Celebration Village Part Duh!

[GRDadof3]

I received a flyer in my mailbox regarding the new development at Knapp & E Beltline by Evergreen Properties. I'm afraid it looks an awful lot like Celebration Village The flyer shows a site plan that is horrible, with a 16 - 40' block retaining wall on the back side of the property facing the backs of the homes on Dunnigan (to the East). There is a hearing scheduled for the 27th for the development and whether the Master Plan should be rezoned.

As the flyer indicates, the Master Plan (E. Beltline overlay) was developed by thousands of people in Grand Rapids, GR Township, and Plainfield Township to ensure a smooth mix of residential, office and retail in a walkable "Sub-Regional Center". That corner is meant for medium to high-density residential. This development doesn't even come close. I wish I could post it, but it is 11 x 17 and the quality is not very good.

Here is the current Master Plan

http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?binobjid=1623

Here is some more info:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss...0900.xml&coll=6

Again, the hearing is the 27th, 300 Monroe (City Hall). If you had anything to do with the current Master Plan, you may want to attend.

Here is my favorite line from the Press article:

"The first building expected to be built at the Village at Knapp's Crossing is a suburban-style Walgreen's drug store surrounded by parking at the corner out lot."

[joeDowntown]

I have to see the renderings and the retail mix before I pass judgement. I can guarantee there will be no medium density residential on that corner unless it is apartment living (and that always ends in disaster).

Once I see the real plans, I'll pass judgement. It can't be any worse than that albatross they built at celebration cinema. The thing is a big concrete box. What in the hell was Reminga thinking about with that facade? He seems like a talented guy but he totally botched that project!

Joe

[GR_Urbanist]

"The first building expected to be built at the Village at Knapp's Crossing is a suburban-style Walgreen's drug store surrounded by parking at the corner out lot."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is it really a susprise to anyone that these "lifestyle centers" have turned out to be nothing but dressed up strip-mall sprawl? If these guys wanted to created a walkable retail/residental "village", they could have used a number of places within the city to do a quality infill project.

But then again, where would the 700 space parking lot go?

[torgo]

I received a flyer in my mailbox regarding the new development at Knapp & E Beltline by Evergreen Properties.  I'm afraid it looks an awful lot like Celebration Village    The flyer shows a site plan that is horrible, with a 16 - 40' block retaining wall on the back side of the property facing the backs of the homes on Dunnigan (to the East).  There is a hearing scheduled for the 27th for the development and whether the Master Plan should be rezoned.

As the flyer indicates, the Master Plan (E. Beltline overlay) was developed by thousands of people in Grand Rapids, GR Township, and Plainfield Township to ensure a smooth mix of residential, office and retail in a walkable "Sub-Regional Center".  That corner is meant for medium to high-density residential.  This development doesn't even come close.  I wish I could post it, but it is 11 x 17 and the quality is not very good. 

Here is the current Master Plan

http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?binobjid=1623

Here is some more info:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss...0900.xml&coll=6

Again, the hearing is the 27th, 300 Monroe (City Hall).  If you had anything to do with the current Master Plan, you may want to attend.

Here is my favorite line from the Press article:

"The first building expected to be built at the Village at Knapp's Crossing is a suburban-style Walgreen's drug store surrounded by parking at the corner out lot."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If the rezoning request doesn't meet the spirit or intent of the master plan, then there is a chance to derail the project if it is really that bad, and it sounds like it is. All that crap kinda looks the same.

[publius]

The folks from Evergreen seem to be completely unscrupulous...

They launched a petition drive in GR township to derail a proposed township project at 3 mile and beltline that is in conformity with the master plan (and which they believe will take business away from their albatross at knapp and beltine)...

The petition was to strip GR township of the right to do this type of zoning in this area. Because the wording was misleading and the petitioners were unscrupulous, the petition received enough signatures to be forced on the GR township ballot. Everyone is scrambling in GR township to try to educate folks that this ballot proposal represents a heavyhanded developer trying to thwart years-long community based planning, zoning, etc... The delay and confusion this all caused of course also plays into Evergreen's tawdry and soiled hands...

In the meantime they are trying to strong-arm their own non-conforming project through the planning commission...

These guys are unscrupulous shysters in every respect--

I hope they get shot down, and the GR planning commission will see them for what they are--I am sure GR township officials have communicated their displeasure, and the Press has been good about coverage..

I also hope the GR township citizens get educated enough to save the right of the township to continue the type of protective zoning at 3mile and beltline that is IN CONFORMITY with the masterplan.

I can't express enough my utter contempt at these folks and their heavyhanded tactics...

[GRDadof3]

The folks from Evergreen seem to be completely unscrupulous...

They launched a petition drive in GR township to derail a proposed township project at 3 mile and beltline that is in conformity with the master plan (and which they believe will take business away from their albatross at knapp and beltine)...

The petition was to strip GR township of the right to do this type of zoning in this area.  Because the wording was misleading and the petitioners were unscrupulous, the petition received enough signatures to be forced on the GR township ballot.  Everyone is scrambling in GR township to try to educate folks that this ballot proposal represents a heavyhanded developer trying to thwart years-long community based planning, zoning, etc...  The delay and confusion this all caused of course also plays into Evergreen's tawdry and soiled hands...

In the meantime they are trying to strong-arm their own non-conforming project through the planning commission...

These guys are unscrupulous shysters in every respect--

I hope they get shot down, and the GR planning commission will see them for what they are--I am sure GR township officials have communicated their displeasure, and the Press has been good about coverage..

I also hope the GR township citizens get educated enough to save the right of the township to continue the type of protective zoning at 3mile and beltline that is IN CONFORMITY with the masterplan.

I can't express enough my utter contempt at these folks and their heavyhanded tactics...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said, brotha! I wish I could have expressed my utter frustration better. Regardless of whether the medium to high-density residential is condos or apartments, that is what was CAREFULLY crafted by THOUSANDS of Grand Rapids, Plainfield Twp, and GR Twp residents. With the sole purpose of making it a true mixed use area so that it does not become another sprawling ugly pedestrian hostile parking lot. Although it is not in downtown, it does affect the quality of life for all residents in the region that the intent of the Master Plan be followed.

3 of the City Commissioners are against it, and the others are wavering. I think a strong showing at the hearing against these wannabe developers would swing the pendulum. I am not against development at all (obviously by my other posts and I was in favor of Jade Pig's project in East), but this is ALL WRONG from every angle. This is a city of Grand Rapids issue, as well as a regional one.

I wish I could post the site plan for you Joe, but it looks EXACTLY like Celebration Village, with 4 - 5 outlot retail buildings (just like the outlot IHOP, Macatawa Bank, Chilis, etc. across the street) and then two long buildings going North/South like Celebration Village. All surrounded by a SEA of parking lots.

[joeDowntown]

Pretty Lame indeed. When they allowed the IHOP and Macatawa Bank (which is a nice looking building) to totally be detached from the other lots, they screwed it up royally. You'd have to jump a moat to get from the IHOP to the movie theatre. I wonder if Moch is involved in any way?!

I was in Novi a couple of weeks ago and they did a really good job of creating a project with a downtown feel. Still a little fake, but I was impressed by the size of the development and onstreet parking. I didn't even notice any big parking lots. I'm sure they were there but I didn't notice (which is the way it should be).

Joe

[mpchicago]

More in the paper today about the Lifestyle Center race. It doesn