Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments

[GRDadof3]

Its going to be 14 stories, right? I only count about ten.

That is strange. The cross sections shows this:

Level D - UG parking below the "wave" levels, and offices/mechanicals (it appears)

Level C - Ground level of the "wave" level facing Bostwick, also contains a car turnaround and entrance on Bostwick

Level A - 2nd floor of the "wave" level

Level 1 - First floor of the tower, car pickup/dropoff off of Michigan, main entrance and massive lobby, skywalk

Level 2 - Looks like a massive mezzanine level

Levels 3 - 11 - Patient floors (except floors 4 and 10, which are left wide open)

I don't think the horizontal bands on the rendering actually match the floor layout. Ahh, I figured it out. That first floor you see on the rendering above the waves is actually the 3rd floor of the tower. The waves actually extend up above level A to create a courtyard around the tower base. The first two floors of the tower are recessed (sort of international style), with the remaining floors cantilevered over them. Hard to explain.

You can see it better here if you look around the base of the oval tower:

I have a line on the top because there is a smaller floor above that is barely visible.

That first floor you see of the oval tower is actually the third floor of the tower, and 4th floor of the whole project.

A portion of Lemmen Holton is visible too in one of the renderings. I think that will be a sharp looking building.

[tamias6]

I was wondering about the floor count as well. The diagram answers the questions about that quite nicely. Thanks, GRdad.

[RustTown]

The other floors are underground. It's a total of 14 floors (11 above ground, 3 underground).

GRdad, where did you find the two other renderings?

Edited October 18, 2006 by Lmichigan

[CK1]

Time to invest in windex...it will be a full-time job just to keep those waves clean!

Are the waves actually exposed to the elements, or is it a smooth glass wall with the waves tucked safely behind? Also doesn't look like a lot of walking room was left along Michigan Ave...that shaded in character looks to be performing a balancing act.

I really like the bridge and the spire; however, i will have to wait and see the waves in person to form a hopefully less critical opinion of them.

[GRDadof3]

The other floors are underground. It's a total of 14 floors (11 above ground, 3 underground).

GRdad, where did you find the two other renderings?

No, 1 underground floor, 2 floors in the base pedestal (above ground), and 11 floors in the tower.

Found them here.

[Rizzo]

Holy sun catcher, Batman! Imagine the reflections (if any) during the setting sun!

[RustTown]

No, 1 underground floor, 2 floors in the base pedestal, and 11 floors in the tower.

Found them here.

Like emporis, I only count fully above ground floors as above ground, but it doesn't really change much. Again, it's still 14 floors.

[wolverine]

I just couldn't take the distorted renderings anymore. I put one back into real-life perspective.

Ahh, that's better:

[Rizzo]

I just couldn't take the distorted renderings anymore. I put one back into real-life perspective.

Ahh, that's better:

nevermind... good on the adjusted perspective..

Edited October 19, 2006 by Rizzo

[wolverine]

Uh, thanks?

[Rizzo]

Uh, thanks?

I was going to ask if you used the "image plane" trick to adjust the perspective or if you just went into a graphics program and adjusted the perspective manually and cropped it accordingly... but I just said never mind.

[wolverine]

Oh ok. I like to share photoshop techniques though! There's feature in photoshop called Lens Correction. It's found under distortions beneath the filters menu. I then adjusted vertical perspective.

This similar feature can be found in other photo editing progams as well by editing the image plane. This is a cheap way to do architectural photography (where the walls perfectly vertical) instead of investing in a $400 lens.

Edited October 19, 2006 by wolverine

[mpchicago]

Forgive me if this has already been posted, but did we get a final height on this building? It's my understanding that the spire would also consider into the total height as it is apart of the building, right?

[Rizzo]

Oh ok. I like to share photoshop techniques though! There's feature in photoshop called Lens Correction. It's found under distortions beneath the filters menu. I then adjusted vertical perspective.

This similar feature can be found in other photo editing progams as well by editing the image plane. This is a cheap way to do architectural photography (where the walls perfectly vertical) instead of investing in a $400 lens.

Ok I gotchya... I'm not avid in Photoshop, but instead of the 400 dollar lens I just render my scene and then save the output image as a TGA and import the image back into the render. Then what I do is map the image onto a plane that is about the same size as the image. Then from in the view port I adjust the axis rotation of the plane so that I can tip it so that it gives the illusion I am altering the perspective when in fact I'm not... I've never tried it in a Photoshop environment though...

Edited October 19, 2006 by Rizzo

[GRDadof3]

Forgive me if this has already been posted, but did we get a final height on this building? It's my understanding that the spire would also consider into the total height as it is apart of the building, right?

Spire is 300 feet tall. Whether that is considered part of the building height or not depends on who you talk to.

[GRDadof3]

Gotta love activity starting on this now.

[RustTown]

It's just a little bit taller than that at 318", I believe. I haven't been able to find the height of the actual building, though.

[wolverine]

Ok I gotchya... I'm not avid in Photoshop, but instead of the 400 dollar lens I just render my scene and then save the output image as a TGA and import the image back into the render. Then what I do is map the image onto a plane that is about the same size as the image. Then from in the view port I adjust the axis rotation of the plane so that I can tip it so that it gives the illusion I am altering the perspective when in fact I'm not... I've never tried it in a Photoshop environment though...

Actually, your method is probably going to achieve more result since you can alter the plane in any direction. The problem with photoshop is there is actually a limit to how far an image can be distorted.

Haha, sorry everyone I kind of got My bad

[GRDadof3]

MSU Trustees say yes to GR med school

Pretty much more of the same, except this:

Board members want to locate the College of Human Medicine on Michigan Street NE somewhere between College Avenue and the Grand River.

Two locations are being considered: the Michigan Hill Medical Complex being built across from Van Andel Institute, and The Mid Towne Village medical office development near Michigan and College Avenue.

Again I think they're going to surprise everyone by naming a site they haven't "officially" considered yet, in order to keep speculators away. What if it were the Press building site? The Press could lease out office space somewhere else downtown.

[CK1]

MSU Trustees say yes to GR med school

...in order to keep speculators away.

Might be a reason they would chose MidTowne...the land is already purchased by the developer; just have to toss up a building. No need to deal with Joe Blow who holds them hostage for $10mil an acre.

It would be nice to see them located down the hill from the rest of the Mile. Fill in downtown before stretching outward.

[Rizzo]

MSU Trustees say yes to GR med school

Pretty much more of the same, except this:

Board members want to locate the College of Human Medicine on Michigan Street NE somewhere between College Avenue and the Grand River.

Two locations are being considered: the Michigan Hill Medical Complex being built across from Van Andel Institute, and The Mid Towne Village medical office development near Michigan and College Avenue.

Again I think they're going to surprise everyone by naming a site they haven't "officially" considered yet, in order to keep speculators away. What if it were the Press building site? The Press could lease out office space somewhere else downtown.

When I read that I thought of Olds Manor.

[GRDadof3]

Might be a reason they would chose MidTowne...the land is already purchased by the developer; just have to toss up a building. No need to deal with Joe Blow who holds them hostage for $10mil an acre.

It would be nice to see them located down the hill from the rest of the Mile. Fill in downtown before stretching outward.

Nothing against MidTowne Village (other than it's too far from downtown), but I just don't see MSU being thrilled about it. Take a look at the site plan. The building in the lower middle is taken (along Michigan), the building in the upper left is taken (Women's Health Center), and the building in the upper middle is taken (Park Row Condos). I can't imagine MSU would want to be relegated to some back corner spot here. I just don't get it. I think the media just keeps reiterating this location because it was mentioned as a possibility WAY back in the Proof of Concept. MSU has not mentioned this site since. Frankly, I don't want to see it go here. It's a waste of a great opportunity to create some massing along Michigan/Division.

Rizzo, if it's Olds Manor, I'll cry. It would most certainly get torn down, and there is no place to park around it. Moving the post office would take an act of congress (literally).

Let's not forget that the old buildings between Big Apple Bagel and McDonald's also changed hands recently.

[GaryP]

MSU Trustees say yes to GR med school

Pretty much more of the same, except this:

Board members want to locate the College of Human Medicine on Michigan Street NE somewhere between College Avenue and the Grand River.

Two locations are being considered: the Michigan Hill Medical Complex being built across from Van Andel Institute, and The Mid Towne Village medical office development near Michigan and College Avenue.

Mid Towne isn't between the river and College

[mpchicago]

Yes, interesting that they said between the river and College, and not between Division and College. Are they looking at possible sites west of Division? Apparently so, unless those folks in Lansing don't know GR geography very well.

[AlexPKeaton]

If it's on the other side of Division then it isn't "Michigan NE" anymore. Tearing down the Grand Rapids Press would be nice. An adaptive re-use of Olds Manor would be good, but I don't see it happening. I have a hard time seeing MSU go more than a block away from anything if they want to keep within earshot of the hospital and VAI.

-nb