elevation South are the same - one is a view looking north (brick wall), the other is looking south (the windows), but the South view is actually the northern wall of the building (where the loading dock is, which will be filled to grade level). Does that make sense?  Also, the southeast section of the building will be unfinished (marked as "future" and probably why they didn't restore the windows on that side (yet). 

Here's the floor plan:

So the windows on the "Patio Elevation South are actually these old boarded up windows:
 

Joe

Ah. Good synopsis Joe. And aren't they working on 351 Summer right now? The one in that picture? 

Edit: scratch that, it was 345 Summer that I saw boards on the windows recently. 

[joeDowntown]

The building on Summer was approved. Restaurant is called Gin Gin's and will be a Tapas restaurant:

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/butcher-s-union-o-tooles-owners-plan-new-tapas-restaurant-off-bridge-street

[HavingAhoot]

555 Leonard NW

Cider & housing

Edited October 25, 2021 by HavingAhoot

[ZAP!]

1 hour ago, HavingAhoot said:

555 Leonard NW

Cider & housing

That's hideous. Good infill, but hideous. I often wonder what people 50 years down the line will think of this particular architectural movement.

[Cookin_peacocks]

49 minutes ago, ZAP! said:

That's hideous. Good infill, but hideous. I often wonder what people 50 years down the line will think of this particular architectural movement.

Glad to see some density on Leonard popping, but gah. That's just so boring.

[GRDadof3]

18 hours ago, HavingAhoot said:

555 Leonard NW

Cider & housing

It looks like a giant shipping container. I thought people liked shipping containers?

[thebeerqueer]

17 hours ago, ZAP! said:

That's hideous. Good infill, but hideous. I often wonder what people 50 years down the line will think of this particular architectural movement.

They'll think we're cheap and have no taste level. 

[Prankster]

Seems like the new Brann’s building set the bar low for this stretch of Leonard, and this is just following suit. 

[joeDowntown]

The apartment building that was proposed for the former YMCA on Leonard is getting started:

https://grbj.com/news/construction/partners-to-break-ground-on-16m-housing-development/

 

[Cookin_peacocks]

On Fulton and.... Some street. Townhomes going in that I saw referenced in the past

[thebeerqueer]

14 hours ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

On Fulton and.... Some street. Townhomes going in that I saw referenced in the past

Pretty sure that's the Gunnison and Fulton project. Can't remember if there were renderings posted here. 

[joeDowntown]

We had discussed plans for a two story building on the corner of Fulton and Lexington a while back. Looks like it’s now going to be 4 stories and they got approval to knock down a building w/ apartments to add parking. 

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/gr-planning-commission-oks-parking-plan-for-west-side-development/

 

it’ll add some nice density to that stretch of west Fulton. 

Joe

[JimiThing]

Some interesting tidbits in the PC's agenda packet

http://grandrapidscitymi.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=4800&Inline=True

It starts on page 228. Sounds like the developer also has plans next door (to the west on Fulton):

"It is also important to note that the applicant also owns the (4) parcels directly west on Fulton & Gold and has plans for multifamily housing development. The buildings are similar in design and will harmoniously work together when fully constructed. When completed, and as planned per the ASP, the 616 Fulton building at 5- stories, will cascade west with this development at 4-stories, at the Fulton & Gold at 3-stories."

[ZAP!]

21 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

We had discussed plans for a two story building on the corner of Fulton and Lexington a while back. Looks like it’s now going to be 4 stories and they got approval to knock down a building w/ apartments to add parking. 

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/gr-planning-commission-oks-parking-plan-for-west-side-development/

I'm guessing the building getting demolished is 15 Lexington NW? I feel like this is a dumb question, but as a non-property-developer — why don't they just build a two-level parking structure instead of tearing down existing buildings? Five units isn't nothing to just erase for the sake of cars.

Edited January 30, 2022 by ZAP!

[MJLO]

13 hours ago, ZAP! said:

I'm guessing the building getting demolished is 15 Lexington NW? I feel like this is a dumb question, but as a non-property-developer — why don't they just build a two-level parking structure instead of tearing down existing buildings? Five units isn't nothing to just erase for the sake of cars.

According to the article it's already empty.  I think the logic is that putting the structure on that site allows them more viability for the building on Fulton as well as the Lexington School conversion into residential which would be a significant net gain in housing units between the two.  Hopefully it would also spur investment in the existing properties on Lexington as well.

[joeDowntown]

27 minutes ago, MJLO said:

According to the article it's already empty.  I think the logic is that putting the structure on that site allows them more viability for the building on Fulton as well as the Lexington School conversion into residential which would be a significant net gain in housing units between the two.  Hopefully it would also spur investment in the existing properties on Lexington as well.

Putting up a 2 story parking structure is also a huge expense. Looking at the original concept, it had parking on the property, but it was a smaller building. I think the parking on another lot allowed them to build a bigger, denser building on that site. And if they plan to build residential as part of the overall plan, it seems like a win all around. 

Joe