COMMITTEE FOR THE PLANNING OF A WORLD-CLASS DT

[metrogrkid]

Now that the majority of summer's seduction to BS is over, it's time for the COMMITTEE FOR THE PLANNING OF A WORLD-CLASS DOWNTOWN (PWCD) to finally convene around our PROJECT NEXT I: the opportunities for a proposal to redevelop the airspace above the National City Center / Amway Grand Plaza Ramp / McGraw-Hill Building / Skywalk Corridor (between Pearl Street and Louis Campau Promenade) into a world-class mixed-use atrium with entertainment, housing, restaurant and retail uses. It is the intent of such a proposal to show a best-case scenario for taking advantage of all the considerable skywalk pedestrian traffic that will be moving through this area on treks between VanAndel Arena, DeVos Place, Plaza Towers, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and the upcoming new Marriott Marquis tower.

This concept was voted on as the PROJECT NEXT by the former METROPOLITAN CENTER STEERING COMMITTEE (now the PWCD Committee) at the conclusion and submission of the Metro Center Proposal earlier this year (see "Metropolitan Center Final Report" thread). For all those interested who are not yet a part of this committee and would like to be, please forward your name, email address and phone number to "[email protected]" by September 1, 2005. A revamped launch date for the first PROJECT NEXT I PWCD meeting will be announced soon thereafter.

Onward we go, toward the Coriscanti GR we all know we can be . . . .

[GRDadof3]

I had to look up the word Coriscanti I wasn't part of the first meeting, but it's strange, I was just thinking the other day how that two story portion of that building is such a waste.

[GRDadof3]

metrogrkid, this sounds interesting,

A couple of questions:

What is the intended goal of this mission?

Do you have financial backing or investors?

Have you spoken with the owners of the National City Building?

Do you know of any plans for the current parking ramp that serves the Amway Grand?

I love your energy, keep it up

[joeDowntown]

Everyone get involved in this, the last project came out fantastic and I think this one could be a real eye opener!

Joe

metrogrkid, this sounds interesting,

A couple of questions:

What is the intended goal of this mission?

Do you have financial backing or investors?

Have you spoken with the owners of the National City Building?

Do you know of any plans for the current parking ramp that serves the Amway Grand?

I love your energy, keep it up 

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[GRDadof3]

That was this one from the Fulton/Division City Centre Ramp project back in May, correct?

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...opic=11422&st=0

I'll do what I can to help. And then maybe we can propose something for the old Custer Office Environments site

[Josh]

That was this one from the Fulton/Division City Centre Ramp project back in May, correct?

Right, Metropolitan Center was the first project.

I would encourage anyone here interested to get involved. Who knows what can be accomplished with this many people, resources, and creative brainpower. This next project should be interesting.

[GRDadof3]

My mind is already throwing some ideas around. We really need to make Louis Campau Promenade more pedestrian friendly. And as someone mentioned, we don't want it to be parking ramp row down there on Campau with the new Hotel ramp, and poor Z's all by itself . Here is a shot of the building on Emporis for those unfamiliar:

http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=300425

I am thinking something like Denver Pavilions, on a little smaller scale :

http://www.denverpavilions.com/photo.htm

[joeDowntown]

Macatawa bank is redoing that building and consolidating offices after the Art Museum is up. They make their buildings look really nice. I expect good things from this project.

Joe

That was this one from the Fulton/Division City Centre Ramp project back in May, correct?

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...opic=11422&st=0

I'll do what I can to help.  And then maybe we can propose something for the old Custer Office Environments site 

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[metrogrkid]

Everyone get involved in this, the last project came out fantastic and I think this one could be a real eye opener!

Joe

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Get used to this folks. This is how Joe does - leave it to him to say exactly the right thing when it's needed most.

NOW LISTEN TO HIM AND JOIN THE TEAM!!

-Metrogrkid

[metrogrkid]

I am thinking something like Denver Pavilions, on a little smaller scale

[GRDadof3]

Dad:

DON'T DO THAT TO ME!!!!  Don't even play like that about "smaller-scale"  .  We need to hammer home "world-class scale" at every opportunity.  That Denver Pavilions development you showed is EXACTLY the type of scale and type of development that PROJECT NEXT I should emulate.

Kudos on your eye!  Keep it up (BUT ALWAYS THINK BIG!).

-Metrogrkid

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Sorry metrogrkid I was only thinking of footprint restrictions, not height. I'm with ya. I can even bring the before photos

Insert World Class Entertainment Complex Here

(Pardon my poor photoshop skills)

[metrogrkid]

Sorry metrogrkid

[GRDadof3]

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!!    I knew you could do it, Dad.

Now, the airspace horizontal footprint of the site may be small, but vertically . . . . hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  .  What to put in the our plan - what indeed?

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Well, to overcome the horizontal footprint challenges, we could always span our building OVER Monroe Avenue toward the Southwest corner of the park in front of the new Art Museum, and TIE the building and skywalk/entertainment complex/mall into the Art Museum (and maybe diminish its brutalistic look a bit). Then you're talking 20 - 30,000 sq ft per floor x ???? floors.....hmmmmm

[Rizzo]

Sometimes Metrogrkid i think you should apply for grants or something so we can get this stuff built.

[GRDadof3]

Now combine all of these elements, and we'll be smokin! Whatever gets planned has to include a multi-screen movie theater (that serves beer and wine)>>>>>

[OneSweetWorld]

if i can get in on this -- we need something at least 30- 40 floors. 50-60 would be sweeeeeeeeeeeet but yeah..not gonna happen. it should definatly have an underground parking garage, becuase we dont need any more freaking parking garages here.

[GRDadof3]

Yah, I haven't heard anything about a meeting date yet. I wonder if MBEI is tied up with Hurricane Katrina stuff? I already have some ideas. I definitely think angling that building out over and across Monroe so that it is parallel to Campau Plaza and Monroe Center will almost triple the footprint, and give it a distinctive Y shape. And the new section over Monroe Avenue (in a nice semi-transparent glass/brick trim look) will be perfectly situated to give a mirrored image of the Ledyard Building (above Tre Cugini) when you look at it down Monroe from the convention center area B) You know how we all love the mirrored image of McKay on the National City Building. Why not do it some more

Plus, they need to move the skywalk so that it wraps to the front of National City, and gives visitors a nicer view of downtown and Rosa Parks Circle.

[Rizzo]

We should all get together so that I can build this stuff in an AutoCad program... I think we would be able to cook up some very nice renderings.

[metrogrkid]

Yah, I haven't heard anything about a meeting date yet.  I wonder if MBEI is tied up with Hurricane Katrina stuff?  I already have some ideas.  I definitely think angling that building out over and across Monroe so that it is parallel to Campau Plaza and Monroe Center will almost triple the footprint, and give it a distinctive Y shape.  And the new section over Monroe Avenue (in a nice semi-transparent glass/brick trim look) will be perfectly situated to give a mirrored image of the Ledyard Building (above Tre Cugini) when you look at it down Monroe from the convention center area  B)  You know how we all love the mirrored image of McKay on the National City Building.  Why not do it some more 

Plus, they need to move the skywalk so that it wraps to the front of National City, and gives visitors a nicer view of downtown and Rosa Parks Circle.

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Dad:

YOU GUESSED IT. MBEI is indeed in the middle of putting together a system to be a clearinghouse for data pertaining to jobs, schools and housing for the thousands of people that are on their way in from New Orleans from the Katrina aftermath. MBEI must ensure that the New Orleans culture of these people, the majority of which are of African-descent, will not be eradicated (READ: wasted or ignored) but instead highlighted and merged into the great "salad bowl" of culture that we at MBEI know needs to be a primary tool and cornerstone for Metro GR becoming truly world-class.

Your ideas for PROJECT NEXT I are truly exciting. I will be putting together an email for the registered PWCD committee members and getting it out tomorrow (9/7/05). It will contain a set of alternate dates for the committee to vote on within 24-hours of the email's transmission.

Onward we go . . . . ,

Metrogrkid

[GRDadof3]

Dad:

YOU GUESSED IT.  MBEI is indeed in the middle of putting together a system to be a clearinghouse for data pertaining to jobs, schools and housing for the thousands of people that are on their way in from New Orleans from the Katrina aftermath.  MBEI must ensure that the New Orleans culture of these people, the majority of which are of African-descent, will not be eradicated (READ: wasted or ignored) but instead highlighted and merged into the great "salad bowl" of culture that we at MBEI know needs to be a primary tool and cornerstone for Metro GR becoming truly world-class.

Metrogrkid

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That's awesome! I keep reading articles about International Aid (based locally) that has taken truckloads of supplies down there, and there are STILL small towns in Mississippi and Louisiana that have not seen any disaster relief yet. The old YMCA on the West side has been set up to receive up to 500 people, as well as the Seidman Center. If you want to donate anything other than money, The Red Cross is asking people to drop off toiletries, diapers, clothes (New Orleans residents probably do not have cold-weather clothes, and may be here for 9 months or longer), and bedding to the CRWRC at 2853 Kalamazoo Ave (across from Meijer). We went to Costco today and loaded up on diapers and wipes (I know all about that stuff), and plan to drop off baby stuff that my kids don't use anymore tomorrow