Jump to content

Grandville Castle Apartments

mgreven

By mgreven
in Grand Rapids

 Share

Recommended Posts


  • Replies 736
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

crinzema
crinzema
x99
x99

So I did some of my own measurements on this because I wasn't sure whether they were including the parking ramp in the space devoted to parking or in the "Castle Apartments".  Using the scale on the s

ModSquad
ModSquad

I have to share a funny story about this development.  My mother lives in the Chicago area.  She is 76 and is legally blind from macular degeneration.  She sees pretty good far away,  just not so good

Posted Images

GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, x99 said:

Oh, be still my beating heart.  They're constructing a giant castle-ish thing with towers and turrets.  Dreams are apparently made in Grandville.  :unsure:  The GRBJ story about how this thing came to be is rather interesting.  One of developers visited Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, loved it, and decided to build something inspired by it here.  

neuschwanstein480.jpg

They toned down the largest of the money-sucking towers and turrets a bit, but my hat's still off to these guys.  It really is an unprecedented project, and quite bold.

Good call.  PPG Place, although that is a glass castle. The Wikipedia article is interesting:  It was designed by Johnson/Burgee, possibly the best postmodernist architects ever, and served to some extent as an advertisement for PPG plate glass.  When the rest of downtown Pittsburgh was at 20% vacancy, the castle was at 10%, and it was still the public's favorite building in Pittsburgh 20 years later.  Castles sell, and (most) people love 'em.  Personally, I like the Grandville Castle more.

I loved that castle in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. My favorite movie as a little kid! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MJLO City

MJLO

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, thebeerqueer said:

I had a thought as I was passing the site on my commute home yesterday; what terrible views this place will have. One direction you have I-196 and the other direction you have 28th street. Certainly not moat-worthy. 

Not to mention the industrial part of Wyoming that is sandwiched between 196 and 28th St to the east.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRLaker Hamlet

GRLaker

Posted
Posted
Just now, MJLO said:

Not to mention the industrial part of Wyoming that is sandwiched between 196 and 28th St to the east.  

 

34 minutes ago, thebeerqueer said:

I had a thought as I was passing the site on my commute home yesterday; what terrible views this place will have. One direction you have I-196 and the other direction you have 28th street. Certainly not moat-worthy. 

Right. This is a very poverty stricken area of Grandville. It is full of low income apartments, old homes that aren't well kept up, gas stations, industry, highway on and off ramps, sewage treatment plants a couple miles away in both directions, and railroad tracks. It's the perfect area for a trailer park - not a palace. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRLaker Hamlet

GRLaker

Posted
Posted
48 minutes ago, WMrapids said:

It may not be for everyone but it's better than a trailer park.

Absolutely. No one wants a run-down trailer park in their community if they can get away with it. This could go one of two ways: It could take on the character of the area that surrounds it or it could change the character of the area that surrounds it. Hopefully it's the latter. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GR8scott Burg

GR8scott

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, GRLaker said:

Absolutely. No one wants a run-down trailer park in their community if they can get away with it. This could go one of two ways: It could take on the character of the area that surrounds it or it could change the character of the area that surrounds it. Hopefully it's the latter. 

Exactly, especially if the phase 2 plans for revitalized retail along 28th. Although the views may not be the best, the tree canopy is very thick and it's next to a very large part all to the north and walking distance to downtown Grandville to the south. A lot of potential there and one of only 3 "downtowns" in the inner metro area

Link to comment
Share on other sites
x99 Burg

x99

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, thebeerqueer said:

I had a thought as I was passing the site on my commute home yesterday; what terrible views this place will have. One direction you have I-196 and the other direction you have 28th street. Certainly not moat-worthy. 

Well, that's sort of like saying Riverhouse has terrible views because you can see the highway...  This is actually a unique site, and the configuration of the building takes good advantage of it.  Most of the site is ringed by trees and water, so that's what you'll see from the lower floor.  As you move up in the tower, the river and Johnson park and Millenium Park are to the east and  to the north.  Grandville to the south also have a nicely developed urban forest, and a number of lakes.  It's just a matter of perspective.  I suspect the view from most of the units will actually be quite nice, and from the upper floors one of the better views from any apartment complex in West Michigan.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RegalTDP Burg

RegalTDP

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, x99 said:

Well, that's sort of like saying Riverhouse has terrible views because you can see the highway...  This is actually a unique site, and the configuration of the building takes good advantage of it.  Most of the site is ringed by trees and water, so that's what you'll see from the lower floor.  As you move up in the tower, the river and Johnson park and Millenium Park are to the east and  to the north.  Grandville to the south also have a nicely developed urban forest, and a number of lakes.  It's just a matter of perspective.  I suspect the view from most of the units will actually be quite nice, and from the upper floors one of the better views from any apartment complex in West Michigan.  

^^^ I agree. Freeways actually make for pretty nice views from high up.  This is a great project for that site.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
Posted
58 minutes ago, thebeerqueer said:

The top floors are visible from I-196 Eastbound. Gaining floors every few days it looks like. 

Are they doing pre-cast panels? Seems to be rising faster than you could do pouring floors. I don't have enough of an expert eye to tell from the above photo. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
WMrapids Hamlet

WMrapids

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well this will be about 15 stories tall. Materials will be concrete and steel roofing. I guess the lake will be cleaned up too since they said residents can kayak and enjoy it. Should be done by June 2017.

http://www.wzzm13.com/mb/news/local/grandville/castle-apartments-being-built-in-grandville/310652534?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

image.png

image.pngimage.pngimage.jpeg

image.png

Another interesting tidbit, it looks like a SpringHill Suites by Marriott is moving in next to the Maserati dealership.

http://grandvillecitymi.minutesondemand.com/Document/30083ae0-ca13-e611-9e45-001fbc00ed84/cou-packet-05092016.pdf

image.png

image.png

Edited by WMrapids
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

Posted
Posted

Well, I give this guy a lot of credit for saying "I want to build a castle", and then doing it. Also liked his quote about "just because it hasn't been done, doesn't mean it shouldn't".

Still not a big fan of the whole castle concept-  maybe I've just seen Excalibur in Las Vegas too many times (really shoddy). I hope I'm pleasantly surprised. :)

Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRLaker Hamlet

GRLaker

Posted
Posted

He lost me at, "you can swim in the lake." You couldn't pay me to swim in that pond. It's basically a highway and industrial run-off pond.

If the blue in the middle is the pool of this place though, I doubt anyone would feel the need to grow an 11th toe by setting foot in the pond. That would be one sweet pool.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.