Traverse City

[Ka3kab]

The plan is to show mostly indie films, but the catch is that Moore cannot show movies that are playing at cinemas owned by Carmike Theaters, because they actually have a 10 year lease on the building (even though they never put any money into opening the place) There is a deal that if a movie is not playing on a certain number of screens, Moore can show it here.

On some other news, Lars and the Real Girl opened here this weekend at the State and apparently pulled in the most money from any theater in the country.

[wertent]

On some other news, Lars and the Real Girl opened here this weekend at the State and apparently pulled in the most money from any theater in the country.

great i am hoping to go down there soon to see a flick, and with Red Ginger and Amical next door it makes a perfect dinner and movie place.

[Ka3kab]

No doubt. I went and took my duaghter to see Elf on Saturday and the place was just awsome. We sat up in the balcony and just had a blast. Great picture and sound and up on the ceiling, a proffesor from Northwest Michigan College mapped out the sky in Traverse City in August and he directed the construction crew where to drill holes so that now, when you look up, it's lit up like the sky at night (in august )

[dtown]

Sounds cool and hopefully it brings more people downtown.

[egrguy]

Meijer says it backed recall effort

Will the drama on this ever end? How long has this exactly gone on for? Has Meijer given up on this location or are they still pursuing it?

[Ka3kab]

I'm not even sure anymore. There is no movement anywhere on this project. The land sits empty and the courtrooms full. Typical Traverse City development.

There is some news downtown. Work has started on a new parking structure that will supply much needed parking to the area around Cass and 8th St. Most of the spots will be available to the people who live and work at the Haggerty Insurance building and the Rivers Edge buildings. Right now it is an empty lot with some prep work happening, so nothing really to see in pictures, but I hope to have some over time.

[Veloise]

Meijer says it backed recall effort

Will the drama on this ever end? How long has this exactly gone on for? Has Meijer given up on this location or are they still pursuing it?

Here's a timeline from the R-E.

http://www.record-eagle.com/archivesearch/..._357093416.html

[egrguy]

Ask and I shall recieved. Thanks Veloise. It really leaves things open though to if Meijer will still seek to build? From the timeline it appears the board dropped requirements for hours of operation and brick exterior... weren't those the major hangups on Meijer's part?

On more 'spirited' news...

Artisan Distilleries Making Their Mark

I saw the Traverse City vodka in the Meijer here on town and thought it was awesome. I didn't buy one, but Im usually not ever in the market for a $30 bottle of vodka. I hope they do well though.

[dtown]

I'm not even sure anymore. There is no movement anywhere on this project. The land sits empty and the courtrooms full. Typical Traverse City development.

There is some news downtown. Work has started on a new parking structure that will supply much needed parking to the area around Cass and 8th St. Most of the spots will be available to the people who live and work at the Haggerty Insurance building and the Rivers Edge buildings. Right now it is an empty lot with some prep work happening, so nothing really to see in pictures, but I hope to have some over time.

Is there any work going on on Front St by JS Hamburg?

[Ka3kab]

Negative. Work has stopped there also as Federated waits to see if they will be issued a new Land Use Permit. There current one will expire in February and there are now so many changes to the proposal that they would need a new one anyway. This economy has put a stop to a lot of projects here in town.

[Veloise]

Ask and I shall recieved. Thanks Veloise. It really leaves things open though to if Meijer will still seek to build? From the timeline it appears the board dropped requirements for hours of operation and brick exterior... weren't those the major hangups on Meijer's part?...

I knew I wasn't losing my mind...had recalled something about brick. The latest articles mention that the Twp wanted repositioning of the gas station and special treatment on the walkways.

(On our Grand Rapids forum I played with some numbers, fioguring out that the cost of effecting those two conditions is about 1% of the amount allegedly awarded to the Twp official who sued Meijer.)

[dtown]

Anything goin' on in TC?

[Ka3kab]

Nope, not really. There is some work going on at the corner of 8th and Union which I thought was going to be a new parking deck for the whole RiversEdge development. But I saw in the RE yesterday that they (the good ol' get nothing done city commision) were still arguing over whether or not to let it happen. So now I am not so sure what is going in there. If it weren't 4 degrees out I would head downtown to take a look, but I think I'll wait until next week when it "warms up" into the mid-teens.

[Ka3kab]

Now the Federated project for 145 W Front St is dead. The company will not seek an extension of their land-use permit and they say they may try again later. This was the 100 ft., 8 story building. They say they are moving ahead with their plans for the other side of the street, but we'll see.

[egrguy]

What was going to be in the building? Just offices? Any street level retail?

[Ka3kab]

Ground level retail, offices on 2-5 and condo's on the 6th through 8th. Also, Federated plans for a four story across the street are dead now also.

[dtown]

Why is TC so bass-ackwards? They couldve filled up a vacant building and a vacant lot, but no. Development might make TC look like a city! Idiots...

[wertent]

Why is TC so bass-ackwards? They couldve filled up a vacant building and a vacant lot, but no. Development might make TC look like a city! Idiots...

too many NIMBY's ... people want the town to still be the small town they use to have, what they dont realize is that it will never be that way again

[sbw600]

Hello, new to the forum. I found this video on the tc chamber website, it was presented by hagerty at a recent city meeting. Alot of it is the history of the lake st area but also presents some possible major development in that area. Heres the link http://www.tcchamber.org/homeMainArticle7.php

[egrguy]

too many NIMBY's ... people want the town to still be the small town they use to have, what they dont realize is that it will never be that way again

When will this change? I really think TC needs to think like a bigger city; it certainly has the draw and potential to grow. Especially downtown.

Hello, new to the forum. I found this video on the tc chamber website, it was presented by hagerty at a recent city meeting. Alot of it is the history of the lake st area but also presents some possible major development in that area. Heres the link http://www.tcchamber.org/homeMainArticle7.php

Welcome to the forums sbw600!

[Ka3kab]

It is hard to say when this will end, and the economy makes it even that much harder to say. I personally think that it will be a very long time before any major changes are made downtown, i.e. zoning that would allow something over 65 feet, and I don't ever see an apartment or condo builidng going up on west bay that is over 5 stories. Most peoples idea of controlling growth in this area is to keep home prices ridiculously high and to keep wages ridiculously low. If you're from this area, you wonder how in the hell do so many people live in houses that cost $300,000+ when the per capita income is $24,806 and the poverty rate is 17.3%. There is very little affordable housing in the Traverse City area unless you want to live 15-40 miles away in tiny little towns like Kingsley, Honor or Kalkaska. Then you have to drive back into TC to work and shop and spend $25.00 round trip for gas. It is a simple, but effective way of keeping most people from moving here.

[Ka3kab]

Some pictures I took today (72 degrees and sunny, won't last though ) of the Boardman Dam and Pond. It has been drained by 17 feet for safty purposes. The dam is 78 years old and was supposed to only last 50 years. Not very urban, but what the hell. If it broke, it would flood urban areas right. Check it.

Where the vegatation starts is where the water used to come up to.

This picture is from the other side of the spillway. I bet you guys didn't know the Boardman was this wide south of Boardman Lake.

[wertent]

nice pictures of the boardman river area ... it always amazes me that Boardman lake isnt as build up as other lakes in the area.. i mean its right in the middle of town

[dtown]

Are they going to remove any of those dams or not? they've been talking about it for a while.

[Ka3kab]

Like everything around here they have been talking about it for almost a decade now, done about a dozen studies on it and are still nowhere near a decision. The DNR and DEQ, I think, have had it and will make a decision soon for the county (the dam owners) and Light and Power (the dam users).