Amazon looking to build in GR metro

[CHGRMI]

Does anyone know if there will be access additions or improvements to M6/M37 in this area?  Once this thing's built, I suspect that traffic will be a mess with the increase in semi/delivery/commuter vehicles going in and out; it's already pretty bad now during the peak hours.  Just curious if anyone's seen this discussed anywhere.

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, CHGRMI said:

Does anyone know if there will be access additions or improvements to M6/M37 in this area?  Once this thing's built, I suspect that traffic will be a mess with the increase in semi/delivery/commuter vehicles going in and out; it's already pretty bad now during the peak hours.  Just curious if anyone's seen this discussed anywhere.

I would assume that Amazon plans to use Patterson, 60th to access M-6.  That would be way too much of a pain sending all of those trucks through that Michigan left turn at 68th. 

But you're right, and that area is booming right now. I saw that new Siliconature facility on 68th across from Amazon that looks like it's almost ready to open.

 

 

and Viking announced they're moving their HQ/R&D from Hastings to the Southbelt Industrial Park.

Which looks like the same architect.

I did also see that behind the gas station on Broadmoor (that has a Subway) there is work starting on something. Is that one of the new hotels? 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, CHGRMI said:

Does anyone know if there will be access additions or improvements to M6/M37 in this area?  Once this thing's built, I suspect that traffic will be a mess with the increase in semi/delivery/commuter vehicles going in and out; it's already pretty bad now during the peak hours.  Just curious if anyone's seen this discussed anywhere.

Knowing MDOT they'll probably take a look at it in about 10 years.

[arcturus]

Drove past this yesterday and this development is VAST.  I counted no less than 17 cement trucks and those were just the ones I could see.

[Chester Cheeto]

Precast panels are going up!

There are probably 20-30 panels on truck beds on the jobsite, one panel per truck, there are going to be a LOT of truck loads.

[cutlervillegr]

On 8/2/2018 at 8:38 AM, CHGRMI said:

Does anyone know if there will be access additions or improvements to M6/M37 in this area?  Once this thing's built, I suspect that traffic will be a mess with the increase in semi/delivery/commuter vehicles going in and out; it's already pretty bad now during the peak hours.  Just curious if anyone's seen this discussed anywhere.

That's a good question.  WB M6 jams up almost daily at the M37 on ramp.  It would be nice to see either a 3rd lane on M6 in that stretch, or maybe a partial on-ramp/exit with Patterson or East Paris.  

[Raildude's dad]

There are going to be intersection improvements at 68th and Paterson, 60th and Broadmoor (dual right) but that is about it. MDOT is so focused on their dashboard of road condition (Pavement condition - no cracks) that they are ignoring capapicuty / congestion issues.  I suspect it will be like any other distribution center.  All trucks will scheduled in and out. Miss your appointment -too bad.  The real elephant coming into the room is all the adjacent vacant land.  When it gets developed there will be lots more traffic.

[joeDowntown]

Think they’ll consider more offramps for m6? It seems like they are few and far between. I thought they had planned more during design, but scaled back. My memory is a bit fuzzy on that one. 

Joe

[GRLaker]

9 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Think they’ll consider more offramps for m6? It seems like they are few and far between. I thought they had planned more during design, but scaled back. My memory is a bit fuzzy on that one. 

Joe

Hanna Lake would be the logical place for one considering Broadmoor is only like 3/4 of a mile after E. Paris. Problem is they would need to buy up a small street of homes and a business on the south of M6 and some homes to the north of M6.

[Chester Cheeto]

16 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

 The real elephant coming into the room is all the adjacent vacant land.  When it gets developed there will be lots more traffic.

It might not be vacant all that long... somebody is pulling budget numbers together on a 1/2 million square foot facility in that area.

[Raildude's dad]

On 8/17/2018 at 8:30 AM, GRLaker said:

Hanna Lake would be the logical place for one considering Broadmoor is only like 3/4 of a mile after E. Paris. Problem is they would need to buy up a small street of homes and a business on the south of M6 and some homes to the north of M6.

Not going to happen. Adding an interchange is very difficult. Look at how long it took to get the 36th / I-96 in place. And how long it's taking to make M-21 / I-96 a full interchange.

[x99]

On 8/17/2018 at 10:51 AM, mielsonwheels said:

It might not be vacant all that long... somebody is pulling budget numbers together on a 1/2 million square foot facility in that area.

As long as it's not more slave labor distribution facilities funded by taxpayers.  You wonder if the other proposals are also multibajillion dollar companies getting cash handed to them and half off property taxes.  If the rest of these developments are anything like Amazon, they ain't worth it.   Development is great, but not when the the public keeps being asked to fund private projects.  

[Chester Cheeto]

Some Amazon progress shots:

[joeDowntown]

Nice! I bet it's hard to get the whole building in one shot. 

Joe

[Chester Cheeto]

30 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

Nice! I bet it's hard to get the whole building in one shot. 

Joe

This is the best I could do, I'm standing about 1/3 of the way down the length of the wall. It's kinda hard to grasp the fact that the walls are 60' tall with as long as this building is.

[Sparty97]

I follow Amazon news a little bit but I'm not 100% certain of the long-term plans for distribution centers like this. 

• Is this something that could enable "1 hour" prime deliveries for certain items?
• Is this something that could enable grocery deliveries?  
• Is this part of their plan to open up 3000 AmazonGo stores by 2021? - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-19/amazon-is-said-to-plan-up-to-3-000-cashierless-stores-by-2021
• Any chance that they would use this distribution center for a future Whole Foods??  (wishful thinking...)

 

Edited September 20, 2018 by Sparty97

[discgrab21]

Amazon announced today that it's new minimum wage for US Workers will be $15/hr.   According to Indeed, the average warehouse worker in GR earns $12.18 /hr.  Gotta think with such short labor supply, this will put pressure on other employers to compete and drive up wages.

[GRLaker]

20 hours ago, discgrab21 said:

Amazon announced today that it's new minimum wage for US Workers will be $15/hr.   According to Indeed, the average warehouse worker in GR earns $12.18 /hr.  Gotta think with such short labor supply, this will put pressure on other employers to compete and drive up wages.

That is a good takeaway that I never thought of. This area has lagged behind every metro area of 1 million or more for quite some time when it comes to average income for both knowledge and non-knowledge based jobs. Maybe this will be the kick in the butt area employers need to up their pay more than 2% per year to compete.

[MJLO]

2 hours ago, GRLaker said:

That is a good takeaway that I never thought of. This area has lagged behind every metro area of 1 million or more for quite some time when it comes to average income for both knowledge and non-knowledge based jobs. Maybe this will be the kick in the butt area employers need to up their pay more than 2% per year to compete.

I'm not sure if that statement is accurate.  It's definitely not a standout economically, but over the last several years it has gotten ahead of some of it's peer metros.   When you look at other metro's in the 1 million -1.2 million range it's above average.  It beats Tucson, Buffalo, and Rochester.  It's closing in on Birmingham as well.  According to the latest data I saw Grand Rapids is gaining households over 100k at a faster rate than any other large metro.

[GRLaker]

49 minutes ago, MJLO said:

I'm not sure if that statement is accurate.  It's definitely not a standout economically, but over the last several years it has gotten ahead of some of it's peer metros.   When you look at other metro's in the 1 million -1.2 million range it's above average.  It beats Tucson, Buffalo, and Rochester.  It's closing in on Birmingham as well.  According to the latest data I saw Grand Rapids is gaining households over 100k at a faster rate than any other large metro.

Granted, this was written in November of 2015, but Bridge Magazine put us at 49th out of 52 metro areas with 1 million or more in average income and last for knowledge-based jobs average income. Again, this was almost 3 years ago, but I can't imagine that ranking has improved drastically when you factor in economic growth being a nationwide thing for the last decade.

https://www.bridgemi.com/business-bridge/report-michigan-held-down-low-income-education

[MJLO]

55 minutes ago, GRLaker said:

Granted, this was written in November of 2015, but Bridge Magazine put us at 49th out of 52 metro areas with 1 million or more in average income and last for knowledge-based jobs average income. Again, this was almost 3 years ago, but I can't imagine that ranking has improved drastically when you factor in economic growth being a nationwide thing for the last decade.

https://www.bridgemi.com/business-bridge/report-michigan-held-down-low-income-education

That sounds about right, if you actually follow population rankings the bigger the metro the higher the average income.  If you look at the metros close to GR in population they are really within the same range.   Of course there are outliers as well.  When you put GR up against post industrial midsize metro's it tends to over perform.  When you put GR up against highly populated corporate and tech centers it lags behind.  The data in that article is from 2014.  Keep in mind that Grand Rapids had one of the fast growing economies for large metros in each of the last 4 years.  In 2016 it was the fastest growing economy.   Also keep in mind according to the BLS stats the bulk of GR's growth is coming from knowledge based, bioscience and STEM type positions.  It really has started to catch up where it's been lagging.  I'm trying to find more current data for wage growth,  tis more difficult  than it appears. 

[joeDowntown]

Good conversation but off topic for this thread. Can you please move the discussion over to the West Michigan economy thread?

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/116747-west-michigangrand-rapids-economy/?page=20

Thanks!

Joe

[thebeerqueer]

Some impressive scale footage here. You can really get a feel for just how massive this project is.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/-great-fun-to-watch-amazon-warehouse-go-up/1495678517

[Guest]

1000 new jobs at a minimum of $15/hr is definitely going to definitely put pressure on other warehouses.  If you drive around almost every warehouse has a 'Now Hiring at..." sign.  There's already a crunch.  I could see this bringing people into the area.

[GRDadof3]

11 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

1000 new jobs at a minimum of $15/hr is definitely going to definitely put pressure on other warehouses.  If you drive around almost every warehouse has a 'Now Hiring at..." sign.  There's already a crunch.  I could see this bringing people into the area.

Yeah, that's $30 Million+ in payroll. 

Barnes and Noble (nationally) just announced yesterday that they're up for sale. The shift continues.