Suburban Projects

[kwl]

Was perusing MLCC website and it appears Total Wine received their liquor license for the only Baby R Us location across from Costco. 

[arcturus]

Total Wine is quite a store.  Rather surprised its taken so long to get one and apparently is the state's first.

[egrguy]

None of the local stores were happy and vehemently opposed it. From the sounds of it, not the best neighborhood partner.

https://mibiz.com/sections/food-agribusiness/alcohol-retailers-fill-mlcc-hearing-opposing-total-wine-s-gr-area-plans

If you have access, it's an interesting read.

[Floyd_Z]

Looks like Walker is holding a special meeting to redevelop English Hills Golf course (again) into 552 mixed residential units and also extend Northridge.

I'm guessing this will likely pass unanimously.   

https://ciwalkermi.civicweb.net/filepro/documents?expanded=1009,4588,68184&preview=70515

I wonder if Alpine township will start to change their views on development?

[GRDadof3]

Spectrum Health appears to be clearing their land at Bradford and Leffingwell. Anyone know the skinny? 

[joeDowntown]

3 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Spectrum Health appears to be clearing their land at Bradford and Leffingwell. Anyone know the skinny? 

I think they’re building a senior care facility. 

[Floyd_Z]

14 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I think they’re building a senior care facility. 

Yup. they are also building one on the corner of Fuller and Cedar NE (empty lot just south of the blood bank I believe)

https://newsroom.spectrumhealth.org/spectrum-health-to-build-new-rehab-long-term-care-facilities/

[GRDadof3]

Whole Foods progress. And apparently it's called the Thornapple Whole Foods (?)

 

 

[Raildude's dad]

Possibly

Contractor - Thornapple Excavating

Project  - Whole Foods

Location  - Entrance (driveway? it fits with the site photo)

Next two - design info

Edited April 2, 2021 by Raildude's dad

[RegalTDP]

OR it could be a tag by the notorious "Thornapple Whole Foods Boyz" that terrorize the Kentwood streets.  Either seems likely, IMO.

[GRDadof3]

17 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

Possibly

Contractor - Thornapple Excavating

Project  - Whole Foods

Location  - Entrance (driveway? it fits with the site photo)

Next two - design info

Ah, that makes sense. 

16 hours ago, RegalTDP said:

OR it could be a tag by the notorious "Thornapple Whole Foods Boyz" that terrorize the Kentwood streets.  Either seems likely, IMO.

Ah, that makes sense. 

[Floyd_Z]

On 3/21/2021 at 10:03 AM, Floyd_Z said:

Looks like Walker is holding a special meeting to redevelop English Hills Golf course (again) into 552 mixed residential units and also extend Northridge.

I'm guessing this will likely pass unanimously.   

https://ciwalkermi.civicweb.net/filepro/documents?expanded=1009,4588,68184&preview=70515

I wonder if Alpine township will start to change their views on development?

Passed unanimously 

[joeDowntown]

Plainfield Township is trying to “reimagine Plainfield”:

https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/reimagine-plainfield-reveals-plans-to-transform-corridor/

Plainfield seems like air could be a very viable commercial corridor, but I’m always shocked at how poorly its developed / hasn’t kept up with times (the fact that there is still an empty Witmark building (closed 20 years ago?) on a busy intersection seems amazing). 

I don’t know if the town center concept is a great way to go about giving it a jumpstart, but I’m glad they’re trying something.

Joe

 

[HomePortSupplyCo]

Sounds like there's quite the story behind the vacant Witmark.

The following is per reddit, and others seem to corroborate the story:

Quote

The guy who owns it got a divorce from his wife a long time ago. If he sells it she'll get half the money. He's been paying fines and making minimum repairs just to spite his ex-wife. It's a monument to pettiness and I respect that.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/buyers-interested-but-witmark-owner-wont-sell/

 

 

 

 

[Cookin_peacocks]

15 minutes ago, GreatLakesPrintShop said:

Sounds like there's quite the story behind the vacant Witmark.

The following is per reddit, and others seem to corroborate the story:

https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/buyers-interested-but-witmark-owner-wont-sell/

 

 

 

 

I mean, that's pretty amazing, yeah, but for someone in a far away state to not do anything with a crumbling building out of pettiness really sucks for us as a community.

 

Just kinda crazy to see a building that long vacated still have signage and such up. 

[RegalTDP]

16 minutes ago, GreatLakesPrintShop said:

Sounds like there's quite the story behind the vacant Witmark.

The following is per reddit, and others seem to corroborate the story:

The guy who owns it got a divorce from his wife a long time ago. If he sells it she'll get half the money. He's been paying fines and making minimum repairs just to spite his ex-wife. It's a monument to pettiness and I respect that.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/buyers-interested-but-witmark-owner-wont-sell/

 

If that is true, this person is worse than Azzar, which is not something I thought I would ever say.

[joeDowntown]

25 minutes ago, RegalTDP said:

If that is true, this person is worse than Azzar, which is not something I thought I would ever say.

I peaked in the window about a year ago and it's quite a mess. Looks like a lot of mold forming, and water getting in from the roof. You'd think the township could flex some muscle and really start hammering them with fees. You'd also think he could have just made it a viable building, not sold it (if pettiness is his thing) and started collecting rent. I hate people like this...

Joe

[GR_Urbanist]

 

I'm all for reimagining Plainfeild.....

 

But this is straight Lord of the Rings level fantasy.

[discgrab21]

So this is just another iteration of Wyoming's "28 West", right?

[wingbert]

They should just gate it all off and charge admission for tourists  to take a step back in time by visiting “70’s / 80’s Sprawl Land”

[cstonesparty]

Lincoln Country Club development proposal is back in front of Walker planning commission:  

https://ciwalkermi.civicweb.net/document/70745

[GRDadof3]

The Northeast Beltline area is exploding again. I haven't driven through there in a while and that big new apartment development at 4 Mile and EBL is built out/framed (I got a new drone I may get some drone shots). Every single building is built out. They're also clearing land at the office park just North of 3 Mile on the East Side on that little lake. Looks like something rather large is going to go in (or several office buildings). 

There's also new apartment buildings going in at 5 Mile and East Beltline on the West Side of the road. I think Orion also has apartment/townhouses planned for land that borders Kuyper College. 

Dang. 

 

[Floyd_Z]

9 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

The Northeast Beltline area is exploding again. I haven't driven through there in a while and that big new apartment development at 4 Mile and EBL is built out/framed (I got a new drone I may get some drone shots). Every single building is built out. They're also clearing land at the office park just North of 3 Mile on the East Side on that little lake. Looks like something rather large is going to go in (or several office buildings). 

There's also new apartment buildings going in at 5 Mile and East Beltline on the West Side of the road. I think Orion also has apartment/townhouses planned for land that borders Kuyper College. 

Dang. 

 

It would be nice if GR township would update their PC agendas and minutes on their site to see what is planned for some of these.....

[GRDadof3]

12 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

It would be nice if GR township would update their PC agendas and minutes on their site to see what is planned for some of these.....

Yeah, they're terrible at it. 

[joeDowntown]

I was reading through the planning commission agenda packet and saw this 4 story apartment building proposal just off the Beltline (South of Burton, behind the "Salespad" building). Looks like it would replace a gigantic, oversized parking lot: