Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments

[Veloise]

Riding home yesterday evening, I had a fascinating conversation with a security guard stationed at Michigan and The Former Habitrail Site. Seems three peds have been injured trying to cross Michigan since the bridge came down. He's out there for another three weeks serving as a crossing guard. (!!!)

Doesn't Traffic have flashing lights or portable STOP signs? Does Harry have a decoy car? This is unconscionable, IMHO.

Edited December 29, 2006 by Veloise

[GRDadof3]

Still looks a lot like Sparky's picture in post #329. A few trucks scattered around, a few "workers" standing around and not doing much of anything... There's some concrete derbis piles you can see on the "A" level but still no real obviously visible progress.

Thanks beergeek. I went by it today and nothing yet.

That is pretty bad Veloise.

[beergeek]

Small update for everybody...Tentative opening date for Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion is now July 2008. Radiation Oncology will be the first group going live in the new center with the rest of the services trickling in afterwards. Around this time or shortly before, all of the Blodgett's oncology services will be moved to Butterworth, making 5South and then 5North dedicated oncology units (remember, the new Pavilion will not have inpatient rooms) and leaving Blodgett with no oncology services.

[tamias6]

I wonder if Spectrum will do away with Blogget of if they are changing it roll?

Small update for everybody...Tentative opening date for Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion is now July 2008. Radiation Oncology will be the first group going live in the new center with the rest of the services trickling in afterwards. Around this time or shortly before, all of the Blodgett's oncology services will be moved to Butterworth, making 5South and then 5North dedicated oncology units (remember, the new Pavilion will not have inpatient rooms) and leaving Blodgett with no oncology services.

[MJLO]

I wonder if Spectrum will do away with Blogget

I seriously doubt it. They may be consolidating services to the downtown campus, which allows for streamlining of operating costs, and provides a bigger focus on the Butterworth Campus in terms of making it an internationally renown hospital. However Spectrum downtown already claims the busiest emergency room in the state of Michigan, doing away with Blodgett would only create a bigger hospital bed shortage than already exists, and tax the ER beyond capacity. They are just realligning facilities concentrating efforts.

[GRDadof3]

We have breach.

[torgo]

Good catch grdad! Does anyone know if we get another tower crane at this site?

[GRDadof3]

Good catch grdad! Does anyone know if we get another tower crane at this site?

With the Children's Hospital at close to 300 feet tall, I'd say that's affirmative. I'm going to guess that VAI Phase II will also have one. So at some point, there may be as many as six tower cranes just working on the hill.

[sparky05]

I love the smell of demolition in the morning. Smells like.... concrete dust.

[tamias6]

Wow! We're going to get another tower crane over the Children's Hospital site once construction starts. We have all the others across the street working on Medical Towers and the new Cancer Center. Then by the time construction starts on the Children's Hospital, we'll see yet another tower crane hovering over River House. Then there are the tower cranes over the new GRAM and the J.W. Mariott Added to that are all the smaller cranes lending a helping hand on all the construction sites. With all of these cranes everywhere, the GR skyline is starting to resemble the construction sites in Dubai.

[beergeek]

We have breach.

Criminy, I was just going to post something about this but I see I've been beat to the punch. Nice pics, Dad.

Still no visible changes from Michigan St, but hoo-boy is Bostwick a mess now. 1 lane total.

Here's a stupid question: since this is a LEED building, is the concrete recycled at all?

[Kayak1]

For Sure. Even if it is not a LEED project Pitsch will recycle the concrete. It cheaper to recycle than it is to put it in a landfill.

[GRDadof3]

Hey, look at all the cranes.

Work started on the vehicle turnaround:

The ramp into the underground parking garage:

The walk of death

Anyone seen this rendering (sans skywalk)?

[john_denver]

wow, talk about nice weather for all these workers!!

They must be loving it!

[GRDadof3]

It's interesting the spin they are putting on this parking lot. Gateway to VAI?

I don't know how I feel about them removing the steps from Crescent Park. Though it would be nice if they put a little effort in to revitalizing the park. Putting a fountain back would be a nice touch.

Making way for the "gateway" (parking lot).

Pitsch has got to be the busiest contractor in town. Since they do demolition, I haven't decided if that's good or bad.

[GRDadof3]

Criminy, I was just going to post something about this but I see I've been beat to the punch. Nice pics, Dad.

Out with the old, in with the new.

[sparky05]

What exactly does one do to recycle concrete?

[john_denver]

It's amazing what a transformation this city is going through!!

Buildings are being knocked down left and right!!!!

So far I think the majority of them knocked down have been for the good.

[JimInGR]

wow, talk about nice weather for all these workers!!

They must be loving it!

I wonder if the weather is putting them ahead of schedule, since the concrete will dry and harden quicker? By now they probably expected the site to be covered by snow.

[Nitro]

What exactly does one do to recycle concrete?

On a construction site concrete is separated from other general refuse and put into a separate dumpster (usually a 10yd can or less, concrete weighs a lot). The hauler can then take it to Pitsch or several other places in the area that take used concrete. Pitch, et. al, crush up the old concrete and sell it as sub-base for parking lots and other uses.

Drive west on 96 from Plainfield toward Alpine and look to the north. You'll see a pile of old concrete that looks like a mountain. That's Pitch's concrete recycling yard.

[Kayak1]

In some instances they use the crushed concrete as aggregate in the new concrete.

[Nitro]

I wonder if the weather is putting them ahead of schedule, since the concrete will dry and harden quicker?

Not exactly Jim. Concrete takes 28 days to reach its maximum design strength regardless of temperature (unless you use a Type III Hi-Early cement in the concrete mix). If concrete freezes in its saturated state before it reaches its design strength you've got all kinds of problems.

The only advantage the warm weather brings is that they do not have to protect the concrete with heat blankets and other warming methods.

[GRDadof3]

I was trying to figure out the significance of the checkerboard pattern of this steel section, but I think I have it figured out.

It looks like there will be outdoor patio/terraces on the 3rd and fifth floors, and the steel sections shown would be the decorative roof over the patios. Anyone know for sure?

New rendering (patios being the two dark lines (shadows) to the left):

This is the old rendering, where the patios are shown on the 2nd and 6th floors:

That will offer a tremendous view of the Children's Hospital, VAI and Michigan St.

[andrew.w]

I was trying to figure out the significance of the checkerboard pattern of this steel section, but I think I have it figured out.

...

It looks like there will be outdoor patio/terraces on the 3rd and fifth floors, and the steel sections shown would be the decorative roof over the patios. Anyone know for sure?

...

That's what I figured they were, and it seems to make sence. If we are correct it looks like a slight design change has been made since the newest rendering as the patio "roofs" (they may be open?) now extend a third of the way over the roof below where in the rendering they only cover the terraces.

BTW, that newest rendering is really hard on the eyes. someone needed to put a nice thick profile outline around the stepped section so that we can actually see that part against the rest of the tower.

[GRDadof3]

That's what I figured they were, and it seems to make sence. If we are correct it looks like a slight design change has been made since the newest rendering as the patio "roofs" (they may be open?) now extend a third of the way over the roof below where in the rendering they only cover the terraces.

BTW, that newest rendering is really hard on the eyes. someone needed to put a nice thick profile outline around the stepped section so that we can actually see that part against the rest of the tower.

You're right Andrew. That rendering is horrible. I've looked for a better one, but the only one I've seen was in a special downtown development issue of MiBiz that was out last summer. I should see if I can get a back-issue of it.

They needed to outline the "step-down" better. And the rendering doesn't show very well the nice concave glass effect on the East side of the building (circled):

It's going to be a VERY sharp looking building IMO.