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New Meijer "Bridge Street Market" on the West Side


GRDadof3

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3 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

Seriously, like at the corner of Monroe Center and Ottawa? :D 

I don't know if you've been down there lately but that particular corner is actually built out. I was imaging either a building renovation or a site like the Charley's Crab or Arena lots. There are still quite a few parking lots near the center city (the geographic center of GR is Fulton / Division btw) and for the right price I'm sure the landowners would sell. The bottom line is urban grocery stores exist in many forms and there are a lot of potential sites in GR, even in the center city. Reading the GRBJ headline my mind did not picture the West Side. It's not a big deal and I'm not saying the project location is bad.

3 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

Who other than GRGridGirl and Dottie Clune actually knows where those neighborhoods begin and end? 

I guess our social circles have different geographical skills. True, most folks won't know the borderline between neighborhoods. But my suburban friends certainly don't confuse Eastown with Downtown. I wonder how much extra business East Grand Rapids restaurants get because suburbanites see the old buildings and mistakingly think they're in Downtown GR.

3 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

Everyone quit their friggin whining. :)

There's that quality forum moderation we've all come to know and love! You really know how to encourage intelligent discourse, GRDad. /s

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8 hours ago, Quercus said:

 

I don't know if you've been down there lately but that particular corner is actually built out. I was imaging either a building renovation or a site like the Charley's Crab or Arena lots. There are still quite a few parking lots near the center city (the geographic center of GR is Fulton / Division btw) and for the right price I'm sure the landowners would sell. The bottom line is urban grocery stores exist in many forms and there are a lot of potential sites in GR, even in the center city. Reading the GRBJ headline my mind did not picture the West Side. It's not a big deal and I'm not saying the project location is bad.

I guess our social circles have different geographical skills. True, most folks won't know the borderline between neighborhoods. But my suburban friends certainly don't confuse Eastown with Downtown. I wonder how much extra business East Grand Rapids restaurants get because suburbanites see the old buildings and mistakingly think they're in Downtown GR.

There's that quality forum moderation we've all come to know and love! You really know how to encourage intelligent discourse, GRDad. /s

I had a really snarky response typed out but I don't really know you Quercus and you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. 

 

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On June 14, 2016 at 8:35 PM, Quercus said:

 

Really? So are they clueless about the neighborhood names? That strikes me as very strange. I'd love to know why there is so much confusion regarding GR's separate neighborhoods and business districts.

I'm definitely not trying to rain on the parade. This announcement is great for the neighborhood and is a reflection of how far GR has come in the last decade. I guess when I saw "downtown" in the headline I pictured the center city.

I can see the confusion. Uptown, Eastown, East Hills. Where does one begin and the other end? This uestionis rhetorical for me, but I don't think most people sit on forums talking about urban development, so I may be in the minority. 

GVSU us a downtown campus, which is west of 131. Does that mean it's not technically downtown? Is Heritage Hill downtown? Spectrum? Heck, is the Downtown Market actually downtown  guess it depends on your perspective  

I think of "downtown" as much more than just the Artprize boundaries. 

Joe

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15 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I'm the other moderator and I agree with GRDad. Everyone complains about every development. I honestly think the only development with universal support is the movie theatre project, and I'm sure that'll get beat to hell as it's getting built. 

I think the West Side is FINALLY getting some attention. That's great. Do other areas need a grocery store? Sure. Baby steps. People seem to be looking a gift horse in the mouth. 

And honestly, does anyone want to develop riverfront property into a grocery store? If that happens, I'm going to start complaining really bad. :)

Joe

No kidding, look at the back side of every grocery store. Yuck.

Plus, if you build a grocery store South of the arena, Monroe North, Belknap, Heritage Hill, River House and West Side residents will complain. If you build it at Wealthy and Division, everyone but the homeless will complain. And everyone will complain about the homeless.

If you build it in the dead zone that is the city center, everyone will complain. Calder Plaza Foods? 

I can't wait for this first ever urban format Meijer to be built and the anti-Downtown Market people say "This isn't really what I envisioned for a neighborhood grocery." And "It's really expensive for the low income people on the West Side." 

So excuse me for being a dick moderator for a bit. :) 

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I hope if this is successful, Meijer will start adding other urban grocery stores.  One near/in downtown Detroit or Midtown would be awesome and probably very successful.  They now have two locations in the city proper, which have been very successful.  Here's an interesting article on how it helped out the neighborhoods:

 

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/03/how_one_meijer_store_is_changi.html

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5 hours ago, WMrapids said:

I heard that awhile ago Meijer or someone tested a small location near Chicago in a subtle way. Anyone else hear something similar?

Meijer has a few "urban format" stores in the near Chicago suburbs, but they are really just regular grocery stores for the most part.  Similar to a Jewel.   I'm not aware of a Meijer store ever tested in the City of Chicago.  I'm told they have looked at spots in Chicago, but never pulled the trigger.  Walmart has a grocery store a block from my office in the west loop.  I think it might be 20 or 30k SF? 

I suppose this near westside Meijer will put Duther's out of business, and maybe that's not a bad thing.  Maybe Ralph's too?   I know they put some money into Ralph's.  I've never been in there, but I know they have a following for their Kielbasa.  Has anyone been in the "new" Ralph's?

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8 hours ago, mpchicago said:

As I posted a few months back in the Meijer thread, the Niles, "urban format" store closed.  It was a really bad location, and there was a lot of wasted space.  Haven't heard of any issues at the Melrose Park or Berwyn urban format stores. 

I don't think that's at all what they have planned on the West Side. 

 

8 hours ago, thebeerqueer said:

It must be doing well, its still open. It's listed on their website in the store locator. From google it looks like a fairly large size store: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9064067,-87.8454232,3a,90y,217.01h,86.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMHv79peRVwj1sIf33PV69Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

 

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This is all just one giant pipedream, but if they are putting a grocery store in "downtown," what about here?

N. Monroe Grocery.pdf

You already have plenty of people living in North Monroe with more on the way (Icon on Bond 2).  It would be right off a major north/south thoroughfare of Division and east/west with I-196 for easy access for cars (with such a small sight having parking could be an issue).  There are already a few bus routes going through the North Monroe area.  The GR Forward plan has Ionia changing into a linear park/bike track north of I-196, so you would have multiple modes of transportation getting there (drive through pick up window for bikers anybody?).  There is also a proposed walkway leading from the Coit overpass at Hastings sloping down to the bottom of the stairs at Fairbanks/Division for easy access for anybody up on the hill (sorry for my crude paint skills).

Maybe the parking lot just south of the black box could be sold to Meijers for grocery store usage only with an understanding that any development on the MSU sight has to make up for the lost parking with a ramp.

Sigh... if only.

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10 minutes ago, mielsonwheels said:

This is all just one giant pipedream, but if they are putting a grocery store in "downtown," what about here?

N. Monroe Grocery.pdf

You already have plenty of people living in North Monroe with more on the way (Icon on Bond 2).  It would be right off a major north/south thoroughfare of Division and east/west with I-196 for easy access for cars (with such a small sight having parking could be an issue).  There are already a few bus routes going through the North Monroe area.  The GR Forward plan has Ionia changing into a linear park/bike track north of I-196, so you would have multiple modes of transportation getting there (drive through pick up window for bikers anybody?).  There is also a proposed walkway leading from the Coit overpass at Hastings sloping down to the bottom of the stairs at Fairbanks/Division for easy access for anybody up on the hill (sorry for my crude paint skills).

Maybe the parking lot just south of the black box could be sold to Meijers for grocery store usage only with an understanding that any development on the MSU sight has to make up for the lost parking with a ramp.

Sigh... if only.

That would be a great place for a store.  Then they could build a Funicular or Cable Car up the hill so people on the hill could walk to the lower part of town for entertainment or groceries

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2 hours ago, mielsonwheels said:

This is all just one giant pipedream, but if they are putting a grocery store in "downtown," what about here?

N. Monroe Grocery.pdf

You already have plenty of people living in North Monroe with more on the way (Icon on Bond 2).  It would be right off a major north/south thoroughfare of Division and east/west with I-196 for easy access for cars (with such a small sight having parking could be an issue).  There are already a few bus routes going through the North Monroe area.  The GR Forward plan has Ionia changing into a linear park/bike track north of I-196, so you would have multiple modes of transportation getting there (drive through pick up window for bikers anybody?).  There is also a proposed walkway leading from the Coit overpass at Hastings sloping down to the bottom of the stairs at Fairbanks/Division for easy access for anybody up on the hill (sorry for my crude paint skills).

Maybe the parking lot just south of the black box could be sold to Meijers for grocery store usage only with an understanding that any development on the MSU sight has to make up for the lost parking with a ramp.

Sigh... if only.

"Downtown" is going to need several grocery stores, in my opinion. By the time it reaches 10,000 residents, it definitely will. 

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Here you go...from the Planning Commission packet.  When we bought the little building in the bottom left corner a year and a half ago, we were hoping for some kind of development across the street.  Never would have dreamed of something like this. =)

More to look at if this isn't enough for you.  PRD Site PlansScreen Shot 2016-06-29 at 8.31.01 AM.png

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27 minutes ago, mgreven said:

Here you go...from the Planning Commission packet.  When we bought the little building in the bottom left corner a year and a half ago, we were hoping for some kind of development across the street.  Never would have dreamed of something like this. =)

More to look at if this isn't enough for you.  PRD Site PlansScreen Shot 2016-06-29 at 8.31.01 AM.png

#gamechanger

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Now if you are going to go big, THAT is how you go big.

This is going beyond game changer. This is like going from Atari 2600 to Playstation 4.

 

I almost cant even believe this is real. I certainly hope it pushes the city to get rid of those west side parking lots and get some development going there as well.

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