DeVos Family Headquarters (Old 5/3 building)

[kwl]

On 6/8/2021 at 11:09 PM, joeDowntown said:

There going to be putting a 16 foot Jaume Plensa sculpture on the corner of Monroe and Lyon. He’s one of my favorite sculptors. His work will also be part of “Utopia”, which opens at the Meijer Gardens in November, and he designed the crown fountain in Millenium Park (Chicago). It’ll be a pretty significant piece of art downtown. 

https://www.grmag.com/look-feel/downtown-grand-rapids-to-receive-sculpture-promoting-unity-diversity/

Joe

Love this. Although the promotion of unity and diversity contrasted with the location is a bit paradoxical. Like placing a giant olive branch sculpture outside of Raytheon. 

[grandrollerz]

On 1/24/2021 at 4:22 PM, GVSUChris said:

So a while back I mentioned on here that there was a permit for a convenience store in this project but I couldn't figure anything out about it. Then this morning I was reading about urban development in other mid-sized cities and I came across a story about Dollar General doing a concept called "DGX," which is their "upmarket" shops in mid-sized downtowns. So I went back and looked at the permit and it says "DGX Grand Rapids," which is exactly how they brand their stores. They are very interesting concepts, and while I don't love Dollar General, I recognize some of that is my own embedded classism and as I think about this retail spot, I think this is actually a decent amenity for downtown. I'm including pics of other DGX stores. Looking forward to this being formally announced. 

Hey look, the new DGX must be open! These made their way all the way to Michigan St. 

(post is tongue in cheek, it's not DGX's fault people litter...as a DT resident I'm actually excited about DGX as an option) 

[Cookin_peacocks]

Looks like it's done

 

 

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

Looks like it's done

 

 

Nice transition.

[joeDowntown]

Looks fantastic. Can’t wait til they get the sculpture out front and the commercials spaces along Lyon fill up!

[joeDowntown]

I had heard rumors that Texas de Brazil backed out of the Lyon street location. Looks like Real Seafood Co. is moving in instead;

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/real-seafood-co-restaurant-opening-next-year-in-downtown-grand-rapids

[Prankster]

13 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I had heard rumors that Texas de Brazil backed out of the Lyon street location. Looks like Real Seafood Co. is moving in instead;

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/real-seafood-co-restaurant-opening-next-year-in-downtown-grand-rapids

That’s a shame. Texas de Brazil would have added another option to downtown dining. Plus, they have really good food. 

[gvsusean]

20 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I had heard rumors that Texas de Brazil backed out of the Lyon street location. Looks like Real Seafood Co. is moving in instead;

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/real-seafood-co-restaurant-opening-next-year-in-downtown-grand-rapids

Boo, real seafood’s menu looks meh… same as any other Red Lobster look-a-like

[joeDowntown]

3 hours ago, gvsusean said:

Boo, real seafood’s menu looks meh… same as any other Red Lobster look-a-like

It’s the same owner as chophouse. I wouldn’t count it out just yet. 

Joe

[GVSUChris]

I don’t really care one way or the other about the restaurant itself, but I do appreciate the vibrancy it’ll bring that spot as far as color and scale. 
 

 

[joeDowntown]

The Jaume Plensa sculpture is being erected outside this building right now. It’s going to be an awesome addition to downtown. They have a big crane and it looks to have come in several pieces. IIRC, the sculpture is 18 feet tall (plus the base). Super excited about this!

Joe

[HavingAhoot]

That is larger than I anticipated. 

[joeDowntown]

I swiped this from Brian Kelly’s Insta story (I’m sure he won’t mind). This will go on the 4-6 foot base that is already in place. 

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

I swiped this from Brian Kelly’s Insta story (I’m sure he won’t mind). This will go on the 4-6 foot base that is already in place. 

That's cool. Makes downtown more "Instagrammable."  That might sound trite but it's a real thing for young people. 

[joeDowntown]

Photos from Experience GR’s website. Look at the person on the right of one photo for scale. 
 

 

[ZAP!]

2 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

It's a shame that stretch of DeVos Place across the street has such a drab facade. Still holding out hope something's built there eventually.

[GR_Urbanist]

I have to say I was actually pretty awestruck seeing this for the first time today. 

Far larger than I assumed, and very stylish!

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

I have to say I was actually pretty awestruck seeing this for the first time today. 

Far larger than I assumed, and very stylish!

Does it have lighting at night? Looks like it from this photo. Very cool!

Joe

[arcturus]

All it needs is a hand pointing to the Ellis Parking sign.

[GRDadof3]

Drove by it today. It's definitely impressive! 

[MJLO]

Insert (struggling with the format on UP)

Moving the discussion about Calder Plaza over here from the studio park thread.(Sorry Y'all didn't mean to hijack it).  This was the closest thing I could find on a thread dedicated to the Calder Plaza portions of downtown.  In regards to @GRDadof3response about Acrisure not taking the old 5/3rd building:  

I can't see it either.  Unless CDW/RDV has some kind of dramatic reskin that dramatically changes it and adds height, or just builds something new entirely.   Though I wouldn't put it past them. 

Regarding Calder Plaza being "Old Downtown":

I think that's a great way to put it.  That urban renewal they did in the early 60s really hasn't stood the test of time.  I get that they were doing what they could to try and keep the city core "competitive" with the offices moving to the suburbs.  But man does it feel like a snap shot in time "Build an impenetrable fortress so that the poor people can't bother us".   Is there anything on the radar to help it not be the deadest of dead zones?    It really kills several blocks of otherwise continual urban fabric.  Almost a liability at this point.  

 

[Khorasaurus1]

22 minutes ago, MJLO said:

I think that's a great way to put it.  That urban renewal they did in the early 60s really hasn't stood the test of time.  I get that they were doing what they could to try and keep the city core "competitive" with the offices moving to the suburbs.  But man does it feel like a snap shot in time "Build an impenetrable fortress so that the poor people can't bother us".   Is there anything on the radar to help it not be the deadest of dead zones?    It really kills several blocks of otherwise continual urban fabric.  Almost a liability at this point.  

 

Hard to figure out where to start, especially because the State, Feds, and Courts have no interest in spending just for "better urbanism", and the City and County are unlikely to do much, either, since their buildings are "part of the Calder sculpture."

The parking lot next to 5/3 might be an opportunity to better enclose the plaza. And there might be some opportunities to pull storefronts to the curb adjacent to the private office buildings, like the RDV HQ building did. 

[grandrollerz]

You'll get a lot of opinions on Calder plaza, it could warrant its own thread.

I think they should just move it.   Put it in the river when they do the restoration. Seriously. It's name is La Grande Vitesse, (almost) literally 'the grand rapids.'  Put it in front of GRPM as it is a relic of the past, just like the 60s urban renewal . it's an art piece, sure....but the symbolism of it doesn't hold up anymore. And get rid  of bloody sabre tooth pac man while we're at it.  have a contest to update the City's logo.  Tons of cities have a calder sculpture, it's not something we really need to associate with any longer, is it?

[Jonesey]

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I feel like the entire Calder Plaza is a huge waste of space.  It's a sea of concrete that gets used maybe ten times a year.  They could easily just block off Ottawa for events.  Same with the area west of the fed building.  The configuration of the City/County buildings is terrible and confusing.  And we get massive walls all down Monroe.

[cstonesparty]

On 10/28/2022 at 9:44 AM, Khorasaurus1 said:

...there might be some opportunities to pull storefronts to the curb adjacent to the private office buildings, like the RDV HQ building did. 

This seems like the best odds of this whole discussion.  I think the city would work hard to accommodate this kind of thing if developers came to them with it.  Doing anything with the rest of the public buildings in that corridor?  Can't imagine them doing a thing to entertain that...