GVSU Downtown Development

[GRDadof3]

Hard to get a good vantage point, but with a little perseverance and possibly some minor trespassing...

[Veloise]

Hard to get a good vantage point, but with a little perseverance and possibly some minor trespassing...

Might be a while, unless those three carriers plan to abandon their equipment. (the cell tower)

[GRDadof3]

Might be a while, unless those three carriers plan to abandon their equipment. (the cell tower)

What might be a while? Demolition has started (they're blowing out all the external windows and walls).

[fotoman311]

What might be a while? Demolition has started (they're blowing out all the external windows and walls).

Before they tear down the building and take down the cell tower.

One set of transceivers has already been installed on the new tower I mentioned earlier in the thread. I imagine the others will be moved or salvaged before the building itself comes down. I would think the internal demolition could take 2-3 weeks anyway, at the rate the windows are currently coming out.

I'd be willing to bet that all the legal stuff with the cell tower has been worked out already, but I don't have any inside info.

[Jippy]

To confirm. Is GVSU retrofitting or building new at this location. I think there is conflicting opinions on this thread. If new, will the site layout generally reflect what is there today?

[mpchicago]

To confirm. Is GVSU retrofitting or building new at this location. I think there is conflicting opinions on this thread. If new, will the site layout generally reflect what is there today?

Brand new building. It was discussed earlier in the thread. I think the general location of the new facility will be in the same spot, but the school has only provided that hazy rendering, no detailed elevations, or site plan. A ground breaking is set of May: http://www.gvsu.edu/giving/l--william-seidman-building-9.htm

A "site celebration" was held last year. I always thought that was the groundbreaking, but I guess not.

Edited April 13, 2011 by mpchicago

[GRDadof3]

Before they tear down the building and take down the cell tower.

One set of transceivers has already been installed on the new tower I mentioned earlier in the thread. I imagine the others will be moved or salvaged before the building itself comes down. I would think the internal demolition could take 2-3 weeks anyway, at the rate the windows are currently coming out.

I'd be willing to bet that all the legal stuff with the cell tower has been worked out already, but I don't have any inside info.

I noticed they had two floors of walls blown out on the SE side this afternoon. That was quick work.

The building will be a skeleton by this time next week.

[Veloise]

Generally a carrier that is subleasing a centerline on a tower is provided sufficient notice to remove equipment. The process takes more time to schedule than to complete.

At my last gig, a Wisconsin university provided us notice on March 17 of a building they intended to demolish. For some reason the company's legal department was not consulted ---why have them on payroll if you're not going to use their skills??--- and our equipment was removed, then re-installed atop another campus structure within three months. This represented a super-human effort on the part of my site acquisition consultants; getting a new lease squared away generally took most of a year.

Since the equipment shelters are on this building's roof, I have no way of guessing which carriers are on the tower. (Presumably VZW has already moved off, or powered down its installation if it's to be abandoned. Last I knew, they owned the tower.) When they are on the ground, one can walk up and read the company names on the electric meters.

If you experience a coverage hole in this area, it might be because your carrier is relocating and plugging things in.

"Platform and antennas" in the industry. City of Detroit engineering department: "crow's nest."

Edited April 14, 2011 by Veloise

[Modernist]

There are at least three carriers on that tower. All three are actively working to remove equipment. Interior demolition will progress in the meantime so that the structure can come down as soon as the tower is moved.

[fotoman311]

There are at least three carriers on that tower. All three are actively working to remove equipment. Interior demolition will progress in the meantime so that the structure can come down as soon as the tower is moved.

The third set of transceivers appears to be almost completely mounted on the new tower to the west. So, I imagine the switchover of service and the dismantling of the old tower could start very quickly. It took a decent amount of crane time to get the new ones up. I could foresee the removal of the old ones, with more difficult crane access, taking a little bit of time. Interior demolition appears to be moving pretty swiftly. All windows are now removed and the inside of parts I could see appear pretty empty.

[Modernist]

Has anyone been out to Allendale to see where the new library is going up? I've been told they're putting up a tower crane.

Edited to add: Just found this page of photos from the GVNow site -- http://www.gvsu.edu/gvnow/index.htm?articleId=87EBF63E-EAD7-C1E4-43479CBC3C97631B

Edited May 16, 2011 by Modernist

[Raildudes dad]

Has anyone been out to Allendale to see where the new library is going up? I've been told they're putting up a tower crane.

Edited to add: Just found this page of photos from the GVNow site -- http://www.gvsu.edu/gvnow/index.htm?articleId=87EBF63E-EAD7-C1E4-43479CBC3C97631B

Looks like a pile hammer, not a tower crane.

[Raildudes dad]

Cell tower gone from the A&P building on Front St, sorry no photos, 60 mph on the S-curve and can't get my photos from the cell phone if I took one

[Veloise]

Groundbreaking was tonight.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/05/gvsu_leaders_rich_devos_gather.html

[mpchicago]

Finally some detailed renderings, site plan: http://www.gvsu.edu/giving/l-william-seidman-center-renderings-104.htm

[GR_Urbanist]

Finally some detailed renderings, site plan: http://www.gvsu.edu/giving/l-william-seidman-center-renderings-104.htm

Unless I'm really not reading those renderings right, it looks like they are going to take down the floodwall along their river frontage?

If so, then this thing has gone straight to awesome!

[mpchicago]

Unless I'm really not reading those renderings right, it looks like they are going to take down the floodwall along their river frontage?

Looks like the flood wall is still there. It's white with a railing. I like the back of this building along the river better than the front. Not sold on that "tower" feature or the huge parking lot.

[GR_Urbanist]

Oops!

I thought that was some sort of paved river path. My reading of perspective was off.

[GRDadof3]

Unless I'm really not reading those renderings right, it looks like they are going to take down the floodwall along their river frontage?

If so, then this thing has gone straight to awesome!

Wow, a lot more massive than I thought. Looks good! I wonder why they have those videos on there but they're set on "private?"

The warehouse was getting pummeled today.

[RegalTDP]

Looks like the flood wall is still there. It's white with a railing. I like the back of this building along the river better than the front. Not sold on that "tower" feature or the huge parking lot.

I agree! The river frontage will be the more visible side to this building, after all. Even with the flood wall, it'll still be pretty awesome.

But yeah, not sold on the sea of parking lots surrounding it. This building will look strange by itself. It needs a neighbor.

[GRDadof3]

Dusty demolition today.

It appears in the site plan that this area below the floodwall might get a trail (when the river isn't so high, obviously):

Time to crack out the sketches of the pedestrian walkway from a couple of years ago...

Ah, here they are:

And the suspended bridge under the S-curve:

[GRDadof3]

The fly-by videos are also now viewable:

[joeDowntown]

It's definitely going to be a great addition to the west side of the river!

Joe

[Modernist]

I was in Allendale today. The foundation is in for the tower crane, and it looks like they've opened a hole in the basement foundation of Kirkhof adjacent to the new library site. I didn't have my camera with me. I'll make sure to have it next time; there was a lot going on out there. The lawn by the pond is all dug up, too.

[OneSweetWorld]

I'm starting to get seriously worried about the direction Allendale is heading in.

Controversial Allendale student housing plans are blocked.

As far as I know, the only "controversy" surrounding this project exists between the developers and their competition. And the township is being sucked in. This doesn't seem like any way to plan for a successful city at all.