New projects on the West Side

[cstonesparty]

Lincoln Country Club / Savannah at Waterford Village planning commission review of Final Area Site Plan is apparently tonight.  Sounds like still some fights going on… could be interesting.

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, cstonesparty said:

Lincoln Country Club / Savannah at Waterford Village planning commission review of Final Area Site Plan is apparently tonight.  Sounds like still some fights going on… could be interesting.

Thanks for the heads up. 

[Guest]

On 4/20/2022 at 1:46 PM, cstonesparty said:

Lincoln Country Club / Savannah at Waterford Village planning commission review of Final Area Site Plan is apparently tonight.  Sounds like still some fights going on… could be interesting.

It was tabled because the developer took out 25% of the garages to save money.

Something I found exciting at the end of the meeting is that one of the planners said they are recieving plans almost daily for new, mostly multi-family development.  If I had to guess I would say that the four lots west of Wilson/LMD Meijer will get developed.  It looks like it recently changed hands to Westview Capital, who I think did the complex on the SE corner.  As for other parcels maybe Versus is finally thinking about selling?  Or Visser will develop the NE corner of Wilson/Leonard or maybe that massive 275 parcel b/w Richmond and 3 mile?  Or maybe just some small projects.  Either way, glad we're getting more housing! 

[Guest]

Also, the trees  have been being cleared and it looks like earth moving on the parcels W. of Meijer

Edited April 21, 2022 by Floyd_Z

[cstonesparty]

14 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

It was tabled because the developer took out 25% of the garages to save money.

Something I found exciting at the end of the meeting is that one of the planners said they are recieving plans almost daily for new, mostly multi-family development.  If I had to guess I would say that the four lots west of Wilson/LMD Meijer will get developed.  It looks like it recently changed hands to Westview Capital, who I think did the complex on the SE corner.  As for other parcels maybe Versus is finally thinking about selling?  Or Visser will develop the NE corner of Wilson/Leonard or maybe that massive 275 parcel b/w Richmond and 3 mile?  Or maybe just some small projects.  Either way, glad we're getting more housing! 

I’ve been curious about the orchards for a long time.  There’s a power transmission corridor in there that I think limits desirability of some potential lots, and the eastern part of the orchards may be over gypsum mines (?).  But otherwise that’s a LOT of property in a very close-to-city location that would seem to be highly desirable for residential.  That family has to be nearing a generational flip that maybe has kids desiring to do something else.  Could be interesting to keep an eye on it.

Visser has had a sign at Wilson/Leonard for quite a few years offering that site.  They did a bunch of pre work on it around five years ago then stopped…

The property behind Meijer in Standale was cleared last year.  I kind of expect to see crops there until a plan comes together for Westown2.

 

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, cstonesparty said:

I’ve been curious about the orchards for a long time.  There’s a power transmission corridor in there that I think limits desirability of some potential lots, and the eastern part of the orchards may be over gypsum mines (?).  But otherwise that’s a LOT of property in a very close-to-city location that would seem to be highly desirable for residential.  That family has to be nearing a generational flip that maybe has kids desiring to do something else.  Could be interesting to keep an eye on it.

Visser has had a sign at Wilson/Leonard for quite a few years offering that site.  They did a bunch of pre work on it around five years ago then stopped…

The property behind Meijer in Standale was cleared last year.  I kind of expect to see crops there until a plan comes together for Westown2.

 

Visser just started a new phase of that project off of Kinney: Winchester Woods. That abuts his property that goes out to Wilson and Leonard. That's a huge PUD that was approved there but he's apparently not building any of it out?

Not surprised that work is beginning on the parcel West of Meijer. Seems like it's been changing hands recently. If it's the same developer as Westown, that's JAG development (Jack Goodale's sons I believe). He built a fortune off of oil drilling, and owns almost all of the oil wells you see scattered around the rural areas of Walker. Much like the Koetje families, he was an early landowner when the West Side suburbs were all still farmland. He also owns that massive parcel off of Richmond and had gotten approval to do single family homes but it never got started. 

From what I understand, a lot of the land South of LMD/Standale is loaded with gypsum. It's why water and sewer has not been extended to those areas, except along Sunset Hills.

 

[cstonesparty]

59 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Visser just started a new phase of that project off of Kinney: Winchester Woods. That abuts his property that goes out to Wilson and Leonard. That's a huge PUD that was approved there but he's apparently not building any of it out?

Not surprised that work is beginning on the parcel West of Meijer. Seems like it's been changing hands recently. If it's the same developer as Westown, that's JAG development (Jack Goodale's sons I believe). He built a fortune off of oil drilling, and owns almost all of the oil wells you see scattered around the rural areas of Walker. Much like the Koetje families, he was an early landowner when the West Side suburbs were all still farmland. He also owns that massive parcel off of Richmond and had gotten approval to do single family homes but it never got started. 

From what I understand, a lot of the land South of LMD/Standale is loaded with gypsum. It's why water and sewer has not been extended to those areas, except along Sunset Hills.

 

This map popped up (again) recently depicting extent of gypsum mining in that vicinity…

[cstonesparty]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

Visser just started a new phase of that project off of Kinney: Winchester Woods. That abuts his property that goes out to Wilson and Leonard. That's a huge PUD that was approved there but he's apparently not building any of it out?

 

Are you talking about the commercial portion of Lewis Farms on the corner?  I remember the PUD for that whole thing had some ongoing wrangling about traffic management and I don't know if it ever got resolved.  That intersection is BAD.

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, cstonesparty said:

This map popped up (again) recently depicting extent of gypsum mining in that vicinity…

Wow! I hadn't seen that before and the extent of it. I know a guy who grew up on Collindale south of LMD and his parents still own the land I believe. He said it's un-developable where they are. 

1 hour ago, cstonesparty said:

Are you talking about the commercial portion of Lewis Farms on the corner?  I remember the PUD for that whole thing had some ongoing wrangling about traffic management and I don't know if it ever got resolved.  That intersection is BAD.

All this land here. Winchester Woods runs off of Tall Timber and Shannon and I think connects back to Mission. 

 

[cstonesparty]

I'll look up the PUD from Walker planning commission later, but I know the SW corner of that proposal was commercial buildings, with condos behind;  then the area you've now told me is called Winchester Woods is the single family homes portion of the development...

[GRDadof3]

18 hours ago, cstonesparty said:

I'll look up the PUD from Walker planning commission later, but I know the SW corner of that proposal was commercial buildings, with condos behind;  then the area you've now told me is called Winchester Woods is the single family homes portion of the development...

That's correct, you're right it's called Lewis Farms. Had to dig back in my archive from 2018.  Wilson along the top. Winchester Hills Phase 3 is in the bottom right (the phase they're working on right now)

[cstonesparty]

On 4/23/2022 at 10:11 AM, GRDadof3 said:

That's correct, you're right it's called Lewis Farms. Had to dig back in my archive from 2018.  Wilson along the top. Winchester Hills Phase 3 is in the bottom right (the phase they're working on right now)

Tall timber exiting to Wilson is the part that was highly debated, and I’m not sure it was resolved.   Traffic at the Wilson/Leonard intersection is squirrely, and with the traffic circle at Remembrance, there’s no natural breaks in traffic SB on Wilson.  

[Raildude's dad]

On 4/22/2022 at 9:16 AM, cstonesparty said:

I’ve been curious about the orchards for a long time.  There’s a power transmission corridor in there that I think limits desirability of some potential lots, and the eastern part of the orchards may be over gypsum mines (?).  But otherwise that’s a LOT of property in a very close-to-city location that would seem to be highly desirable for residential.  That family has to be nearing a generational flip that maybe has kids desiring to do something else.  Could be interesting to keep an eye on it.

Visser has had a sign at Wilson/Leonard for quite a few years offering that site.  They did a bunch of pre work on it around five years ago then stopped…

The property behind Meijer in Standale was cleared last year.  I kind of expect to see crops there until a plan comes together for Westown2.

 

My daughter and son in law are good friends with one of the Versluis. They have been there 5 generations. Based on my conversations with him, they are not interested in selling out.  He really enjoys what he does on and with the land. 

[cstonesparty]

50 minutes ago, Raildude's dad said:

My daughter and son in law are good friends with one of the Versluis. They have been there 5 generations. Based on my conversations with him, they are not interested in selling out.  He really enjoys what he does on and with the land. 

That’s nice to hear.  I live in that area and love stopping for apples, peaches, etc.  Urban farms are a great thing!

[grandrollerz]

17 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

My daughter and son in law are good friends with one of the Versluis. They have been there 5 generations. Based on my conversations with him, they are not interested in selling out.  He really enjoys what he does on and with the land. 

I don't know much about them, but the first thing that comes to my mind is a revocable living trust: https://farmlandaccess.org/trusts/#revocable -- could be a great way to preserve it across generations! I mean, i guess so long as the kids don't muck it ??

[Pattmost20]

35 minutes ago, grandrollerz said:

I don't know much about them, but the first thing that comes to my mind is a revocable living trust: https://farmlandaccess.org/trusts/#revocable -- could be a great way to preserve it across generations! I mean, i guess so long as the kids don't muck it ??

Looks like the property is already held in a trust, according to tax records. 

[mgreven]

I'm surprised no one posted this...I saw a "Gas Station Liquor Sales" on the Planning Commission the other day.  Pretty boring stuff but the address got me curious - 407 Pearl NW.  I wondered where there's a gas station on Pearl.  It turns out that the Big Boy is becoming a "Kum and Go" gas station.  

Is the Big Boy still open?  It's been there for years.  A gas station with food and a market might be kind of nice there.  Is that the first one in the area?  

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by mgreven

[GRDadof3]

42 minutes ago, mgreven said:

I'm surprised no one posted this...I saw a "Gas Station Liquor Sales" on the Planning Commission the other day.  Pretty boring stuff but the address got me curious - 407 Pearl NW.  I wondered where there's a gas station on Pearl.  It turns out that the Big Boy is becoming a "Kum and Go" gas station.  

Is the Big Boy still open?  It's been there for years.  A gas station with food and a market might be kind of nice there.  Is that the first one in the area?  

 

I posted about this a few weeks ago, but didn't have a rendering. 

I hate to sound like a five year old, but Kum and Go? Seriously? 

[mgreven]

On 3/7/2022 at 11:38 AM, Khorasaurus1 said:

Gilmore probably looked at the sidewalks crowded with people waiting for restaurant tables this weekend and wondered why he closed the BOB in the first place...

 

4 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

I posted about this a few weeks ago, but didn't have a rendering. 

I hate to sound like a five year old, but Kum and Go? Seriously? 

I must have missed your post.  Sorry for ignoring you.  =)  

Strange name indeed.  I'm seen people post about it due to the strange name...I saw they have 400 locations.  Sounds like a pretty decent gas station though.

[Khorasaurus1]

2 hours ago, mgreven said:

I'm surprised no one posted this...I saw a "Gas Station Liquor Sales" on the Planning Commission the other day.  Pretty boring stuff but the address got me curious - 407 Pearl NW.  I wondered where there's a gas station on Pearl.  It turns out that the Big Boy is becoming a "Kum and Go" gas station.  

Is the Big Boy still open?  It's been there for years.  A gas station with food and a market might be kind of nice there.  Is that the first one in the area?  

 

Not sure I love the idea of putting a gas station there. That doesn't sound like a great long-term move. BUT a quality, safe convenience store with easy parking near downtown will do extremely well. 

[thebeerqueer]

27 minutes ago, Khorasaurus1 said:

Not sure I love the idea of putting a gas station there. That doesn't sound like a great long-term move. BUT a quality, safe convenience store with easy parking near downtown will do extremely well. 

I don't love the idea either but gas stations are a neighborhood necessity. That being said, there's one less than half a mile away on Stocking. I just feel like once a property becomes a gas station, it's extremely hard for it to be anything else. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, thebeerqueer said:

I don't love the idea either but gas stations are a neighborhood necessity. That being said, there's one less than half a mile away on Stocking. I just feel like once a property becomes a gas station, it's extremely hard for it to be anything else. 

Exactly my thinking.  That area is due for some additional development.  But yeah it will do well, especially selling alcohol, something DGX is looking to do as well.  That will be nice, the few stores that sell alcohol are overpriced.  I did notice there will be a nice little seating/cafe spot and it looks like a restaurant?  Possibly a Subway since the one on Monroe closed?

I saw they a planning a location in Grandville, they must be trying to establish themselves in the area.  They are popular out west, kind a step up from your typical gas station/convenience store. But yeah, stupid name, but so is Loaf'n'Jug lol

[joeDowntown]

That sucks. I was really hoping that Big Boy (and the Burger King across the street) would eventually become denser development. I know the city hired Lott3Metz to do a study on redeveloping the parking lots in that are (wonder when the findings will be released?). Seems like a step backwards for that area. 

they have a lot of Kum N Go’s in Iowa. Other than the humorous name, they’re just another typical  gas station/convenience store combo.  Boo. 

Joe

[GR_Urbanist]

I'll wait and see how this fits into its site. The Meijer and Mobil stations near there seem to fit nice and compactly into small spaces, so a gas station like this has a chance to impress if they remember where it is going and not just dump a suburban mess on the site. The last thing we need is another version of the Shell station on S. Division or another Circle K like on Michigan St.

If they really want to impress, put some Tesla Superchargers there, put the main building along Pearl, and TRY to use good materials and aesthetics on the exterior.

[Chester Cheeto]

The brand must be expanding into the Grand Rapids market, there is one kuming to 2134 Alpine Ave NW as well.