New Aquarium Proposal

[joeDowntown]

Might as well start a thread for this so it doesn’t bounce across multiple topics:

They are dreaming big. Shedd aquarium size  

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/grand-rapids-aquarium-could-happen-in-5-to-10-years/
 

Joe

[Cookin_peacocks]

11 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Might as well start a thread for this so it doesn’t bounce across multiple topics:

They are dreaming big. Shedd aquarium size  

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/grand-rapids-aquarium-could-happen-in-5-to-10-years/
 

Joe

As a guy who loves aquariums, yes please

[droonus2000]

I absolutely support this. I think every large city in the Great Lakes area should have some kind of aquarium. Teach people about the underwater world around us. Ideally,  I would have replaced the current zoo with an aquarium after the people voted to move it by Meijer Gardens. 

[HavingAhoot]

I always thought the City Water Building would make a wonderful aquarium building.  I know this isn't the location they are thinking but this building is too nice to not be enjoyed in a better way. Belle Isle has a cool aquarium that is in a awesome building.

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, HavingAhoot said:

I always thought the City Water Building would make a wonderful aquarium building.  I know this isn't the location they are thinking but this building is too nice to not be enjoyed in a better way. Belle Isle has a cool aquarium that is in a awesome building.

That would be cool. Peaking in the windows, that building seems pretty wide open and could probably be retrofitted, roof raised, etc. Plus, a lot of space off the back to add on. They're also going to uncover (recover?) some of coldbrook creek right in this area. Might be a great tie in. I still bet they'll build it at the zoo (if the can squeeze it in). I can see where there would be a lot of benefits of having zoo personnel / infrastructure w/ a new aquarium.

Joe

[cstonesparty]

I don't see any way the Peter Carlberg/John Ball Neighborhood association folks are gonna see the space carved out of the JBZ/Park for this...  

[thebeerqueer]

19 minutes ago, cstonesparty said:

I don't see any way the Peter Carlberg/John Ball Neighborhood association folks are gonna see the space carved out of the JBZ/Park for this...  

Spot. On. 

[GRDadof3]

5 hours ago, HavingAhoot said:

I always thought the City Water Building would make a wonderful aquarium building.  I know this isn't the location they are thinking but this building is too nice to not be enjoyed in a better way. Belle Isle has a cool aquarium that is in a awesome building.

I love this idea. 

[wingbert]

On 3/1/2021 at 1:59 PM, cstonesparty said:

I don't see any way the Peter Carlberg/John Ball Neighborhood association folks are gonna see the space carved out of the JBZ/Park for this...  

JB Neighborhood Association motto:  

“Quicquid Id Est Nobis Oderunt Eam”

(Whatever It Is, We Hate It)

[Guest]

On 3/1/2021 at 8:59 AM, HavingAhoot said:

I always thought the City Water Building would make a wonderful aquarium building.  I know this isn't the location they are thinking but this building is too nice to not be enjoyed in a better way. Belle Isle has a cool aquarium that is in a awesome building.

It might be a little small for aquarium, but I have no idea.  I always thought this building would make a great even space.

[gvsusean]

10 minutes ago, Floyd_Z said:

It might be a little small for aquarium, but I have no idea.  I always thought this building would make a great even space.

Is that the old Museum? I miss that place still to this day...

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, gvsusean said:

Is that the old Museum? I miss that place still to this day...

its the old coldbrook water station

[RegalTDP]

For any who are interested, here's a shot of the Coldbrook Pumping Station, dated 1911 (year it was built): http://www.historygrandrapids.org/architecture/799/coldbrook-pumping-station-and-

Here's a shot of the inside layout: http://www.historygrandrapids.org/photo/237/coldbrook-pumping-station

Here's the old pumping station (that this building replaced in 1911): https://www.facebook.com/CityofGrandRapids/photos/a.349475128433764/2008023772578883/?type=3

Edited March 3, 2021 by RegalTDP

[joeDowntown]

1 hour ago, RegalTDP said:

For any who are interested, here's a shot of the Coldbrook Pumping Station, dated 1911 (year it was built): http://www.historygrandrapids.org/architecture/799/coldbrook-pumping-station-and-

Here's a shot of the inside layout: http://www.historygrandrapids.org/photo/237/coldbrook-pumping-station

Here's the old pumping station (that this building replaced in 1911): https://www.facebook.com/CityofGrandRapids/photos/a.349475128433764/2008023772578883/?type=3

Cool photos. They got their facts a bit wrong (Sixth Street bridge would be in the other direction. Has to be the Ann Street Bridge (or a bridge that is gone))?

Joe

[RegalTDP]

15 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

Cool photos. They got their facts a bit wrong (Sixth Street bridge would be in the other direction. Has to be the Ann Street Bridge (or a bridge that is gone))?

Joe

Oh good catch. That's actually Leonard Street Bridge.

[GR_Urbanist]

5 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

It might be a little small for aquarium, but I have no idea.  I always thought this building would make a great even space.

I thought that it would be too small as well. But look at the overhead view of the area on Google Maps, there is potentially a ton of room for an aquarium of a respectable size in this part of N. Monroe. And it is just a far more appropriate location than at the zoo, being next to a wide part of the Grand River.

Imagine red as the initial aquarium, with the old water works integrated as the grand entrance. Yellow being space for the parking structure, with a skywalk bridge over Monroe. The upper floors of the garage, where the bridge would be, could hold more display space or administrative offices. This idea leaves the firehouse along  Leonard as-is, although it can easily extend into that space by building a new station.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by GR_Urbanist

[gvsusean]

2 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

I thought that it would be too small as well. But look at the overhead view of the area on Google Maps, there is potentially a ton of room for an aquarium of a respectable size in this part of N. Monroe. And it is just a far more appropriate location than at the zoo, being next to a wide part of the Grand River.

Imagine red as the initial aquarium, with the old water works integrated as the grand entrance. Yellow being space for the parking structure, with a skywalk bridge over Monroe. The upper floors of the garage, where the bridge would be, could hold more display space or administrative offices. This idea leaves the firehouse along  Leonard as-is, although it can easily extend into that space by building a new station.

 

 

Why not expand it over the river partially with a glass floor to see into the river?

[WMrapids]

On 3/3/2021 at 6:48 PM, GR_Urbanist said:

I thought that it would be too small as well. But look at the overhead view of the area on Google Maps, there is potentially a ton of room for an aquarium of a respectable size in this part of N. Monroe. And it is just a far more appropriate location than at the zoo, being next to a wide part of the Grand River.

Imagine red as the initial aquarium, with the old water works integrated as the grand entrance. Yellow being space for the parking structure, with a skywalk bridge over Monroe. The upper floors of the garage, where the bridge would be, could hold more display space or administrative offices. This idea leaves the firehouse along  Leonard as-is, although it can easily extend into that space by building a new station.

 

 

The parcel in red is slightly below 5 acres, half the size of the Shedd Aquarium’s 10 acres (which they said they want this new aquarium to be the size of). Not sure entirely sure of this, but it is preferred to have aquariums built at ground level or lower without having windows as it requires less strain on the structure and also keeps the aquarium environment more healthy (less algae growth, etc.) Given this, it is highly unlikely that there would be a multi-level aquarium built here as the complications and cost would be too tremendous either way; more stress on the structure adding upward and more instability expanding downward adjacent to the river.

So, the next question I have is where do we have about 10 acres laying around for an aquarium?

[HomePortSupplyCo]

Looks like the Shedd building would fit in that spot actually.  The building alone is more like 5 acres.

[HomePortSupplyCo]

[cstonesparty]

3 minutes ago, Onekama said:

A few years ago along the riverbank, towards GVSU and the museum, there were issues with former gypsum mines and subsidence of the surface.  Anyone know the extent of those mines?  Is this area a potential problem for either aquarium, soccer stadium, etc?  

[Raildude's dad]

There are gypsum mines under a lot of the west side and downtown. Not all the shafts and levels are mapped There was gypsum mining out by 44th & East Paris until a few years ago. It's all the same formation. Downtown the bedrock isn't very deep. It is water soluble thus the voids under the DeVos some years ago. A geologic  investigation is needed for every large building downtown.

And why do we need an aquarium in Grand Rapids? We took our kids toShedd years ago. My wife said the trip on Amtrak was nice, the aquarium ok but no desire to return.  And why does the city need to build a soccer stadium?  The Whitecaps stadium is privately built and owned. 

[Pattmost20]

2 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

And why does the city need to build a soccer stadium?  The Whitecaps stadium is privately built and owned. 

The Whitecaps stadium does not work for soccer. They tried it twice and it had no atmosphere. 

[joeDowntown]

1 hour ago, Pattmost20 said:

The Whitecaps stadium does not work for soccer. They tried it twice and it had no atmosphere. 

It was terrible. Soccer doesn’t fit in the whitecaps stadium. Seats end up being REALLY far away, the turf they put over part of the in field pulls up. First time they tried it, I saw a player actually slide under the turf. LOL. It was horrible to watch. Wish it would have worked, but it doesn’t. 

Joe

[GR_Urbanist]

An aquarium seems like a natural (heh) expansion of the offerings we have at the zoo and Meijer Gardens. So it could make sense. Likely if nothing else fits for it, it will be added to the latter since the zoo has no space.

I do agree that a dedicated soccer stadium is just really kind of out there right now. It's silly that nothing can be worked out with Houseman Feild that would be good for both sides so that can be the home of a team. Could Belknap Park do without the baseball diamonds behind the Griffins Icehouse, and one be developed there?

Edited March 7, 2021 by GR_Urbanist