Wealthy Street Mega Thread

[GRDadof3]

Here's some luv for the guys at Urban Pharm:

[Rhino6885]

Here's some luv for the guys at Urban Pharm

Thanks Dad

She'll be getting a face lift come spring time. Having Brick Road next door is killing my diet.

[GR Jackson]

Thanks Dad

She'll be getting a face lift come spring time. Having Brick Road next door is killing my diet.

You like the lunch buffet too? I stuff myself a couple of times a week.

[belive_in_waffles]

I would have loved to see it become some sort of outdoor cafe / diner, with the lot next to it bricked over for the outdoor patio/eating area

This building absolutely gets under my skin every time I go to the bakery. It is poorly maintained and I have never seen anyone actually go into any of the places there nor would I think they would want to. It's a dump that needs to be bought out. It would make a nice neighborhood grocery store. The contrast between the clean, and lively Wealthy street bakery across the street with this dead and creepy place is just stunning.

Honestly, other than the Bakery, and a handful of shops nearby, the western part of the Wealthy Street District is in serious need of better tenants and businesses. It still has a very run down feel as you can see from the pictures. It has just as much potential as the Eastern part of the district, it just hasnt caught fire (not literally, I hope) as the rest of the uptown area.

this building is really amazing, the store front on the west side of the building was a restraunt with an awesome court yard out back. i have heard rumors of a pool hall in the past but i never saw it, inside it has a pool table and and old jukebox full of motown classics, in the center is a small family run stor the wife works there and tends to give credit to the locals who come up short now and then. (she gave me baby food and milk a few times) and on the east side used to be a record shop. the family who owns it has owned since before the wealthy st riots in the 60s, they own the house accross the street and will until they die.

part of what we often forget is that wealthy is changing and although some feel its for the better, there are those that will miss the old wealthy st. its where i grew up and with all the improvements it has began to force out the people who lived there, at one time eastown and wealthy where the cheapest places to live, thats what created the environment that bred creative forces, pwoplw could afford to live there. alot of the smaller stores where homes to crazy little furnture shops, because it was cheap and large, the houses huge and drafty became three and four bed room homes that lower working class people could afford to raise there kids in. now im old and i have my 5 kids and i only wish i could afford the houses around wealthy.

[GR Jackson]

this building is really amazing, the store front on the west side of the building was a restraunt with an awesome court yard out back. i have heard rumors of a pool hall in the past but i never saw it, inside it has a pool table and and old jukebox full of motown classics, in the center is a small family run stor the wife works there and tends to give credit to the locals who come up short now and then. (she gave me baby food and milk a few times) and on the east side used to be a record shop. the family who owns it has owned since before the wealthy st riots in the 60s, they own the house accross the street and will until they die.

part of what we often forget is that wealthy is changing and although some feel its for the better, there are those that will miss the old wealthy st. its where i grew up and with all the improvements it has began to force out the people who lived there, at one time eastown and wealthy where the cheapest places to live, thats what created the environment that bred creative forces, pwoplw could afford to live there. alot of the smaller stores where homes to crazy little furnture shops, because it was cheap and large, the houses huge and drafty became three and four bed room homes that lower working class people could afford to raise there kids in. now im old and i have my 5 kids and i only wish i could afford the houses around wealthy.

It depends on where you are looking to buy homes around Wealthy. In this market you could probably get a good deal.

[Rhino6885]

You like the lunch buffet too? I stuff myself a couple of times a week.

If a pizza has apples on it, it must be healthy

[mpchicago]

this building is really amazing, the store front on the west side of the building was a restraunt with an awesome court yard out back. i have heard rumors of a pool hall in the past but i never saw it, inside it has a pool table and and old jukebox full of motown classics, in the center is a small family run stor the wife works there and tends to give credit to the locals who come up short now and then. (she gave me baby food and milk a few times) and on the east side used to be a record shop. the family who owns it has owned since before the wealthy st riots in the 60s, they own the house accross the street and will until they die.

It's a great building - maybe they could get a facade improvement grant?

[plee30]

This project at 632-636 Wealthy got its Ren Zone extension, but only for the ground floor and not for the upstairs residential portion. The new city policy on Ren Zone extensions greatly favors job creation and not new living units.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ss...sioners_ok.html

I spoke with this developer yesterday and his feelings toward the Ren Zone extension was mixed. He was only given an extension for 1/2 the project, the lower floor retail, and not the upstairs residential. As a result, he said he's weighing his options at this point, but the redevelopment project is not going forward.

[walker]

This building absolutely gets under my skin every time I go to the bakery. It is poorly maintained and I have never seen anyone actually go into any of the places there nor would I think they would want to. It's a dump that needs to be bought out. It would make a nice neighborhood grocery store. The contrast between the clean, and lively Wealthy street bakery across the street with this dead and creepy place is just stunning.

this building is really amazing, the store front on the west side of the building was a restraunt with an awesome court yard out back. i have heard rumors of a pool hall in the past but i never saw it, inside it has a pool table and and old jukebox full of motown classics, in the center is a small family run stor the wife works there and tends to give credit to the locals who come up short now and then. (she gave me baby food and milk a few times) and on the east side used to be a record shop. the family who owns it has owned since before the wealthy st riots in the 60s, they own the house accross the street and will until they die.

Here's a link to a picture from the assessor's office of what the building looked like in 1936. Looks like there was a restaurant on the east side of the building back then.

http://www.viget.org/images/8/88/619-27wealthysec.jpg

Edited December 4, 2008 by walker

[Nitro]

Here's a link to a picture from the assessor's office of what the building looked like in 1936. Looks like there was a restaurant on the east side of the building back then.

Hmmm interesting. The middle bay was once a Dry Cleaners. This one might be a brownfield candidate.

[GRDadof3]

This project at 632-636 Wealthy got its Ren Zone extension, but only for the ground floor and not for the upstairs residential portion. The new city policy on Ren Zone extensions greatly favors job creation and not new living units.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ss...sioners_ok.html

Project is dead. The City Commission declined to renew the Ren Zone for the entire building, just the ground floor retail portion. The developer says he needs the Ren Zone for the residential portion as well to make it a go.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/business/inde...ion_reject.html

This is a direct result of the city's new policy against extending Ren Zone for residential units (you might remember Jon Rooks efforts to rehabilitate the massive warehouse by 131 that sorta started the new policy).

[gvsusean]

I dont understand this decision... Why wouldn't they extend the credits?

[GRDadof3]

I dont understand this decision... Why wouldn't they extend the credits?

Because the current city commission has decided that Ren Zone incentives for new residents downtown are not needed as much as new jobs are. That the downtown housing market has matured enough to not need tax breaks anymore (this was a few years ago). In order for a project to qualify, it can only be 40% residential max. I have to say that when this policy was amended, it had a tinge of class envy attached to it (why should downtown residents get tax benefits when surrounding neighborhood residents do not?)

[GR Jackson]

Project is dead. The City Commission declined to renew the Ren Zone for the entire building, just the ground floor retail portion. The developer says he needs the Ren Zone for the residential portion as well to make it a go.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/business/inde...ion_reject.html

This is a direct result of the city's new policy against extending Ren Zone for residential units (you might remember Jon Rooks efforts to rehabilitate the massive warehouse by 131 that sorta started the new policy).

Seems like Lenn from Wealthy at Charles did some straight talk. He doesn't mince words here, good for him.

[Mark Miller]

As far as 632-636 Wealthy is concerned, this project was a go before this decision occurred. The develop had his HPC approvals and his Planning Commission approvals. They even had a couple of possible tenants lined up. He had completed most of his due dilligence.

It is not like he "might do the project", he was definately going to do it and now because of essentially a political message, the plug seems to be pulled. This decision is more about sending a message to a few specific property owners on this street rather than anything else.

It is unfortunate because now if the building is indeed "boarded up" it does absolutely nothing in continuing the ressurgance of this neighborhood and the building's physical structure continues to decline.

Lenn at Wealthy and Charles sums it up wonderfully. Half-assed decision.

[GRDadof3]

Project is dead. The City Commission declined to renew the Ren Zone for the entire building, just the ground floor retail portion. The developer says he needs the Ren Zone for the residential portion as well to make it a go.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/business/inde...ion_reject.html

This is a direct result of the city's new policy against extending Ren Zone for residential units (you might remember Jon Rooks efforts to rehabilitate the massive warehouse by 131 that sorta started the new policy).

632-636 Wealthy Project and Ren Zone extension is back on the city docket for tomorrow. Not sure what the plan is.

[fotoman311]

632-636 Wealthy Project and Ren Zone extension is back on the city docket for tomorrow. Not sure what the plan is.

Hmm, maybe I can voice my support for this as well as the Uptown CID.

[GRDadof3]

Hmm, maybe I can voice my support for this as well as the Uptown CID.

I'm curious to hear if they are going to just give the Ren Zone extension to the retail portion, and the developer is ready to go ahead (like what was granted in December?). Or if they are going to give a waiver of the new city policy and granting an extension to the residential portion as well.

[Veloise]

This was on tonight's CC agenda; it was passed unanimously. Sounded to me as though the previous vote/decision was based on a quirk in Robert's Rules. This was not explained thoroughly, but when they called the question to approve extending the credits to the residential portion, it passed.

Urban Planet: your best source for breaking development news!

[fotoman311]

This was on tonight's CC agenda; it was passed unanimously. Sounded to me as though the previous vote/decision was based on a quirk in Robert's Rules. This was not explained thoroughly, but when they called the question to approve extending the credits to the residential portion, it passed.

Urban Planet: your best source for breaking development news!

Yes, Mr. LaGrand also stated that the developer had clarified the sources of his financing and provided a better timeline in which the work would take place.

[GR_Urbanist]

So are you guys saying that project is now back on?

[Veloise]

So are you guys saying that project is now back on?

We're just the roving reporters. However, if the project continuing hinged on including the residential portion in the Ren Zone status, that happened last night.

[GRDadof3]

This was on tonight's CC agenda; it was passed unanimously. Sounded to me as though the previous vote/decision was based on a quirk in Robert's Rules. This was not explained thoroughly, but when they called the question to approve extending the credits to the residential portion, it passed.

Urban Planet: your best source for breaking development news!

Hmm. So does this mean other residential projects proposed for Ren Zones might qualify for an extension?

[Prankster]

Hmm. So does this mean other residential projects proposed for Ren Zones might qualify for an extension?

All of them that do not involve Jon Rooks.

[GR Jackson]

While I am very proud of all the improvement on Wealthy St. over the last couple of years, I do believe that it still needs some help. It costs the same to build/renovate a building there as anywhere else, but the lease rates aren't as high as others (East Grand Rapids for example). If you try to do a pass through on the taxes people will balk at the lease rate, or you have to substantially lower you asking price. When you place the tax burden on Wealthy St. projects the numbers stop adding up. It will still be awhile before Wealthy is attractive to developers without the Ren. Zone.