East Beltline Developments

[GRDadof3]

13 hours ago, MJLO said:

It would seem that PREIT has the clear leg up in that race when it comes to clout with retailers, funding, and existing infrastructure.

I would say so. Lormax Stern has just done a bunch of projects in Michigan, most of which involve discount retailers. 

[joeDowntown]

It does look like PREIT ruined Lormax Sterns party. It seems like they looked at LS's proposed tenant list and said "thanks!", then dropped a $100M upgrade bomb.

It seems like nothing else, Lormax could alter the development a bit and go after Some of the second tier retailers that people still like. Five Guys, Ulta, etc. nothing too exciting but it could still fill some voids. 

Joe

[Artprize99]

On 3/30/2016 at 8:07 PM, GRDadof3 said:

If this were a Southern State like North Carolina, they'd run a highway straight up from I-96 between Lowell and Cascade and connect with 131 at the North end. Then run another one from 131 West across "the ridge" and end up in the Coopersville area at I-96. Whether anyone needed it or not. Then it would all infill with growth and it would be annexed into the city of GR. 

This sounds like florida, they are very good with planning and everything, you name it. Someone needs to knock some sense into the people doing it here. 

[Artprize99]

On 3/15/2017 at 6:56 PM, joeDowntown said:

It does look like PREIT ruined Lormax Sterns party. It seems like they looked at LS's proposed tenant list and said "thanks!", then dropped a $100M upgrade bomb.

It seems like nothing else, Lormax could alter the development a bit and go after Some of the second tier retailers that people still like. Five Guys, Ulta, etc. nothing too exciting but it could still fill some voids. 

Joe

Woodland does have probably the best benefits because they r a larger enclosed mall with a lot of upscale suburbs nearby that people  come from. However Breton village and knapps  crossing r smaller lifestyle centers so they won't be trying to lure as many in, also they have a much higher income with neighborhoods nearby, whereas woodland is a mall that people come from far away to go to.  

On 1/27/2017 at 8:20 AM, GRDadof3 said:

Denied, again.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/01/chick-fil-as_second_attempt_at.html

After seeing those aerial shots of the cars lined up at the Gaines Twp location, I can't see how Celebration Village can handle that kind of mess. Or the East Beltline. It's a state trunkline, MDOT would never go for it. And people would have a heck of a time getting to Celebration Cinema. The 28th and Beltline location, the cars can snake all the way over toward Potbelly, etc.. There's no room for that at Celebration Village. 

They should just put in way in the back by the goodwill, then it would be in GR township too. 

[GRDadof3]

They're going to town on the new apartment project by Spectrum Health/3 Mile. Looks like they're already getting ready to pour footings for the clubhouse. 

The new one behind Knapp's corner Meijer already has it's clubhouse framed in. 

[Floyd_Z]

They're starting to build in front of the Goodwill by celebration, anyone know what it is?

[GRDadof3]

21 minutes ago, Floyd_Z said:

They're starting to build in front of the Goodwill by celebration, anyone know what it is?

I thought I had posted this somewhere already (maybe in Suburban Developments) but it's an exciting strip mall anchored by a Sherwin Williams store.

 

[GR_Urbanist]

I was going to post a boring photo of the dirt being pushed around at this site. Now I really know how terribly boring this is actually going to be!

 

What makes this site so lousy is that you cannot drive from the retail next door, without having to exit to the Beltline, drive in the opposite direction from here, do  Michigan left, drive back in the direction of it, but you end up going PAST this site. You now have to do another Michigan left, and then finally drive to this location

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

I was going to post a boring photo of the dirt being pushed around at this site. Now I really know how terribly boring this is actually going to be!

 

What makes this site so lousy is that you cannot drive from the retail next door, without having to exit to the Beltline, drive in the opposite direction from here, do  Michigan left, drive back in the direction of it, but you end up going PAST this site. You now have to do another Michigan left, and then finally drive to this location

Is there any retail left in the strip mall next door?? The Biggby closed and that Green restaurant closed. Someone might though want to pick up a paint sample after eating an Indonesian Peanut Saute  (with protein) at Noodles, and yes that would be a big pain in the ass. 

[EastownLeo]

Chik-fil-A has broken ground at EastBeltline and 28th.

[joeDowntown]

On 9/24/2017 at 5:13 PM, GRDadof3 said:

Is there any retail left in the strip mall next door?? The Biggby closed and that Green restaurant closed. Someone might though want to pick up a paint sample after eating an Indonesian Peanut Saute  (with protein) at Noodles, and yes that would be a big pain in the ass. 

Just noticed that Jaku Sushi is moving next door to Noodles. I think Jaku will do very well. They have a restaurant in Caledonia that is very busy. I heard they have great food, and a cool atmosphere:

http://jakusushi.com/

Joe

[GRDadof3]

6 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Just noticed that Jaku Sushi is moving next door to Noodles. I think Jaku will do very well. They have a restaurant in Caledonia that is very busy. I heard they have great food, and a cool atmosphere:

http://jakusushi.com/

Joe

I saw that sign! And I thought I had heard the name but thanks for the reminder. I have heard it's pretty good.

[joeDowntown]

Cornerstone is adding a new science building that will focus on STEM:

https://www.cornerstone.edu/why-cornerstone-university/campus-locations/university-offices/advancement/science-facility/

Joe

[mpchicago]

On 3/14/2017 at 9:16 AM, mpchicago said:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/03/developers_say_retail_deals_ge.html#incart_river_index

My takeaway from this is the Lormax is having trouble getting retailers to jump on to the Knapp's Crossing bandwagon, and is using construction costs as an excuse? 

Disappointing anchor tenant announced for Knapp's Crossing.   They apparently continue to struggle to attract high end tenants.   

TJ Maxx to anchor Knapps Crossing

Edited November 3, 2017 by mpchicago

[egrguy]

I wonder if this means that higher end tenants are leaning towards the Woodland redevelopment and perhaps the de-malling of the mall at Burton and Breton.

[GRLaker]

1 hour ago, mpchicago said:

Disappointing anchor tenant announced for Knapp's Crossing.   They apparently continue to struggle to attract high end tenants.   

TJ Maxx to anchor Knapps Crossing

Yikes...A discount store anchoring the heart of Forest Hills' retail center.

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, mpchicago said:

Disappointing anchor tenant announced for Knapp's Crossing.   They apparently continue to struggle to attract high end tenants.   

TJ Maxx to anchor Knapps Crossing

"We haven't had any trouble finding tenants" said the developer, patting himself on the back for landing TJMaxx and a Chowhound.  

Why doesn't this open until summer 2019? 

[GR8scott]

What happened to REI? I wish whole foods would buy that d&w out too

[joeDowntown]

I think Breton Village and Woodland won the battle for the niche retailers. And with other retailers getting pummeled, I think this will end up being a somewhat service-based development. 

I still bet the retailers they had listed (Crate & Barrel, REI) will end up in GR soon, just not at the corner of Knapp & East Beltline. 

And I'd be surprised if Beggar Dave's makes it past the Holidays. Very low traffic, and the parent company has already shuttered most of the other locations.

Joe

48 minutes ago, GR8scott said:

What happened to REI? I wish whole foods would buy that d&w out too

From what I've experienced, that D&W has picked up a lot of steam in the last year. Much busier, and I don't know if Spartan would willingly open the door to Amazon coming into the market. I bet we'll get a Whole Foods, but I bet Spartan would rather lose money than hand the keys over to Amazon/Whole Foods (total speculation).

Joe

[wingbert]

Unfortunately, as the years went by and Captain Stripmall was allowed to endlessly dither on this property the retailing environment was going through a transformation.  Now that action is finally being taken the options for this location often do not exist any longer.  I would imagine that for many retailers, brick and mortar investments are under greater scrutiny.

[GRDadof3]

On 11/3/2017 at 4:41 PM, GRLaker said:

Yikes...A discount store anchoring the heart of Forest Hills' retail center.

Actually that's not the "heart of Forest Hills, it's the far Northwestern corner of Forest Hills. Northview School District is right across the street.The FH's area is about 90 square miles and I would venture to say the heart is more Cascade Rd/Forest Hills Avenue or maybe even Ada. 

Semantics I guess. Speaking of Forest Hills, they're doing a major project realigning Crahen at Fulton to line up with Forest Hills Avenue. That area backs up quite a bit at rush hour. They're also cutting a curve in Crahen where it meets Leonard, on the old golf course property owned by FMG, so traffic doesn't have to stop at Leonard. Makes sense as there is very little traffic East of that intersection since it dead ends.

[Pattmost20]

On 11/11/2017 at 8:14 AM, GRDadof3 said:

Actually that's not the "heart of Forest Hills, it's the far Northwestern corner of Forest Hills. Northview School District is right across the street.The FH's area is about 90 square miles and I would venture to say the heart is more Cascade Rd/Forest Hills Avenue or maybe even Ada. 

Semantics I guess. Speaking of Forest Hills, they're doing a major project realigning Crahen at Fulton to line up with Forest Hills Avenue. That area backs up quite a bit at rush hour. They're also cutting a curve in Crahen where it meets Leonard, on the old golf course property owned by FMG, so traffic doesn't have to stop at Leonard. Makes sense as there is very little traffic East of that intersection since it dead ends.

As a former Forest Hills Northern student, those changes to Crahen are much needed. The back ups during both rush hour and end of school day were ridiculous.

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, Pattmost20 said:

As a former Forest Hills Northern student, those changes to Crahen are much needed. The back ups during both rush hour and end of school day were ridiculous.

I just hope they make it a "gentle" curve (maybe banked like the autobahn) or there going to be a lot of teen drivers that end up in the park or "golf course".

[Raildude's dad]

You can thank the folks at the Kent County Road Commission for these improvements.

[wingbert]

17 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

You can thank the folks at the Kent County Road Commission for these improvements.

I wouldn't call them improvements yet.  It's going to take a little time for the chuckleheads who traverse that intersection north and south to wrap their heads around the change.  I've seen quite a few near misses because people are so used to be two left turn lanes northbound and now the way that Crahen curves over to meet Forest Hill Ave. it can be difficult to determine what oncoming traffic is doing.  People are turning left from middle lane and turning left in front of oncoming traffic.  Once they complete the whole deal I'm hopeful it works.  From my perspective it is a great change.  

Edited November 14, 2017 by wingbert