Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments

[localtalent]

I was hoping for something more inspired. It seemed like they were trying to push the envelope for a while but somebody reigned them in. I thought Rockwell would come up with something a bit more interesting...

Joe

Not sure Rockwell's even involved any more....

[blueradon]

All I'm going to say is that if it is geographically going to be the tallest thing you'll see in the skyline (or obviously visual for that matter)...they need to get their fingers back to clickin on that mouse and "give us somethin to talk about"

I am disappointed with this rendering...I hope it changes very soon...

The only positive thing I can say about this is I like the curve in the building and I like the fact it has become a little bit taller...but come on let's get creative here...

[egrguy]

something more sleek -- rather then the monolithic nature the building currently has.

[dtown]

whos, a lot of progress since ive last seen this thread. great pics sparky.

[joeDowntown]

Grand Rapids seems to have a knack for hiring well-known architects and then letting them go in the middle of the project (ala GRAM).

Not sure Rockwell's even involved any more....

[beergeek]

So, I like the height, but so much for "more funky". Pretty plain, but should be very impressive up on the hill. Check out the video on Spectrum's site...

http://devoschildrens.org/ContentStore/For...240x180_7MB.mov

Near the end they spin around the building in a computer rendering. Lots of strange buildings in downtown as far as I could tell. I'm assuming some are just stock rendering buildings, but I know how much we like to speculate here.

The rendering does have it towering over the current hospital!

They showed this video during the fundraising drive a few months ago. I doubt very much that is what the real-deal-Holyfield will look like. The little birdie in my ear says the final plans still haven't even been agreed upon. Here's keeping my fingers crossed for something more interesting.

Also, the hospital will be the tallest object in GR when finished (good eyeball job, GRDad).

[sparky05]

Also, the hospital will be the tallest object in GR when finished (good eyeball job, GRDad).

That's nice. It'll be good to see something taller on that side of the skyline (even if it's not actually the tallest building height-wise in GR) instead of having all the tall stuff clustered by the river.

[GRDadof3]

They showed this video during the fundraising drive a few months ago. I doubt very much that is what the real-deal-Holyfield will look like. The little birdie in my ear says the final plans still haven't even been agreed upon. Here's keeping my fingers crossed for something more interesting.

Also, the hospital will be the tallest object in GR when finished (good eyeball job, GRDad).

Thanks beergeek! I noticed the "black glass calatrava" version is now gone from Jonathan Bailey's website and has NOT been replaced yet. Hopefully you're right and we'll see a final version that will really take GR's skyline to a new level.

How will it be the tallest? At 14 floors, even at 280', that would mean its base would have to be at least 100' above RiverHouse's base. Is the hill really that much higher?

[designcritic]

Thanks beergeek! I noticed the "black glass calatrava" version is now gone from Jonathan Bailey's website and has NOT been replaced yet. Hopefully you're right and we'll see a final version that will really take GR's skyline to a new level.

How will it be the tallest? At 14 floors, even at 280', that would mean its base would have to be at least 100' above RiverHouse's base. Is the hill really that much higher?

The sidewalk in front of Riverhouse is 615.

The first floor of Riverhouse is 620.

The Coit street elevation is 747.

I'm not sure of the elevation of the first floor of the HDVCH

Edited August 24, 2006 by designcritic

[Rizzo]

Data in front of me says three of our tallest are on 594' above sea level. Bridge St to Monroe is about this and Medical Mile location is about 702' above sea level. Plaza Tower's is about 345' tall and for the Hospital to appear to be the tallest, it would have to be atleast 237' in height.

Data from Google Earth.

BTW that architect's website is showing Hexom as a Grand Rapids project, where is the childrens hospital link?

Edited August 24, 2006 by Rizzo

[GRDadof3]

The first floor of Riverhouse is 620. The Coit street elevation is 747.

Wow! Thanks for the info designcritic. 147' would mean it only needs to about 244' to be the tallest "object".

BTW that architect's website is showing hexom as a Grand Rapids project, where is the children's hospital link?

That's what I was saying Rizzo. The link and images are gone (probably being updated).

[Rizzo]

So communication tower's don't count

[tamias6]

Here's what I think the new children's hospital should look like. I've included the rest of Spectrum Health Campus and most of the other related buildings on Medical Mile for content. I sure love Sketchup!

Most of the buildings including the new medical complex all have mostly flat roofs. Adding a spire to the Childrens Hospital would place the focal point right on the heart of Medical Mile and would give Spectrum Health a signature landmark.

[Allison Slater]

Looks nice ^^

I doubt they'd build that, but hopefully the final plan shares a similar concept.

[snoogit]

Here's what I think the new children's hospital should look like. I've included the rest of Spectrum Health Campus and most of the other related buildings on Medical Mile for content. I sure love Sketchup!

Most of the buildings including the new medical complex all have mostly flat roofs. Adding a spire to the Childrens Hospital would place the focal point right on the heart of Medical Mile and would give Spectrum Health a signature landmark.

Hospitals usually don't go for signature buildings.

[InSecurity]

Here's what I think the new children's hospital should look like. I've included the rest of Spectrum Health Campus and most of the other related buildings on Medical Mile for content. I sure love Sketchup!

Most of the buildings including the new medical complex all have mostly flat roofs. Adding a spire to the Childrens Hospital would place the focal point right on the heart of Medical Mile and would give Spectrum Health a signature landmark.

The only concern I would have with it is the 'big needle' on top. It would scare the kids.....maybe the top should have a big stuffed animal on it!

[mgreven]

The only concern I would have with it is the 'big needle' on top.

I didn't even notice how much it looks like a giant needle...it scares me now, too!

Thanks for the laugh!

[egrguy]

chop off the needle and i like it!

[tamias6]

chop off the needle and i like it!

How's this?

It did look like a giant needle when I looked at the drawing the day after I did it. So I swaped out the communications tower for roof with an angled top to hide away mechanicals.

[Kayak1]

Looks Like MSU was looking at the RDV Christman site but did not like the location. They are looking at 3 other locations. They are still looking at Design/Bid/Build.

[rleuthueser]

The next level poured will be the first floor of the LHCP. They will be starting the framing for it in a matter of days.

More specifically - there will be about 3 months of hardcore concrete work with embedded steel plate up to 11" thick for the equipment vaults below the first floor of the LHCP. STRUCTURAL STEEL of the the actual pavilion is set for 12/4/06. Then it will start looking like something!

[rleuthueser]

Maybe I missed this, but does this project has an official name yet, or is that something coming down the road?

UNOFFICIALLY - it will be called The Hopewell Centre. totally unofficially, but if it sticks - you heard it here first folks.

[RustTown]

Yes, but from whom?

[rleuthueser]

Well, I did some digging and as of right now, there are no plans to put up a webcam for the construction site for the Lemmen Holton Cancer Pavilion. There could be one for the other site on the west side of the Towers building, but I haven't heard a peep.

Christman has 2 cams in place on the Towers Building mechanical penthouse and have been operating since January. However, they're only accessible from computers tied into Christman's servers. BUT, I'll be more than happy to post the time-lapse composite at the end of the run before the Towers Building is torn down.

[blueradon]

I really didn't like the thought of MSU medical school being in the RDV Christman building...with everything else being built or "proposed" to be built -cough DeVos Children Hospital cough- that does not have decent pedestriability (is that a word?)...basically why does a school want to be in a building on an extremely busy street with no sidewalk attraction...I think if anything the school would move to somewhere where there can be a little green space too and not just a building...just my small 0.02

not to mention being as close as possible to the bars/shopping/etc

Edited September 2, 2006 by blueradon