The Grand River?! You mean GR has a River?

[joeDowntown]

New plans being shown tomorrow. It’s amazing how huge this project is. I didn’t realize they were building an “Adjustable Hydraulic System”. Also cool to see development all the way from Ann street to Market.  And 9400 ft of whitewater. Wow. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/03/group_to_present_river_restora.html#incart_river_mobile_index

Joe

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

New plans being shown tomorrow. It’s amazing how huge this project is. I didn’t realize they were building an “Adjustable Hydraulic System”. Also cool to see development all the way from Ann street to Market.  And 9400 ft of whitewater. Wow. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/03/group_to_present_river_restora.html#incart_river_mobile_index

Joe

It is massive, can't believe we're going to see it happen before I'm old and gray.    I think just the  work alone in the river is going to draw specatators. 

[Allison Slater]

I love that it includes daylighting a small portion of Coldbrook Creek. I'm -really- excited about that!

[mpchicago]

10 hours ago, tSlater said:

I love that it includes daylighting a small portion of Coldbrook Creek. I'm -really- excited about that!

It appears they also want to repurpose the city water building, remove the fire station, and city garages for mixed-use development at Monroe and Leonard as well.   That's news to me!

Edited March 14, 2018 by mpchicago

[joeDowntown]

On 3/13/2018 at 10:03 PM, tSlater said:

I love that it includes daylighting a small portion of Coldbrook Creek. I'm -really- excited about that!

That is great. It’s terrible that I didn’t even know coldbrook creek was “a thing”.

[EastownLeo]

10 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

That is great. It’s terrible that I didn’t even know coldbrook creek was “a thing”.

http://fygr.tumblr.com/post/9089245513/coldbrook-this-runs-above-ground-in-wilcox-park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coldbrook_Creek_(Michigan)

Edited March 15, 2018 by EastownLeo

[RegalTDP]

We used to have a thread on it too: 

 

 

[GRDadof3]

8 hours ago, RegalTDP said:

We used to have a thread on it too: 

 

 

 

Is this where Coldbrook Creek comes out currently? 

 

[EastownLeo]

12 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

Is this where Coldbrook Creek comes out currently? 

 

Yes I think so.

[WMrapids]

Phases 1 and 2 of the river project have the possibility to be done by 2025.

Phase 1 includes the relocation and protection of wildlife between Fulton and 196. This could possibly be done by 2022.

Phase 2 stretches from 6th Street to 196. This includes the construction of a mechanical dam and the removal of the 6th Street dam.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/rapid-restoration-project-could-be-done-by-2025/1368949776

[Chester Cheeto]

I believe this idea has been floated around on this topic before:

https://fox17online.com/2018/10/24/proposal-would-allow-you-to-boat-from-lake-michigan-to-gr/

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, mielsonwheels said:

I believe this idea has been floated around on this topic before:

https://fox17online.com/2018/10/24/proposal-would-allow-you-to-boat-from-lake-michigan-to-gr/

Get it? Floated?

[Chester Cheeto]

14 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Get it? Floated?

I see what I did there.  

[GRDadof3]

More details are out that Dan Hibma is behind this, the Grandville Castle guy. 

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/10/powerboat_links_from_grand_rap.html

[Pattmost20]

4 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

More details are out that Dan Hibma is behind this, the Grandville Castle guy. 

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/10/powerboat_links_from_grand_rap.html

I think Roger Lucas, Dan Hibma's partner at Land & Co, is more behind the Castle. But I was just telling my co-worker they might want to put a marina in that lake by the castle and put a channel to the river if this goes through.

[WMrapids]

The DNR study said there would be buoys placed in the river and that it would allow access to boats of about 30 feet, though nothing like yachts or sailboats. The initial estimated cost is a little over $2 million and $165,000 annually for dredging and buoy removal.

There are still a lot of studies needed, the DNR study hasn’t even measured bridge and foundation locations. The boat size is quite limited too, though I guess it’s an option for someone who wants to burn gas going slow down the river. It would raise the property values of those sitting on the river quite a bit though. I’m on the fence for this one.

https://issuu.com/attilabokor/docs/grand_river_dredge_study_final_wapp

Edited October 26, 2018 by WMrapids

[GRDadof3]

4 hours ago, Pattmost20 said:

I think Roger Lucas, Dan Hibma's partner at Land & Co, is more behind the Castle. But I was just telling my co-worker they might want to put a marina in that lake by the castle and put a channel to the river if this goes through.

That'd be tricky getting under the highway. 

I'm for it but that's a really long no-wake zone. At 50' wide you're not really going to be able to open a boat up at all. Most of the Great Lakes channels like Holland, Grand Haven, etc.. are 250' + wide and they're still no-wake. 

[GRDadof3]

Looks like the city is going to acquire land owned by the Michigan DNR along the Grand River between Ann and Leonard on the East bank of the river (by the old Baker furniture building and the railroad bridge). 

The city was going to lease the land from the DNR to build and maintain a trail but decided to just purchase it instead.  The goal (obviously) is to eventually connect the downtown riverfront trail to White Pine Trail and beyond. 

http://grandrapidscitymi.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=3759&Inline=True

 

[Pattmost20]

7 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Looks like the city is going to acquire land owned by the Michigan DNR along the Grand River between Ann and Leonard on the East bank of the river (by the old Baker furniture building and the railroad bridge). 

The city was going to lease the land from the DNR to build and maintain a trail but decided to just purchase it instead.  The goal (obviously) is to eventually connect the downtown riverfront trail to White Pine Trail and beyond. 

http://grandrapidscitymi.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=3759&Inline=True

 

I always thought the idea of connecting the Riverfront Trail to White Pine (and ideally Millenium Park/Kent Trails) is a great idea. If they could connect up with the North Country trail, that would be incredible.

[Raildude's dad]

From the Riverfront Trail  to the Riverside Park Trail  requires a user to utilize Monroe from Leonard to Ann, then west to the river.  Follow the Riverside Park trail to North Park St then west to US 131. North is the White Pine Trail . The North County trail uses the WP from Rockford to Cedar Springs.

Back to Ann St. Go west on Ann and follow the signs to the Seward Connector which gets you to Kent Trails and Millennium Park. 

I think they are connected already

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

From the Riverfront Trail  to the Riverside Park Trail  requires a user to utilize Monroe from Leonard to Ann, then west to the river.  Follow the Riverside Park trail to North Park St then west to US 131. North is the White Pine Trail . The North County trail uses the WP from Rockford to Cedar Springs.

Back to Ann St. Go west on Ann and follow the signs to the Seward Connector which gets you to Kent Trails and Millennium Park. 

I think they are connected already

I think the city is trying to connect them without users having to go out to Monroe and back, and to extend the riverfront parks. 

 

[GRDadof3]

Headed to the River For All luncheon today where they're unveiling final concepts and plans for the 6 "opportunity sites" along the revitalized Grand River. Anyone else going? All 200 seats sold out pretty quickly I guess. 

A sneak peak.

[GRDadof3]

 

On 3/15/2018 at 8:46 PM, GRDadof3 said:

 

Is this where Coldbrook Creek comes out currently? 

 

 

Updated plan of the "daylighting" of Coldbrook Creek. They did something similar in downtown Kalamazoo about 20 years ago with Arcadia Creek, which had been buried for over 100 years. This is on a much smaller scale obviously. 

[Pattmost20]

27 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Headed to the River For All luncheon today where they're unveiling final concepts and plans for the 6 "opportunity sites" along the revitalized Grand River. Anyone else going? All 200 seats sold out pretty quickly I guess. 

A sneak peak.

Looks great! Reminds me of the big open river front parks in Lyon, France with the steps down to the river (wouldn't hurt to take a cue from them and allow beer and wine, heck even Kent county parks allows it in the summer).

I'm excited to see what they have drawn up for the rest of the opportunity sites.

[GR_Urbanist]

That looks very ambitious! I cant imagine anyone wanting to swim in the Grand River.

 

As for the Coldbrook Creek project, I wonder where they plan on moving the existing fire station at the corner of Leonard and Monroe for the mixed-used building?