Proposed Downtown Amphitheater

[joeDowntown]

They’re still exploring building an amphitheater (and soccer stadium) and 401 Market is in play. So is the Charley’s Crab property. 
 

I think 401 Market would be the perfect spot (if noise problems from the expressway aren’t a problem), as I sketched out in a post above ^^.

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2020/10/plans-for-concert-amphitheater-in-grand-rapids-still-under-consideration.html

Joe

[GRDadof3]

I don't know if this necessarily has anything to do with the downtown amphitheater (and it may not even be the right property) but it looks like there's equipment on site to tear down Charley's Crab (finally!). Is it a precursor for things to come? 

I didn't really know where else I should post this news.

[grandrollerz]

Not sure there is anything new in this report but Amphitheater is mentioned again: https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2022/02/12-transformational-projects-identified-by-grand-rapids-economic-development-group.html but interesting to read in a single article.

[GRDadof3]

54 minutes ago, grandrollerz said:

Not sure there is anything new in this report but Amphitheater is mentioned again: https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2022/02/12-transformational-projects-identified-by-grand-rapids-economic-development-group.html but interesting to read in a single article.

I saw that "list of 12 projects"mentioned in an article yesterday and went looking for it. Looks like Mlive had the same idea. 

It was originally in the City's agenda back in Sept 2021 but I don't recall any mention back then (?)

http://grandrapidscitymi.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=4701&Inline=True

Starts on page 20.

[WMrapids]

13 minutes ago, cstonesparty said:

interesting part is here: https://www.woodtv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2022/03/Snapshot-134384-1.pdf

At 201 Market. So, it looks like we aren’t getting this?

[GRDadof3]

9 hours ago, WMrapids said:

At 201 Market. So, it looks like we aren’t getting this?

Apparently not. Although I'm betting the Market/Fulton site will get some kind of development project soon. 

[Guest]

Isn't the massive sanitary sewer still under the Fulton/Market project?  I thought the project to relocate the entire stretch came in way over the engineer's estimate so they scrapped that portion?

[droonus2000]

I’ve been wondering why there are a few construction vehicles parked next to the 131 north on-ramp for the last week. I can’t tell if they are doing something or just parked on vacant land. I thought maybe preparation for a groundbreaking announcement. Who doesn’t want to hope this is getting started?

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, droonus2000 said:

I’ve been wondering why there are a few construction vehicles parked next to the 131 north on-ramp for the last week. I can’t tell if they are doing something or just parked on vacant land. I thought maybe preparation for a groundbreaking announcement. Who doesn’t want to hope this is getting started?

I thought they were there to (finally) tear down Charley's Crab, but they've been there for a while. 

1 hour ago, Floyd_Z said:

Isn't the massive sanitary sewer still under the Fulton/Market project?  I thought the project to relocate the entire stretch came in way over the engineer's estimate so they scrapped that portion?

Do you have a link for that or is that insider knowledge? 

[VectorPrime]

6 hours ago, droonus2000 said:

I’ve been wondering why there are a few construction vehicles parked next to the 131 north on-ramp for the last week. I can’t tell if they are doing something or just parked on vacant land. I thought maybe preparation for a groundbreaking announcement. Who doesn’t want to hope this is getting started?

Those are for the Market/Fulton reconstruction project that starts tomorrow.

[cstonesparty]

8 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

Isn't the massive sanitary sewer still under the Fulton/Market project?  I thought the project to relocate the entire stretch came in way over the engineer's estimate so they scrapped that portion?

in the pdf linked: 

"The action to move forward to exercise the option is based on significant due diligence by the partners and the up-front investment together in the relocation of the Market Avenue Trunk Sewer that will be completed in mid-2022."

[GRDadof3]

15 hours ago, VectorPrime said:

Those are for the Market/Fulton reconstruction project that starts tomorrow.

Is that to move the sewer line off the Market/Fulton parcel? 

[joeDowntown]

It will be interesting to see if they announce any of the additional development proposals on Tuesday in conjunction with the purchase? I know that a couple people from the County asked why they couldn't do it in Sparta or a few other places. I wonder if they'll try to present a good case for it being downtown by teasing some of the proposed investments (it's one thing to say 1500-1700 housing units, etc. It would say a whole lot more by discussing specifics)?

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

It will be interesting to see if they announce any of the additional development proposals on Tuesday in conjunction with the purchase? I know that a couple people from the County asked why they couldn't do it in Sparta or a few other places. I wonder if they'll try to present a good case for it being downtown by teasing some of the proposed investments (it's one thing to say 1500-1700 housing units, etc. It would say a whole lot more by discussing specifics)?

In relation to that, now that 201 Market will for sure be the site of the amphitheater, are we basically back to this Grand Action plan for both sites? Or do we think there'll be a clearer vision released tomorrow? With everyone at the city and Grand Action not commenting to the press today, I wonder if they're going to reveal a big surprise? *hopes*

[Guest]

5 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Is that to move the sewer line off the Market/Fulton parcel? 

Yes.  I was mistaken.  They just split it up into two sections for two different construction seasons.  The entire intersection is blocked off and Market is blocked off down to almost 131, right where they finished up last year.

[joeDowntown]

The city approved the sale today. WOOD-TV had a slightly clearer "courtesy rendering" of the amphitheater. I'm sure this is just for scale, but I hope the final design is a bit more interesting.

 

[Cookin_peacocks]

I really hope this comes with auxiliary development. 

[GRDadof3]

35 minutes ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

I really hope this comes with auxiliary development. 

They keep saying 1500 - 1700 housing units will most likely be built on 201 Market. 

[Herefortherumors]

Understood that this is a “courtesy rendering”, but this still appears to be north of 131. Far right would be 131. The little tan building in the top right corner appears to be 213 Oakes St Sw and the triangle parking lot to the left of that little tan building looks like the 90 Market lot. Confused because this isn’t 201 Market, but maybe this is just an old rendering from when the plot north of 131 was being considered for the amphitheater?

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, Herefortherumors said:

Understood that this is a “courtesy rendering”, but this still appears to be north of 131. Far right would be 131. The little tan building in the top right corner appears to be 213 Oakes St Sw and the triangle parking lot to the left of that little tan building looks like the 90 Market lot. Confused because this isn’t 201 Market, but maybe this is just an old rendering from when the plot north of 131 was being considered for the amphitheater?

Agreed. it's just a cleaner version of the Grand Action rendering, with the amphitheater north of 131. I think a courtesy rendering is just being thrown around. 

With Grand Action 2.0 and CAA involved, this is it. It will be the biggest project in downtown GR history and very likely to come to fruition. 

[WMrapids]

5 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

They keep saying 1500 - 1700 housing units will most likely be built on 201 Market. 

The Sligh development is 700 units, with about 450 of those being MICROunits.

That’s a TON of units to be built on a site that’s supposed to fit an amphitheater…

[joeDowntown]

7 hours ago, WMrapids said:

The Sligh development is 700 units, with about 450 of those being MICROunits.

That’s a TON of units to be built on a site that’s supposed to fit an amphitheater…

Have they specifically said on the 201 Market site? I always assumed when talking about economic impact and secondary developments they were talking on and adjacent to the site. It’s pretty much assumed that the Fulton/Market/Charley’s Crab lot will be developed, and I’m sure that is part of the 1500-1700 unit estimate. 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

8 hours ago, WMrapids said:

The Sligh development is 700 units, with about 450 of those being MICROunits.

That’s a TON of units to be built on a site that’s supposed to fit an amphitheater…

If you use the Grand Action rendering of the amphitheater on the Charley's Crab lot, it appears to go to right around Weston, with several towers on the Market/Fulton corner.

That's labeled in red on my little diagram below.

If you use the same scale for the amphitheater on the 201 Market lot (in blue), it would only take up about 1/2 the property. Plenty of room for other development/parks/retail/etc.

The Sligh development site is not even half as large as 201 Market (in green). Plus those warehouses are only 5 and 6 stories tall. 

201 Market is HUGE. It would take up more than the entire block that includes the convention center and Amway Grand hotel. 

 

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

Have they specifically said on the 201 Market site? I always assumed when talking about economic impact and secondary developments they were talking on and adjacent to the site. It’s pretty much assumed that the Fulton/Market/Charley’s Crab lot will be developed, and I’m sure that is part of the 1500-1700 unit estimate. 

Joe

I concede that they probably do mean 1500 - 1700 units between the two parcels. Even as ambitious as Flaherty & Collins proposal was, it was only 696 residential units and 100,000 SF of retail.  To get 200 - 250 units in one building is a very large residential building (20 stories or more). Studio Park's new tower is just under 200 units. 

[GRDadof3]

Wishful thinking but I hope when this amphitheater kicks off in a few years (and it will seem like a MASSIVE project right next to the s-curve), I hope that we see simultaneous developments on some of the rest of 201 Market and at Market and Fulton. Have our own version of Water Street in Tampa (which has been fun to see rise over the last few years from previously vacant lots and parking lots). Let's GOOOO!!!!! GR!!!