Hinman project - new 13 story hotel at 10 Ionia

[ironyisadeadscene]

5 hours ago, Prankster said:

Unless there is something historic underneath, like there was with the AC Hotel, I wouldn’t think that the facade would be worth saving. 

Agreed, but if people try to claim its historic value, you could try that.

[joeDowntown]

1 hour ago, ironyisadeadscene said:

Agreed, but if people try to claim its historic value, you could try that.

Seems like a non-starter. Nobody is talking about moving anywhere with that block in the foreseeable future. It could be decades before this is a viable discussion. And by then, everyone will flying jet packs to work. Very different issues at stake by the time this happens. LOL. 
 

Joe

[walker]

 

Ignore this.  Next post is what I was trying to say.

Edited December 2, 2019 by walker
because my quotes got all tangled up and I couldn't fix them

[walker]

8 hours ago, Prankster said:

Unless there is something historic underneath, like there was with the AC Hotel, I wouldn’t think that the facade would be worth saving. 

Regarding this sidebar discussion about peeling off the Herpolsheimer / Police Station outer walls and uncovering an historic Italianate Building underneath, there's no other building underneath.  It is what it is and other than a floor added on top and some windows it doesn't look a whole lot different than it did when it was brand new in 1949.  Joe, you might have seen a picture of the building they tore down to build it back in the late forties:

I borrowed the photo from this book:

BOOK: 20th-Century Retailing in Downtown Grand Rapids By Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon

This photo is on page 26 of the book and if you scroll down the pages following you will see construction photos of the current building.

I suppose someone might want to save the building as an example of one of the last to be built mid-century modern downtown full service department stores.  Not me, I'm for repurposing it or  tearing it down if someone really has a better idea on what to do with the property. 

Edited December 2, 2019 by walker

[joeDowntown]

7 hours ago, walker said:

Regarding this sidebar discussion about peeling off the Herpolsheimer / Police Station outer walls and uncovering an historic Italianate Building underneath, there's no other building underneath.  It is what it is and other than a floor added on top and some windows it doesn't look a whole lot different than it did when it was brand new in 1949.  Joe, you might have seen a picture of the building they tore down to build it back in the late forties:

I borrowed the photo from this book:

BOOK: 20th-Century Retailing in Downtown Grand Rapids By Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon

This photo is on page 26 of the book and if you scroll down the pages following you will see construction photos of the current building.

I suppose someone might want to save the building as an example of one of the last to be built mid-century modern downtown full service department stores.  Not me, I'm for repurposing it or  tearing it down if someone really has a better idea on what to do with the property. 

Thanks Walker. I always had it in my mind that they built on to the existing structure. I don’t know why I thought that, it makes little sense as it would have been a chopped up footprint for a department store. 
 

Joe

[whitemice]

18 hours ago, ironyisadeadscene said:

Kinda like the McKay tower?

The McKay tower, as I understand it, was initially built to be expanded, heightened.  That was pretty common in that area to build a base with the capacity of adding a tower.  Many buildings of that era - including Union Station in Chicago as a good example - where built that way, sometimes the tower came, sometimes it did not (Union Station being a not example); depending on the economic tides.

19 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Read an article with the City Manager and Mayor saying "there's nothing to see here" with so many people leaving. In my experience, the fact that they have to state that there isn't a problem, usually indicates there's a problem

Agree.  It is obvious there is a problem.  In addition to there inability in the last couple years to do much of anything; and the disaster that was Housing NOW.

Edited December 2, 2019 by whitemice

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, whitemice said:

Agree.  It is obvious there is a problem.  In addition to there inability in the last couple years to do much of anything; and the disaster that was Housing NOW.

So the big question, did they "leave" because they were ineffective, or were the people good, and they left because of the initiatives they had to pursue? I thought the blanket metering of every parking spot in GR was somewhat stupid, and the City Manager came in and put a hold on more meters. Anyone get a sense of if the exodus will eventually be a good thing?

Joe

[cstonesparty]

2 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

So the big question, did they "leave" because they were ineffective, or were the people good, and they left because of the initiatives they had to pursue? I thought the blanket metering of every parking spot in GR was somewhat stupid, and the City Manager came in and put a hold on more meters. Anyone get a sense of if the exodus will eventually be a good thing?

Joe

Pretty sure Josh Naramore wasn't one of those to leave, and he's the guru behind all those contentious parking and 'mobile GR' decisions...

[GRDadof3]

21 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

So the big question, did they "leave" because they were ineffective, or were the people good, and they left because of the initiatives they had to pursue? I thought the blanket metering of every parking spot in GR was somewhat stupid, and the City Manager came in and put a hold on more meters. Anyone get a sense of if the exodus will eventually be a good thing?

Joe

Interestingly, several people left to go work for companies that do consulting work for cities, including for Grand Rapids. Pay is probably a lot better in the private sector. Another one just announced:

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2019/12/grand-rapids-water-department-official-resigns.html

Not sure if this should continue in this thread, a bit off topic. 

[ironyisadeadscene]

Looks like they are doing work to the crane 

[ironyisadeadscene]

[kevin8gr]

4 more floors to go I think.

[ironyisadeadscene]

48 minutes ago, kevin8gr said:

4 more floors to go I think.

I wish that was 40

[ironyisadeadscene]

[Guest]

Looking at the first photo and I'm curious if anyone thinks the consumers steam plant will ever be relocated?  I would guess it would be pretty costly and maybe a longer distance for the steam to travel would decrease efficiency?

[Allison Slater]

I don't foresee the steam plant moving any time soon, but that's okay, I think. Sometimes that sort of thing is just going to be a thing. A city can't all be new urban perfection. Cities are messy and chaotic, and infrastructure needs to squeeze in somewhere. I think we'd be better off finding creative ways to enhance that space than worry about it moving. Maybe some historic informational placards or something.

[Raildude's dad]

Owned by Kent County  DPW, operated by Consumers Energy. Originally coal fired.  First operated in 1888. Sold to DPW  during a financial crisis at Consumers, tied into the County owned incinerator out on Market SW

http://www.historygrandrapids.org/article/2334

[GR_Urbanist]

It is honestly one of my favorite buildings. The cloud of steam from it in the winter is magnificent to behold and just beutiful to look at from different directions. It's a working facility right in the heart of DT too!

I just want the glass to be more transparent, all the old windows restored, and the building brightly lit on the inside.

Edited December 20, 2019 by GR_Urbanist

[ironyisadeadscene]

[joeDowntown]

With floor 10 going up, I wonder if the next floor of panels will be different as the design changes on the top 2 floors. 

Joe

[joeDowntown]

On 12/24/2019 at 10:36 PM, joeDowntown said:

With floor 10 going up, I wonder if the next floor of panels will be different as the design changes on the top 2 floors. 

Joe

Replying to myself (it's been quiet around here). They're adding the 11th floor panels and it has the "cornice" that will make the top two floors stand out a bit. I'll try to get photos today.

Joe

[joeDowntown]

Updated photos from yesterday (11th floor going up):

 

[ironyisadeadscene]

Uh, is this normal?

 

 

[GVSUChris]

1 hour ago, ironyisadeadscene said:

Uh, is this normal?

 

 

Earlier there were tons of people working at the site and now it’s dead and it looks like this -

 

 

[joeDowntown]

That crane is up and running now. 

Joe