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GRDadof3

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Photo tour of some of the gems that have survived the wrecking ball.

Van Hoecks Shoes - Corner of Ottawa and Monroe Mall

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Loft conversion at North Monroe and Sixth Street

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Remember "Precious Moments" Dolls here?

The Boardwalk - Berkey and Gay Furniture Factory - North Monroe - 400,000 Sq Ft of Urban Living, complete with two beautiful center courtyards, pub, and other amenities

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American Seating Park - Offices, Lofts, Condos, Apartments, and "The Boss" Restaurant/Bar - Northwest side off of Broadway/Seward

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New "Israels Designs For Living" Location - Furniture Campus on Seward - Northwest Side

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Grand Rapids Furniture Campus - Northwest Side - Seward Ave Area

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Union Square Conversion - Old Union School - Northwest Side (See Union Square Thread)

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"Hang in There" That's Great :D

Peninsular Club - Downtown - Ottawa at Fountain

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Hillmount Apartments Conversion - Cherry Street - Heritage Hill - Coming Soon!(See Hillmount Thread)

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Oakwood Manor Conversion - Cherry Street - Heritage Hill - Coming Soon! (See Hillmount Thread)

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YWCA - Sheldon/St Mary's Hospital Area

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Ladies Literary Club - Sheldon/St Mary's Hospital Area

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St Cecilia's Music Society - Jefferson/Fulton Area

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32 Market - Arena District - Offices

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Old North Boundary - Retail Warehouse Conversion - North Monroe/Plainfield Area at Leonard

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And I threw in a new building that maybe some haven't seen yet:

New Loft Apartments and Retail in Cheshire Village - North Plainfield - Already have two new retail tenants!

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If nobody minds, I'll just keep posting em as I take em. And I swear I am not a mole from the Visitors Bureau :D

Enjoy!

Jeff H.

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The current Grand Rapids Art Museum site, I believe will be absorbed into the rapidly expanding Kendall College of Art & Design/Ferris Campus downtown when the GRAM moves to their new location.

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??

Annex for the Grand Rapids Childrens Museum on Sheldon

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Barristers Building - I've always liked the curb appeal of this one:

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Only problem is that its not taller, and its got that hideous thing in the background :P

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I wish it also didn't have that hideous vehicle in the foreground :unsure: I often wondered what kind of mind-altering drugs the architect was on who designed that building behind it. Is it supposed to be some kind of giant microfiche viewer? :wacko: (Am I showing my age?)

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Another hot and humid summer day:

Arena Area - Cherry Street Landing

44 Grandville - Bistro Bella Vita on first floor - Was actually two buildings up until it was combined during the Van Andel Arena renovation blitz in this area in the late 90's:

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More factory conversions on Ottawa - Next to the Arena:

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Relatively New - EQ3 Furniture - Ionia Ave - Cherry Street Landing

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Old HH Cutler Clothing Mfr Building - Office Renovation - Ionia Ave - Cherry St Landing:

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Design Plus Architecture - Warehouse Conversion - Ionia Ave

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Ionia Street Fair

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The Globe Apartments - Loft Conversion - Ionia Ave

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118 Commerce Ave SW - Cherry Street Landing Area - United Way West Michigan - Total Interior Remodel in late 90's

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Garage Conversion Underway at Commerce and Weston - Anyone know the plans?

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25 Commerce SW - Offices

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38 West Fulton - San Chez (Spanish Tapas) and their new Mezze Cafe on first floor

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Downtown and Monroe Center

50 Louis NW - Offices

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Old Steketees Department Store - Monroe Center - New Location of Blue Cross Blue Shield (which moved from a suburban Cascade location)

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Kendall College of Art & Design/Ferris State University Venture and New Campus - Ionia Ave

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Fountain Street Near Ottawa - Peninsular Club (Right) - Ledyard Building (Center) - Rear of Steketee Building (Left)

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St Marks Church - N Division - (That preacher must be good!) - Actually a guided tour was going through

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Everyone had been here the night before (Tini Bikinis), S. Division:

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Future Artists Lofts - S Division - Part of the Avenue of the Arts Complex - "Cool Cities Initiative"

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As GRCentro and Rizzo can probably attest, after you start shooting, you realize you could go on for months and months cataloging all of these buildings. Almost all of these renovated buildings have happened in the 9 years I have been here. The Arena area and Ionia were burned out moth-balled structures. Now we just need some modern infill and some skyline. We've got the character :D

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For those fans of redevelopment/brownfields/historic preservation, another small sampling (there are many more):

Franklin/Division Area

New construction near Franklin

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Home Repair Services - Non-profit that assists people in the area with construction training - South Division

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Nice art deco ;)

Tillman Commercial Building - S Division

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Cherry Hill/Wealthy/Diamond

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New construction in Wealthy Theatre Area

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Wealthy Theatre District

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Sights Around Cherry Street

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Another Bazzani Project (Heard saws and hammers going)

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Southwest Side

Grandville Avenue Arts Academy

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Loft Factory Conversion to Commercial on Century Ave

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New Custer Office Environments Building

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New Intersection Night Club Location - Live Music

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Seward Ave Area

Aquinas College Child Development Center - Near St. Adalberts

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Wonderful photos, wonderful memories. This proves that you don't have to knock down a city to make it work.

The St. Cecilia Society building is a special gem. My family was associated with that building for over 50 years (my Dad was a musician) and I can say that it is one of the finest recital halls in the country. The acoustics are stunning (as are the stained glass and other 1890s touches.)

It was headed for the scrap heap but for the wonderful efforts of the Royce family and others to preserve it.

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Great tour GRDad. A lot of bricks - one of the reasons I love GR. ;)

Tillman Commercial Building - S Division

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That's the only decent looking structure on Division south of Wealthy. Tillman has a lot of interests in S. Division, some good, but some not so good...

Another Bazzani Project (Heard saws and hammers going)

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I love that little building. Thank you Banzzani!

Aquinas College Child Development Center - Near St. Adalberts

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Wow, I don't ever remember even seeing that building before. It's beautiful. It's been hiding behind St. Adalbert's all my life?!

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^Now owned by Aquinas.

Some recent additions:

Recently Renovated Wealthy Theatre - Wealthy Street

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72 and 206-216 Grandville - Arena Area - Soon to get makeovers

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If you have 56K and/or are getting a lot of X's, just keep refreshing the screen.

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Love the rendering. This block is going to look great. I hope someone renovates the depot (I assume it is a depot) across the street. I always thought that building would make a great indoor/outdoor urban market. Open the Garage doors in the summer, close them in the winter.

Now if you can only get Azzar out of your neighborhood. :) That firestation is too cool to sit there and do nothing.

Joe

Thanks again for posting those.  See renovated version attached, beginning this month and hopefully complete by fall !

Eric

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It was great seeing that Design + has made use of that old freight house on South Ionia. That is probably one of the few remnants of the old Union Station, which was torn down as part of the US 131 construction. Also nice to see that United Way of West Michigan is using the old trolley/bus garage on S. Commerce.

And, oh those brick streets. They really bring back memories. I don't think that brick streets are that common elsewhere.

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And, while we're on the topic of preservation, how about some pictures of one of my favorite downtown building -- the Michigan Trust Building. The first steel-frame "skyscraper" in Michigan, home of Gerry Ford's first office and many other firsts. What a gem, and still going strong after more than 100 years. This building would not have been out of place in the Loop of 1895.

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And, while we're on the topic of preservation, how about some pictures of one of my favorite downtown building -- the Michigan Trust Building.  The first steel-frame "skyscraper" in Michigan, home of Gerry Ford's first office and many other firsts.  What a gem, and still going strong after more than 100 years.  This building would not have been out of place in the Loop of 1895.

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Part of the Trust Building was lovingly renovated again recently:

STANDARD FEDERAL BANK TO CELEBRATE GRAND

OPENING OF NEW WEST MICHIGAN HEADQUARTERS

Photo Opportunity: Standard Federal will cut the ribbon on its newest branch office today in the bank's West Michigan headquarters, the Trust Building. Grand Rapids Mayor John Logie will join top bank officials for the 4:15 p.m. ribbon cutting, followed by the Trust Building grand opening festivities.

GRAND RAPIDS (October 23, 2003) - Standard Federal Bank Group Senior Vice President Dan Terpsma will be joined today by Grand Rapids Mayor John H. Logie, Standard Federal President and CEO Scott K. Heitmann and LaSalle Bank Corporation President and CEO Norman Bobins for the grand opening of the bank's West Michigan headquarters, the Trust Building. Media and top bank customers are invited to attend the event, which will begin with a branch office ribbon cutting at 4:15 p.m.

Located at 40 Pearl Street in downtown Grand Rapids, the Trust Building houses a number of Standard Federal departments, including Commercial Banking, Commercial Real Estate, Asset Based Lending, Business Banking, Private Banking, Investment Management, Personal Trust, Corporate and Institutional Trust, Treasury Management, and Public Funds.

Four floors and 38,000 square feet of the Trust Building were renovated to accommodate Standard Federal, including a full-service retail branch on the main level.

"Standard Federal is happy to call the historic Trust Building home to our West Michigan operations," Dan Terpsma said. "We are proud that the bank helped restore a Grand Rapids landmark while establishing its new West Michigan headquarters in the heart of Grand Rapids' financial district."

Rest of the press release:

http://www.standardfederalbank.com/about/o...randrapids.html

Here is an older photo from the Grand Rapids Library:

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I'll have to get an updated photo. The red brick and stone are stunning.

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Grand Rapids' Michigan Trust Building was originally 10 stories, and was completed in 1891. In 1913 two ten story additions were added, and in 1928 the 11th floor was added, bringing the total height to 154 feet.

Detroit's Hammond Building is regarded as the first steel-framed skyscraper in Michigan. It was completed in 1889 stood 150 feet high and was 10 stories.

Because the Michigan Trust Building did not add the 11th story until 1913, it was never the tallest building in the state.

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And the 11th story is more of an appendage than a full story. I have heard the claim several times that the Trust Building was once the tallest from here to New York. Allan had to steal our thunder... ;)

Joe

Grand Rapids' Michigan Trust Building was originally 10 stories, and was completed in 1891.  In 1913 two ten story additions were added, and in 1928 the 11th floor was added, bringing the total height to 154 feet. 

Detroit's Hammond Building is regarded as the first steel-framed skyscraper in Michigan.  It was completed in 1889 stood 150 feet high and was 10 stories.

Because the Michigan Trust Building did not add the 11th story until 1913, it was never the tallest building in the state.

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Haha. I will try to do some more research and see what I come up with. I give guided tours of Downtown Detroit, and all the info I've ever found says that it was the tallest building in the state upon its completion. Finding anything on the Hammond Building is difficult, since it was only the tallest for a short time. It was topped by the Chamber of Commerce Building in 1895 (160 feet), and then a year later the Chamber of Commerce Building was surpassed by the Majestic Building (222 feet). The Hammond Building was purchased in 1955 by the National Bank of Detroit, and demolished in 1956 to build the bank's new headquarters, a building loathed by many, and known as the "giant cheese grater."

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