Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments

[GRDadof3]

That is cool. Does anyone remember exactly where the old brewery (Fox?) building fit in on Michigan Hill? I remember taking note of that historic building back in 1961, for some reason.

I think it was at the Southeast corner of Michigan and Ionia, where that ugly 5 story law office building is now. Actually, it's the building that is holding that webcam for the med school. I guess it does serve some good purpose.

Here's a postcard, and I would guess this a looking South down Ionia. It appears that there is a park on Michigan Street to the left in this photo (where the Division Ave/I-196 overpass mess is now). According to the library, it was five brewing companies merged into one.

[pr sc]

I think it was at the Southeast corner of Michigan and Ionia, where that ugly 5 story law office building is now. Actually, it's the building that is holding that webcam for the med school. I guess it does serve some good purpose.

Here's a postcard, and I would guess this a looking South down Ionia. It appears that there is a park on Michigan Street to the left in this photo (where the Division Ave/I-196 overpass mess is now). According to the library, it was five brewing companies merged into one.

Thanks, Dad. What memories! I think no matter what generation, GR people all seem to be fascinated with the city in which they live! What a place.

[LA Dave]

I think it was at the Southeast corner of Michigan and Ionia, where that ugly 5 story law office building is now. Actually, it's the building that is holding that webcam for the med school. I guess it does serve some good purpose.

Here's a postcard, and I would guess this a looking South down Ionia. It appears that there is a park on Michigan Street to the left in this photo (where the Division Ave/I-196 overpass mess is now). According to the library, it was five brewing companies merged into one.

Dad: My memories are fading, but I seem to recall that the brewery was on the southwest corner of Division and Michigan. In that great postcard, I think that the hill shown is Michigan street, dipping toward the river. Anybody else remember it? The building was torn down in the mid-1960s; I just remember a pile of red brick, the same color as the GRPD headquarters, which were on the same block.

[LA Dave]

Dad: My memories are fading, but I seem to recall that the brewery was on the southwest corner of Division and Michigan. In that great postcard, I think that the hill shown is Michigan street, dipping toward the river. Anybody else remember it? The building was torn down in the mid-1960s; I just remember a pile of red brick, the same color as the GRPD headquarters, which were on the same block.

Well the memory was half-faded -- the brewery was on the southwest corner, but of Michigan and Ionia, as Dad thought. I checked it against an old aerial photograph in the GRPL collection.

[gymguy2k]

This is a great cityscape shot!

Beautiful shot Dad!

[crinzema]

http://oxblue.com/pro/open/christman/msucollegehm

[Raildudes dad]

Dad: My memories are fading, but I seem to recall that the brewery was on the southwest corner of Division and Michigan. In that great postcard, I think that the hill shown is Michigan street, dipping toward the river. Anybody else remember it? The building was torn down in the mid-1960s; I just remember a pile of red brick, the same color as the GRPD headquarters, which were on the same block.

Michigan & Ionia but I believe the building extended all the way to Ottawa or it was 2 buildings. I rode the Eastern/College bus home from Central Christian High School past it for 2 years until "we" got cars to drive. The old PD was gray stone or maybe just real dirty white limestone, just like City Hall. . The interior was painted "institutional green" and was a dump. My buddy & I had our watches stolen (unarmed robbery) behind the Civic Auditorium watching the "new" Hall of Justice being built one summer afternoon. (Mom wasn't happy to find out we rode our bikes DT from Leonard & Diamond area.) My dad took us to the Police Station to report the crime - I remember it being dingy inside & out. The County building was red stone and was on the west side of Ottawa 1 or 2 blocks south of Michigan.

Edited July 30, 2008 by Raildudes dad

[LA Dave]

Michigan & Ionia but I believe the building extended all the way to Ottawa or it was 2 buildings. I rode the Eastern/College bus home from Central Christian High School past it for 2 years until "we" got cars to drive. The old PD was gray stone or maybe just real dirty white limestone, just like City Hall. . The interior was painted "institutional green" and was a dump. My buddy & I had our watches stolen (unarmed robbery) behind the Civic Auditorium watching the "new" Hall of Justice being built one summer afternoon. (Mom wasn't happy to find out we rode our bikes DT from Leonard & Diamond area.) My dad took us to the Police Station to report the crime - I remember it being dingy inside & out. The County building was red stone and was on the west side of Ottawa 1 or 2 blocks south of Michigan.

You are probably right about the color of the PD building -- I don't know why I thought it was red brick. I also remember the "new" Hall of Justice, because the Safety Committee at Riverside Junior High got to tour the Hall, including the cell block, after it was opened. It was too small from the start, but it took 35 years for the State to finally appropriate enough money to get it replaced. I wonder how long it will be before other buildings in Vandenberg Center (does anyone still call it that?) get torn down and replaced.

Do you remember the old County Jail? It was a real Victorian monstrosity, down by the Greyhound Station off of Market.

[Eridony]

Not the best pespective, but we haven't had many pictures of the Van Andel Institute lately.

[Eridony]

Last week:

[GRDadof3]

Nice shots as always eridony! I discovered today the church expansion is further along than I thought:

[Eridony]

Nice shots as always eridony! I discovered today the church expansion is further along than I thought:

Thank you! I took pictures of the church expansion yesterday but I'm very far behind on editing all the pictures I take so I'm glad you were able to post that.

I wish someone had set up a camera facing that church years ago and made a time-lapse video of it. Every single thing around it is new. The oldest neighbor it has is the first phase of the VIA and when was that built? Sometime in the 90s I'm guessing?

[Allison Slater]

I don't even remember seeing anything above ground there. That shot up fast. Also glad they've gone to matching windows instead of the former 60s square uglydows.

Will it be cased in matching brick I hope?

[fotoman311]

A single shot from tonight's PedalGR ride. More to come from all over downtown and Heritage Hill later on the PedalGR blog ( http://www.pedalgr.com ). You can look at ALL the recent photos in photostream if your bored though.

Our semi-recumbent tandem (thanks to Veloise for putting us in touch with its former owners) puts Amy in a tandem position up front so she has her hands free to take photographs like this one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/2740602050/

[Fitz]

There are some construction photos on the church website. This page http://wwww.immanuellcmsgr.org/photos.asp?...&s=category has pictures looking out from VAI.

Fitz

[GRDadof3]

Thank you! I took pictures of the church expansion yesterday but I'm very far behind on editing all the pictures I take so I'm glad you were able to post that.

I wish someone had set up a camera facing that church years ago and made a time-lapse video of it. Every single thing around it is new. The oldest neighbor it has is the first phase of the VIA and when was that built? Sometime in the 90s I'm guessing?

2000 is when it opened. I wish I had some photos from back then.

Here are some old shots from a few years ago. Anyone remember this old parking ramp:

or this (bye bye Burger King):

[Eridony]

I moved here just after this time. In August 2006 this was a hole but it wasn't down to it's full depth yet.

[crinzema]

I Finally got a camera of my own. I plan to take many pictures of these construction projects downtown when I go to GRCC this fall.

Edited August 12, 2008 by crinzema

[GRDadof3]

Thanks crinzema. You reminded me I haven't gotten a shot of the HDVCH lately. It's getting pretty big, and you can see the rising elevator towers from over on the West Side.

I imagine they're going to have to raise that crane a couple of sections?

[Avocado]

Two from this evening:

[MuskeMI]

HDVCH update:

The podium base, Levels D, C and A are close to the last cement pour. The elevator shear walls are set to pour up to Level 5. Structural steel has been manufactured thru Level 11 and roof structure is in manufacturing. The three-dimensional heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems are in development. Installation of the sewer, plumbing, electrical and wall systems has started on Levels D, C and A.

[GRDadof3]

HDVCH update:

The podium base, Levels D, C and A are close to the last cement pour. The elevator shear walls are set to pour up to Level 5. Structural steel has been manufactured thru Level 11 and roof structure is in manufacturing. The three-dimensional heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems are in development. Installation of the sewer, plumbing, electrical and wall systems has started on Levels D, C and A.

Thanks MuskeMI! What are "elevator shear walls"?

[MuskeMI]

Thanks MuskeMI! What are "elevator shear walls"?

I thought you were the expert!

Google sez: "[An] Elevator shaft is a typical example of a shear wall. Retaining wall as a whole structure tend to rely a lot on gravity and soil resistance to properly function compared to shear wall. Think of shear wall as multiples of columns placed next to one another continously. They acts as stiffeners apart from carrying load they resist lateral drifts of a building."

[GRDadof3]

I thought you were the expert!

Google sez: "[An] Elevator shaft is a typical example of a shear wall. Retaining wall as a whole structure tend to rely a lot on gravity and soil resistance to properly function compared to shear wall. Think of shear wall as multiples of columns placed next to one another continously. They acts as stiffeners apart from carrying load they resist lateral drifts of a building."

No, I only play one on TV.

The reason I ask is that it looks like the elevators shafts are already up to level 7 or 8, and you mentioned they were set to pour the shear walls up to floor 5. I was just curious what the difference was.

[Gorath]

Shear walls stiffen a structure from lateral forces, such as wind or earthquakes. Concrete or concrete block walls can be used as a shear wall. Or in steel frame construction diagonal braces can be used, usually going from floor to floor forming a large X. When you have a lot of glass on the exterior theses large steel X