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

[ctpgr34]

http://riverforall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/River-for-All-Reveal-Presentation.pdf

[joeDowntown]

There are some pretty cool concepts. I really like the resurfacing of Coldbrook Creek, and I like what they did with the repurposed water tank

One question about the Fish Ladder. Once they restore the rapids, will the fish need a ladder?

The one frustrating thing I see is in Monroe North. The plans still show the massive power station/grid/thing along the river. I remember working in the Brassworks building many years ago, and one of the selling points of moving in was "oh yeah, they are moving that pretty soon". 

I hope they can beg someone to relocate it / do something different (could it be moved across the street / underground as part of the lot MSU just bought)? 

Would be a shame to have that thing there for the next 50 years.

Joe

[GRDadof3]

7 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

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?

I think that's a perception they're hoping to change. If you swim at the beach at Grand Haven you're swimming in Grand River water.  We swam in the Grand River near Lansing growing up. We wore ratty tennis shoes because sometimes you'd come across broken bottles or fish hooks once in a while. 

I found out today there's actually a really old ordinance against swimming in the Grand River within the city boundaries. But you can fish all you want in it. Strange. 

I also found out there's an expansion of the GR Public Museum in the works, which everyone around me seemed to be surprised to hear. Wonder if that was not for public consumption yet. 

[GRDadof3]

10 hours ago, Pattmost20 said:

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.

 

If you haven't been down to the Chicago Riverwalk, you should check it out. You can drink wine and beer all along the new promenade and watch a ton of boats and kayakers going by. You can even go right down to the river and put your feet in. (Yes you can put your feet in the Chicago River and not die).

[jonrapley]

In my opinion all this new river development is great, but I feel like it's missing the entertainment aspect. Many cities around the world have water side promenades filled with cafe's, bar's and restaurants. Why can't something similar be done here? 

[GRDadof3]

36 minutes ago, jonrapley said:

In my opinion all this new river development is great, but I feel like it's missing the entertainment aspect. Many cities around the world have water side promenades filled with cafe's, bar's and restaurants. Why can't something similar be done here? 

That was talked about a bit yesterday. The city is essentially using the riverfront property as much as they can for greenspace and river accessibility, and then across the street they are hoping for (and it already exists in some areas), the spinoff development of housing, retail, etc.. The one exception would be the water plant site near Ann Street, where they're hoping for a mixed-use project where the fire station now sits, which would have retail on the backside along the river. 

If 201 Market ever gets developed, it would be a good opportunity for what you're talking about. I tried to talk the city into splitting the land just North of I-196 into half parkland and half development parcels, but they basically said I was too late (it had already been paid for by park funds and once something becomes parkland in GR, it takes an act of congress to make it something else), even though they said it seemed like a good idea. 

 

[HavingAhoot]

15 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

If you haven't been down to the Chicago Riverwalk, you should check it out. You can drink wine and beer all along the new promenade and watch a ton of boats and kayakers going by. You can even go right down to the river and put your feet in. (Yes you can put your feet in the Chicago River and not die).

I took the architecture boat tour this summer in Chicago and was really impressed with what they have done with the river. I used to be in chicago every weekend 7-10 years ago and I didn't remember any of this activity. I was a impressive and pleasant surprise with hope that GR could do something similar soon.

[GRDadof3]

8 minutes ago, HavingAhoot said:

I took the architecture boat tour this summer in Chicago and was really impressed with what they have done with the river. I used to be in chicago every weekend 7-10 years ago and I didn't remember any of this activity. I was a impressive and pleasant surprise with hope that GR could do something similar soon.

What's really cool is how you go from the hardscape areas West of Michigan Avenue, to the more softscape trails East of Michigan where kayaking vendors have their shipping containers.  

 

One really cool idea they have for the water storage facility site (by the railroad bridge) is in the low area - marsh by the river, is doing a canopy trail like they just opened in Midland, Michigan. 

https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Longest-canopy-walk-in-the-world-opens-this-12922196.php

 

[GRDadof3]

Was talking with some folks this weekend about this River for All project and the 6 "Opportunity Zones." If you include the Grand River itself and Riverside Park, it would be ONE of the largest recreation areas in the metro area (Millennium Park is the largest I believe, Yankee Springs is up there too), constituting more than 450 connected acres of "parkland."  It would for sure be the largest park in the city of GR. Would it be wise to rename it as a newly named recreation area? Instead of just a loose band of riverfront parks? GRGR Recreation Area (Grand Rapids Grand River).  Just spitballing names...

Or maybe an American Indian name to commemorate the tribes who settled on the river? 

 

 

[GRDadof3]

22 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Was talking with some folks this weekend about this River for All project and the 6 "Opportunity Zones." If you include the Grand River itself and Riverside Park, it would be ONE of the largest recreation areas in the metro area (Millennium Park is the largest I believe, Yankee Springs is up there too), constituting more than 450 connected acres of "parkland."  It would for sure be the largest park in the city of GR. Would it be wise to rename it as a newly named recreation area? Instead of just a loose band of riverfront parks? GRGR Recreation Area (Grand Rapids Grand River).  Just spitballing names...

Or maybe an American Indian name to commemorate the tribes who settled on the river? 

 

 

Crickets. Alrighty then!

[jonrapley]

I don't want to be negative but with so many projects in GR falling through or being downscaled it's hard to get excited about something that isn't scheduled to even start being developed for another few years. 

[wingbert]

On 11/12/2018 at 11:12 AM, GRDadof3 said:

Was talking with some folks this weekend about this River for All project and the 6 "Opportunity Zones." If you include the Grand River itself and Riverside Park, it would be ONE of the largest recreation areas in the metro area (Millennium Park is the largest I believe, Yankee Springs is up there too), constituting more than 450 connected acres of "parkland."  It would for sure be the largest park in the city of GR. Would it be wise to rename it as a newly named recreation area? Instead of just a loose band of riverfront parks? GRGR Recreation Area (Grand Rapids Grand River).  Just spitballing names...

Or maybe an American Indian name to commemorate the tribes who settled on the river? 

 

 

It should be named after Rosa Parks.  Disagree and be a racist.

(Just a commentary on the land mines that come with naming things and the way the whole Rosa Parks Circle thing went down where that was sort-of rammed through regardless of the lack of connection to Grand Rapids or the fact that it went against the wishes of the designer Maya Lin).

Edited November 13, 2018 by wingbert

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, jonrapley said:

I don't want to be negative but with so many projects in GR falling through or being downscaled it's hard to get excited about something that isn't scheduled to even start being developed for another few years. 

The entire "wet work" happening in the river is 3/4's funded now and they're just waiting for permits to get started. The lower reach work (from Bridge St down to Fulton) is supposed to start in 2019 if permits come through. They said it will be a lot like the work that MDOT did with building the artificial land bridges under the 196 bridge except on a massive scale, running almost the entire length. 

The Opportunity Zones are down the road and are proposed to happen as each wet work phase is finished. 

[GR_Urbanist]

4 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Crickets. Alrighty then!

I would hope it is catchy and not something boring, like named after a dead person, or whomever donated a bunch of money to it.

You should see outsiders struggle to pronounce Ah-Nab-Awen, and some folks from Detroit were pretty bemused at the name Rosa Parks Circle when I told them. Monument park definitely occupies the boring category.

 

Aim for something contemporary and insta-iconic like "the High Line" or how the the dutch make it all one word like " Rembrandtpark ".

Edited November 13, 2018 by GR_Urbanist

[HomePortSupplyCo]

22 minutes ago, GR_Urbanist said:

I would hope it is catchy and not something boring, like named after a dead person, or whomever donated a bunch of money to it.

You should see outsiders struggle to pronounce Ah-Nab-Awen, and some folks from Detroit were pretty bemused at the name Rosa Parks Circle when I told them. Monument park definitely occupies the boring category.

 

Aim for something contemporary and insta-iconic like "the High Line" or how the the dutch make it all one word like " Rembrandtpark ".

Riverline.

Simple and descriptive.

[RegalTDP]

28 minutes ago, GR_Urbanist said:

Aim for something contemporary and insta-iconic like "the High Line" or how the the dutch make it all one word like " Rembrandtpark ".

5 minutes ago, Onekama said:

Riverline.

Simple and descriptive.

I like GR_Urbanist's idea of dutchifying it.

"Rivierstroming" (Riverflow)

 

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, RegalTDP said:

I like GR_Urbanist's idea of dutchifying it.

"Rivierstroming" (Riverflow)

 

I like that idea too, a lot. What's the dutch phrase for "lower river valley?" 

 

 

[Paramaribo]

Lower River Valley doesn't translate well into Dutch,  but I'm all for maximizing vowels and word combos.

This has a nice ring to it: "The Ah-Nab-Awen Wandelpad"

[GRDadof3]

14 hours ago, Paramaribo said:

Lower River Valley doesn't translate well into Dutch,  but I'm all for maximizing vowels and word combos.

This has a nice ring to it: "The Ah-Nab-Awen Wandelpad"

Ehhhh lol.

We could get a beer sponsor and it could be "Deschutes De Chute." 

[ProtoSapien]

Bierstad Plaatz

Edited November 14, 2018 by ProtoSapien

[ctpgr34]

Thought since we are talking about parks, this might be a good spot to add this.  It's the finalists for the park signs, you can vote here-https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Shortcut-Content/News-Media/City-invites-public-to-vote-on-park-sign-designs

[mpchicago]

I voted for #5.   Like the clean streamlined design.  Don't think I would use actual wood slats, maybe a composite material? 

[Raildude's dad]

 

4 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Ehhhh lol.

We could get a beer sponsor and it could be "Deschutes De Chute." 

 

3 hours ago, ProtoSapien said:

Bierstad Plaatz

I think "De Rivier Ruikt Vies" has a nice ring to it  

[destijl]

4 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

 

 

I think "De Rivier Ruikt Vies" has a nice ring to it  

"Vies" doesn't translate well though..

[GR_Urbanist]

6 hours ago, mpchicago said:

I voted for #5.   Like the clean streamlined design.  Don't think I would use actual wood slats, maybe a composite material? 

 

I picked #2

It's my wayfinding sign geek side calling me to love this. I love the bold, easy to read typeface and the mix of material (concrete and wood), and a compact profile.

 

#5 was a close 2nd, but it's size may be too big for some of the tiny parks, like Cherry Park.