DeVos Family Headquarters (Old 5/3 building)

[GRLaker]

13 hours ago, walker said:

Google image search says Allentown PA.:

Allentown Tower 6

Well here's to hoping the DeVos' can out-do Allentown, PA. The bar has officially been set.

[Prankster]

26 minutes ago, GRLaker said:

Well here's to hoping the DeVos' can out-do Allentown, PA. The bar has officially been set.

Well, I just came back from visiting Allentown last week.  Very nice town with quite the rebounding city center.  This is the only pic I could find on my phone that I took of Tower 6:

 

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, GRLaker said:

Well here's to hoping the DeVos' can out-do Allentown, PA. The bar has officially been set.

That's pretty sad when we're trying to beat a town that was a Billy Joel song because it was so down-n-out.

I think I just did a google search for "transparent glass mixed use building" and it was one of the results. 

[MJLO]

3 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

That's pretty sad when we're trying to beat a town that was a Billy Joel song because it was so down-n-out.

I think I just did a google search for "transparent glass mixed use building" and it was one of the results. 

Honestly I think Billy Joel's song is more akin to Allentown's version of Newsweek calling Grand Rapids a dying city in 2011.  It's only ever recorded a population loss in the 1980 census, and it was only down 4% at that.    The city grew more than 10% from 2000-2010 so it's really not that bad of company to be with IMO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allentown%2C_Pennsylvania#Demographics

 

[Pattmost20]

9 minutes ago, MJLO said:

Honestly I think Billy Joel's song is more akin to Allentown's version of Newsweek calling Grand Rapids a dying city in 2011.  It's only ever recorded a population loss in the 1980 census, and it was only down 4% at that.    The city grew more than 10% from 2000-2010 so it's really not that bad of company to be with IMO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allentown%2C_Pennsylvania#Demographics

 

They used to say that when there was a home game at Happy Valley (Penn State's Stadium) that it was populous enough to be the 3rd largest city in Pennsylvania. Guess it'll have to settle for 4th now that Allentown has been growing.

[ctpgr34]

Fencing up around this

[Guest]

Noticed that today.  Workers were removing the trees.  Any news on whether this will get additional floors or a rendering?

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, ctpgr34 said:

Fencing up around this

And no renderings??? 

[thebeerqueer]

14 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

And no renderings??? 

A giant pyramid? 

[mpchicago]

11 minutes ago, thebeerqueer said:

A giant pyramid? 

Funny enough, Steelcase handled that. 

Anyone want to give RDV Corp a ring and ask? 

Wonder if they will have to go before the planning commission? 

[GRDadof3]

Only thing I could find was this in permits:

Temporary occupancy of public right-of-way: sidewalk, parking lane, traffic lane

[MJLO]

I wonder what’s going on with it then.  Typically DeVos projects are very transparent.

[kwl]

Could be related to the movement of Warner Norcross and Judd? Who still occupy the building, correct? I can't imagine major site work being completed until the building is vacated. 

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, kwl said:

Could be related to the movement of Warner Norcross and Judd? Who still occupy the building, correct? I can't imagine major site work being completed until the building is vacated. 

Warner is in the larger 5/3 building, not the one we're discussing. I think the building on Monroe is empty (it sure looked empty when I walked by a couple of weeks ago.

Joe

[GRDadof3]

7 hours ago, kwl said:

Could be related to the movement of Warner Norcross and Judd? Who still occupy the building, correct? I can't imagine major site work being completed until the building is vacated. 

I too would be really surprised that construction work would be beginning already. Some things can be approved by "staff" and not need to go to the full commission but adding floors and increasing the footprint? I don't see that just sailing through. 

[ironyisadeadscene]

On 12/6/2018 at 4:41 PM, Pattmost20 said:

They used to say that when there was a home game at Happy Valley (Penn State's Stadium) that it was populous enough to be the 3rd largest city in Pennsylvania. Guess it'll have to settle for 4th now that Allentown has been growing.

The same is said about Michigan stadium. Makes Ann arbor the second largest in the state.

[MJLO]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

I too would be really surprised that construction work would be beginning already. Some things can be approved by "staff" and not need to go to the full commission but adding floors and increasing the footprint? I don't see that just sailing through. 

Well there’s the chance they might end up not doing much at all to the building and not need a lot of high visibility approval from the city too.  Though that would be depressing haha.

[GRDadof3]

They're going to town on the ground floor on this building. How is that possible with no permits showing on the city's website? Time to contact the city's building dept apparently...

[joeDowntown]

I saw a lot of demolition work the other day.  They’re probably stripping the building down to the bones, which could take a while. 

Joe

[MJLO]

If they are able to move this quick and without notice or fanfare, it makes me think they are doing a cosmetic exterior reno.  Better street level presence, but very little else will change. 

[GRDadof3]

18 minutes ago, MJLO said:

If they are able to move this quick and without notice or fanfare, it makes me think they are doing a cosmetic exterior reno.  Better street level presence, but very little else will change. 

You're probably right, get ride of the "recessed" international style look and run glass all across the first floor.  Probably end up like the Calder Plaza building next door. 

[MJLO]

22 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

You're probably right, get ride of the "recessed" international style look and run glass all across the first floor.  Probably end up like the Calder Plaza building next door. 

Probably some more street level retail/restaurant space?  It would make sense to make it more attractive to their convention goers by making street level presence more walkable and inviting .  It would also be a good deal for the Monroe  corridor with the possibility of the new CAA Hotel across the street.  No love lost from me if they remove the 1960's suburban style bunkers built to keep the vagrants and commoners out.

[mpchicago]

1 hour ago, MJLO said:

If they are able to move this quick and without notice or fanfare, it makes me think they are doing a cosmetic exterior reno.  Better street level presence, but very little else will change. 

From the MiBiz article a few months back. Not sure if their plans have changed, but it sounded like a complete gut in and out:

According to a statement from RDV, design plans will include “extensive exterior renovations,” including a new entrance onto Monroe Avenue, where there is currently no access. It also includes the removal of concrete facade and dark tinted windows for “a more modern design.”

RDV plans to extend the building to the south, as well as reconfigure the rooftop HVAC equipment to allow for the addition of office space to be built on top of the current building.

[GVSUChris]

Ummm...wow...that's quite a change. I don't hate the upper floors, but the ground floor looks like a fortress, which, I suppose is apropos. 

Edited April 2, 2019 by GVSUChris

[Sparty97]

Had to search to find the associated article.  Is there where you grabbed the picture??  

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/rdv-corp-reveals-plans-for-new-downtown-grand-rapids-headquarters

RDV Corp. reveals plans for new downtown Grand Rapids headquarters

By Sydney Smith

GRAND RAPIDS — RDV Corp. is planning a transformation of a former Fifth Third Bank building in downtown Grand Rapids where it announced in December it would move its headquarters.

Plans for the new DeVos family office at 200 Monroe Ave. NW show a new main entrance onto Monroe Avenue and updated exterior. Construction on the 100,000-square-foot office building is slated to begin in June, and site preparation and interior demolition is underway.

RDV Corp., Ottawa Avenue Private Capital and the DeVos family foundations will be based in the facility.

Currently, RDV Corp. and the family foundations are spread throughout downtown Grand Rapids in buildings owned by the family office at 126 Ottawa, 116 Ottawa and 98 Ottawa.

The current concrete facade and dark tinted windows will be replaced with a modern design. A preliminary rendering also shows an extension added to the south of the building and an additional floor atop the building’s five stories.

Built in 1967 by the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, the building was last occupied by Fifth Third Bank. It was built as part of Vandenberg Center, a federal urban renewal project in the 1960s that also led to the construction of the nearby Vandenberg (Calder) Plaza and various government buildings.

Grand Rapids-based Rockford Construction Co. Inc. is the general contractor for the project and AMDG Architects Inc. is the architectural firm. Chicago-based Eastlake Studio is the interior design agency.

MiBiz real estate & development news coverage is supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, offering comprehensive suite of programs and services to support your company needs for continued growth. Visit michiganbusiness.org/pure-partnership for information.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Sparty97