East Beltline Developments

[joeDowntown]

6 hours ago, GR8scott said:

Meanwhile there are zero la quinta, cambria or several Marriott brands such as aloft, element or 4points. Many people especially “Marriott people” stay for the brand and if the economy dictated these kinds of hotels close I’m sure one of the 9 holiday inns would be almost the first to close

Sorry, had to chuckle at La Quinta. Does anyone actually enjoy staying at La Quinta? “Man, Grand Rapids is becoming a really cool city, but they still don’t have a La Quinta!”  Haha. 
 

Anyways, I get what you are saying about brand diversity. And the lack of flagship brands. 
 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

33 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

Sorry, had to chuckle at La Quinta. Does anyone actually enjoy staying at La Quinta? “Man, Grand Rapids is becoming a really cool city, but they still don’t have a La Quinta!”  Haha. 
 

Anyways, I get what you are saying about brand diversity. And the lack of flagship brands. 
 

Joe

Hey Joe, they're one of the few brands that lets you bring your pet! 

On 10/29/2019 at 6:31 PM, Raildude's dad said:

North of the theater. Same developer is working on a hotel at 942 Front , Stellar Hospitality Jimmy Asmar

Where are you guys seeing this hotel? I've looked online on different planning pages and can't find anything. 

Other than downtown, it might be one of the best locations for a hotel in the metro. You can WALK to a ton of restaurants and bars, movie theater, coffee shops, even pick up some food at Aldi. #walkscore

[Floyd_Z]

6 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Did I read here or somewhere else that the Crown Plaza in Cascade on 28th is going to close? That place is a dinosaur. 

I used to go to the restaurant/bar at the Crowne Plaza on Friday nights for trivia.  The service was horrendous.  I'm not one to rag on places, but there were times we would be seated and never be greeted by a server, or wait 20-30 minutes to be greeted plus a 10 minute wait for drinks.  Nope, wasn't busy in there, actually dead by Friday night standards.  you can tell the restaurant area was neglected with some piss-poor management.  We usually just had to go up to the bar... fruit flies everywhere, dead fruit flies in my beer, smelled like rotting who knows what, sinks not draining properly, bartenders eating, drinking, not washing hands, on their phone or just disappearing to go deliver a room service order.

There was duct tape holding the carpet together and just generally dirty.  We had a gift certificate from one of the rare occasions we won trivia and they said we could only buy food with it (?) drinks not included.  If I can see what your bar looks like there's no way in hell I'm ordering food.

The hotel guests were mostly travelling soccer families.  I think management figured 'meh, they're not coming back anyways'.

The hotel has a lot of potential, but needs to be gutted - staff and property.

OK rant over 

[GRDadof3]

18 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

I used to go to the restaurant/bar at the Crowne Plaza on Friday nights for trivia.  The service was horrendous.  I'm not one to rag on places, but there were times we would be seated and never be greeted by a server, or wait 20-30 minutes to be greeted plus a 10 minute wait for drinks.  Nope, wasn't busy in there, actually dead by Friday night standards.  you can tell the restaurant area was neglected with some piss-poor management.  We usually just had to go up to the bar... fruit flies everywhere, dead fruit flies in my beer, smelled like rotting who knows what, sinks not draining properly, bartenders eating, drinking, not washing hands, on their phone or just disappearing to go deliver a room service order.

There was duct tape holding the carpet together and just generally dirty.  We had a gift certificate from one of the rare occasions we won trivia and they said we could only buy food with it (?) drinks not included.  If I can see what your bar looks like there's no way in hell I'm ordering food.

The hotel guests were mostly travelling soccer families.  I think management figured 'meh, they're not coming back anyways'.

The hotel has a lot of potential, but needs to be gutted - staff and property.

OK rant over 

I've only been there for really bad realtor seminars and continuing ed classes. Then we went to Gippers afterward so it was a double whammy of tacky. 

[egrguy]

18 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

I've only been there for really bad realtor seminars and continuing ed classes. Then we went to Gippers afterward so it was a double whammy of tacky. 

Gippers is always pretty steady, so I assume they are doing decent. Their back patio has a nice set up. But they have a pretty good location and always just a little surprised its not been bought by some chain bar restaurant. 

[GRDadof3]

10 hours ago, egrguy said:

Gippers is always pretty steady, so I assume they are doing decent. Their back patio has a nice set up. But they have a pretty good location and always just a little surprised its not been bought by some chain bar restaurant. 

Gippers is the only "cougar" bar for miles around, so it's definitely filling a niche. I will say I do have a good time every time I go there (which has been a few years). It's like The Score, totally unpretentious do whatever you want sing along to Jimmy Buffet tunes goodness. 

[Floyd_Z]

Anyone know what's happening at the NE corner of EB and Lake Dr?  Are they building another office?  Expanding the original?

[grandrollerz]

On 7/19/2020 at 2:29 PM, Floyd_Z said:

Anyone know what's happening at the NE corner of EB and Lake Dr?  Are they building another office?  Expanding the original?

It's been sold to Michigan Medicine if you are talking about that corner next to the church....GR Cardiology i think sold the whole building to MM

[deja vu]

Cornerstone University's new "Jack and Mary De Witt Center for Science and Technology" was completed in 2019. I don't think finished photos were ever posted here, and the center recently won awards from the Masonry Institute of Michigan and AIA Michigan. The Architect was Progressive AE.  There are some more photos at the Architect's website, as well as a Youtube video, here.

I think it looks pretty sharp.

Source: Progressive AE

Edited September 3, 2020 by deja vu

[grandrollerz]

As a kid visiting my grandparents in Rockford, I seem to recall that this middle building on the cornerstone campus was a car dealership. Can anyone confirm i am remembering that correctly? The building with the mini white pyramids on the top.



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[GRDadof3]

On 9/3/2020 at 4:12 PM, deja vu said:

Cornerstone University's new "Jack and Mary De Witt Center for Science and Technology" was completed in 2019. I don't think finished photos were ever posted here, and the center recently won awards from the Masonry Institute of Michigan and AIA Michigan. The Architect was Progressive AE.  There are some more photos at the Architect's website, as well as a Youtube video, here.

I think it looks pretty sharp.

Source: Progressive AE

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of "science and technology" is taught at a school like Cornerstone... 

[GVSUChris]

39 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of "science and technology" is taught at a school like Cornerstone... 

The shade is real! 
(but in all seriousness I’ve wondered the same thing - and I feel okay being critical because my husband went there and I’ve heard what was taught in biology) 

[Raildude's dad]

Check out the "Engineering" https://www.cornerstone.edu/program-learning-outcomes/engineering

Bachelor's in Engineering. I'd have to be pretty desperate to hire one of the grads. Calvin has ABET accreditation and that's a stretch in my opinion.  They offer the Bachelor's in Engineering with Civil, Chemical or Chemical concentration.  Far less "civil" classes than a BSCE from a school like Michigan Tech.  Daughter looked at Calvin, graduated from Tech.

Edited September 5, 2020 by Raildude's dad

[RegalTDP]

On 9/3/2020 at 1:12 PM, deja vu said:

 

Look at this trendy classroom!  Irregular desk arrangement!  Ball chairs!  Exercise bikes!  So disruptive!  Much Dynamic!

...But why is the projector image so small?

[GRDadof3]

8 hours ago, RegalTDP said:

Look at this trendy classroom!  Irregular desk arrangement!  Ball chairs!  Exercise bikes!  So disruptive!  Much Dynamic!

...But why is the projector image so small?

The same week that projectors were picked out was tithing week. So... ya know.. God wins.

9 hours ago, Raildude's dad said:

Check out the "Engineering" https://www.cornerstone.edu/program-learning-outcomes/engineering

Bachelor's in Engineering. I'd have to be pretty desperate to hire one of the grads. Calvin has ABET accreditation and that's a stretch in my opinion.  They offer the Bachelor's in Engineering with Civil, Chemical or Chemical concentration.  Far less "civil" classes than a BSCE from a school like Michigan Tech.  Daughter looked at Calvin, graduated from Tech.

I'd hire a Cornerstone grad to be a sanitation engineer. #truestory

[EEKris]

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/resort-style-320-unit-apartment-complex-planned-near-grand-rapids

The Grove by Watermark.  

[ironyisadeadscene]

On 9/11/2018 at 10:37 AM, ironyisadeadscene said:

Have we discussed this? I found a bunch of these renderings on boards in the trash at my work.

 

 

I'm guessing this plan i had posted in 2018 is it?

[Floyd_Z]

6 hours ago, EEKris said:

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/resort-style-320-unit-apartment-complex-planned-near-grand-rapids

The Grove by Watermark.  

I was wondering what happened with this project.  IIRC they needed to do some cleanup on the northern part of the site?  The southern part has some activity going on, I hope it's something with more density. 

We need more housing yesterday.  There's quite a bit being built in Rockford/Plainfield/Cannon area.  New development off from Kutshill, very large development off from Belding Rd east of Northland, one proposed on the north side of Belding Rd across the street, two different developments off from 10 mile west of Rockford, and a recently proposed Thousand Oaks clubhouse/housing/retail off from W. River Drive.

I would imagine some of those large swaths of land in Cannon, Algoma, and Courtland township would start to get gobbled up and developed.  I'm kind of surprised "Ada Holdings" (DeVos) hasn't tried to develop their hundreds of acres off from Pettis south of Knapp yet

[GRDadof3]

20 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

I was wondering what happened with this project.  IIRC they needed to do some cleanup on the northern part of the site?  The southern part has some activity going on, I hope it's something with more density. 

We need more housing yesterday.  There's quite a bit being built in Rockford/Plainfield/Cannon area.  New development off from Kutshill, very large development off from Belding Rd east of Northland, one proposed on the north side of Belding Rd across the street, two different developments off from 10 mile west of Rockford, and a recently proposed Thousand Oaks clubhouse/housing/retail off from W. River Drive.

I would imagine some of those large swaths of land in Cannon, Algoma, and Courtland township would start to get gobbled up and developed.  I'm kind of surprised "Ada Holdings" (DeVos) hasn't tried to develop their hundreds of acres off from Pettis south of Knapp yet

What is this development of which you speak? 

This "Grove by Watermark" has a website:

https://www.thompsonthrift.com/properties/the-grove-by-watermark

I know that Watermark is the apartment company's name, but I wonder if anyone told them that Watermark is a pretty well known name for the golf course community off of Cascade Rd?  "Are these apartments part of Watermark Country Club?  Nooooooooo." 

 

[joeDowntown]

21 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

What is this development of which you speak? 

This "Grove by Watermark" has a website:

https://www.thompsonthrift.com/properties/the-grove-by-watermark

I know that Watermark is the apartment company's name, but I wonder if anyone told them that Watermark is a pretty well known name for the golf course community off of Cascade Rd?  "Are these apartments part of Watermark Country Club?  Nooooooooo." 

 

I was confused when I saw this as well. It's the northern half of the property, correct? I think the southern portion (where the church was) is still available.

Joe

[cstonesparty]

On 9/5/2020 at 7:45 AM, grandrollerz said:

As a kid visiting my grandparents in Rockford, I seem to recall that this middle building on the cornerstone campus was a car dealership. Can anyone confirm i am remembering that correctly? The building with the mini white pyramids on the top.



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Campus was built in 64 and there were 5-6 original buildings.  That was one of them.

[EEKris]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

I was confused when I saw this as well. It's the northern half of the property, correct? I think the southern portion (where the church was) is still available.

Joe

Looks like both lots are still listed as owned by "FRANKLIN BELTLINE LLC".  

A lot of trees and earth have been cleared on that corner, and when I drove by,  it almost looks like the church may be gone already.

[joeDowntown]

45 minutes ago, EEKris said:

Looks like both lots are still listed as owned by "FRANKLIN BELTLINE LLC".  

A lot of trees and earth have been cleared on that corner, and when I drove by,  it almost looks like the church may be gone already.

Yeah, the church is long gone. They removed it a while ago. 

Joe

[Raildude's dad]

On 9/5/2020 at 7:45 AM, grandrollerz said:

As a kid visiting my grandparents in Rockford, I seem to recall that this middle building on the cornerstone campus was a car dealership. Can anyone confirm i am remembering that correctly? The building with the mini white pyramids on the top.



Sent from my Acer Chromebook R11 (CB5-132T, C738T) using Tapatalk
 

Never a car dealership there.  I can remember when there was only KISD on the Beltline north of 28th St east side,  a motel on the west side, and a motel on the SW corner. No Calvin College, it was still in the current GRPS HQ building.  Nothing commercial until Plainfield at EBL.  IIRC, the gas station a Leonard came in, then GR built a fire station south of the gas station. UAW hall came next IIRC.

[Raildude's dad]

On 9/8/2020 at 6:29 PM, Floyd_Z said:

I was wondering what happened with this project.  IIRC they needed to do some cleanup on the northern part of the site?  The southern part has some activity going on, I hope it's something with more density. 

We need more housing yesterday.  There's quite a bit being built in Rockford/Plainfield/Cannon area.  New development off from Kutshill, very large development off from Belding Rd east of Northland, one proposed on the north side of Belding Rd across the street, two different developments off from 10 mile west of Rockford, and a recently proposed Thousand Oaks clubhouse/housing/retail off from W. River Drive.

I would imagine some of those large swaths of land in Cannon, Algoma, and Courtland township would start to get gobbled up and developed.  I'm kind of surprised "Ada Holdings" (DeVos) hasn't tried to develop their hundreds of acres off from Pettis south of Knapp yet

Ada Holdings property being added to Chief Hazy Cloud Park per MLive today.