Proposed 400 room Hotel at Devos Place

[tamias6]

A 400 room 24 story convention hotel proposed for Devos Place? Hmmmm I'm surprised to see something like this one sliped under the Urban Planet radar.  http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2017/04/new_400-room_hotel_proposed_at.html

Edited October 22, 2017 by tamias6

[Pattmost20]

On 4/21/2017 at 4:28 PM, GVSUChris said:

I have ALWAYS wished that a building could be put in that spot. I truly hope this can be pulled off!!!

 

 

 

[WMrapids]

Hold up. Is this a hint?

[tamias6]

This will definitely change the look the of the skyline,

[Pattmost20]

I don't think anything has changed since April, it is still just an idea, no funding is in place. 

[WMrapids]

Just now, Pattmost20 said:

I don't think anything has changed since April, it is still just an idea, no funding is in place. 

Ok. Thanks for the clarification.

[joeDowntown]

Yeah, we’ve discussed this before on UP. I think it’s more conceptual than anything else, but I’d love to see them add this to the convention center. I’ve always felt like that part of DeVos Place is wasted space and would help add density on that stretch. 

I wonder if we’re hitting a saturation point with new hotel rooms downtown GR. Quite a lot in the pipeline. 

Joe

[The ATX]

This is from the MLive link in the OP.  It would definitely have an impact on the skyline.

[GRDadof3]

17 hours ago, The ATX said:

This is from the MLive link in the OP.  It would definitely have an impact on the skyline.

That doesn't even show Warner Tower, which will be slightly taller than the courthouse. 

[thebeerqueer]

16 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

That doesn't even show Warner Tower, which will be slightly taller than the courthouse. 

Well, it is MLive after all. 

[SupercityGR]

Add a local pharmacy in the ground floor and I'm sold. Get devos involved and break ground soon please 

[x99]

It was almost interesting until I saw Progressive AE's name attached to it.  I just have a hard time getting excited about anything they have ever laid a hand on.  I would hope we could at least get some sort of architectural competition for something of this scale and magnitude, if it ever gets off the starting line.

[GRDadof3]

So when is this hotel tower going to move along? I'm almost more excited about this than the Hinman Tower. 

[wingbert]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

So when is this hotel tower going to move along? I'm almost more excited about this than the Hinman Tower. 

I'm excited to inform you that at this point it appear that your great grandchildren will enjoy seeing the tower cranes go up for this, the Hinman tower and the Market Avenue development.

[crinzema]

On 12/29/2017 at 11:06 AM, wingbert said:

I'm excited to inform you that at this point it appear that your great grandchildren will enjoy seeing the tower cranes go up for this, the Hinman tower and the Market Avenue development.

Really!!! How sure are you? Even the Hinman Tower! Where are you getting your information? 

[GRDadof3]

15 hours ago, crinzema said:

Really!!! How sure are you? Even the Hinman Tower! Where are you getting your information? 

I think he was just being funny.

[joeDowntown]

Speaking of Hinman Tower, did anyone ever see the results of the request by Hinman to to extend the footings of the building into the right of way?

Joe

[wingbert]

On 12/31/2017 at 8:16 AM, GRDadof3 said:

I think he was just being funny.

I was being sarcastic and pessimistic but hopefully it was at least a little humorous.  

[GRDadof3]

On 1/2/2018 at 9:12 AM, wingbert said:

I was being sarcastic and pessimistic but hopefully it was at least a little humorous.  

I laughed!

[GRDadof3]

More conversations about adding another "convention center hotel."

In some of the articles about this idea, it's mentioned adding 140,000 square feet of convention center space, so that GR can host two conventions at once. Where would 140,000 square feet go, I wonder? That's essentially 3 football fields. 

http://www.grbj.com/articles/90021-record-attendance-drives-hotel-revenue

Obviously the "wave" section of the convention center can't be added on top of. Can the flat top roof section go up higher? I personally would rather not see it go on the post office site. That site needs more life on the exterior. 

[GRLaker]

29 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

More conversations about adding another "convention center hotel."

In some of the articles about this idea, it's mentioned adding 140,000 square feet of convention center space, so that GR can host two conventions at once. Where would 140,000 square feet go, I wonder? That's essentially 3 football fields. 

http://www.grbj.com/articles/90021-record-attendance-drives-hotel-revenue

Obviously the "wave" section of the convention center can't be added on top of. Can the flat top roof section go up higher? I personally would rather not see it go on the post office site. That site needs more life on the exterior. 

Maybe they're planning on the post office vacating. They could build a multi-story structure with convention space on the first three floors and hotel space above it. Then have a sky bridge connect the two buildings. 

[Allison Slater]

Had MSU not taken the old Press site, they could have probably expanded to there with a catwalk over the intersection.  Too late for that now.

I think the best hopes are either:
+ Make an enticing deal to relocate the federal building and build there (unlikely but I think it could be an excellent option if possible, could really help bring that plaza to life more than a re-design would) - 133k sq ft
+ Make an enticing deal to relocate the post office and build there - ~182k sq ft
+ Rebuild the convention center in a fashion that allows more space
+ Relocate to a different site with more room (Padnos? Might not actually be more room but would be easier to expand than current site)

None of them sound very good, feasible, or practical.

At least if they do the post office site, hopefully they can find a way to better engage the street, riverwalk, and allow for easy addition of hotel towers.

Edited February 17, 2018 by tSlater

[MJLO]

13 hours ago, GRLaker said:

Maybe they're planning on the post office vacating. They could build a multi-story structure with convention space on the first three floors and hotel space above it. Then have a sky bridge connect the two buildings. 

Well occassional rumbles have made it sound as of the post office has been considering actually moving.   The post office without all of it's post office equipment is basically a giant empty warehouse with underground parking already.  They could probably renovate the entire thing and use it as is.   Assuming if they did so they'd get rid of the facade that makes it look like the 1960s took a crap, and someone decided to sort mail in it.

[GRDadof3]

10 hours ago, MJLO said:

Well occassional rumbles have made it sound as of the post office has been considering actually moving.   The post office without all of it's post office equipment is basically a giant empty warehouse with underground parking already.  They could probably renovate the entire thing and use it as is.   Assuming if they did so they'd get rid of the facade that makes it look like the 1960s took a crap, and someone decided to sort mail in it.

They've gotta be looking at the post office site. The current large exhibit hall at Devos Place is 162,000 square feet. There's no way they'd shut that down for 2 or 3 years to build a second floor on it. It took years to build the current expansion, from what I remember.

The Steelcase Ballroom area is only 40,000 square feet, so they'd have to add 3 floors above it to get another 140,000 sf.  Especially since convention space needs high ceilings, each floor would be 20 -30 feet tall. You'd probably get close to 12 stories when all was said and done...  

https://devosplace.org/sites/default/files/Capacity sheet layout revised Sept 2008.pdf

In addition to a skywalk across Michigan Street, which they'll definitely need when the new Meijer opens, they'd have to have a hall to traverse from the main atrium to the new "North Great Hall Annex" , that doesn't make convention goers go through the main exhibit hall to get to the North hall. In fact you'd have to have separation of traffic because many of the shows are only open to paid attendants. Would be nice views from that second floor walkway though, of the river and the new rapids.

 

 

[GRDadof3]

I was heading through downtown today on 131 and had a vision of a hotel tower at the post office site, on top of or connected to a new convention center expansion. Maybe two towers. It would be pretty sweet I think.