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Campau Commons


GRDadof3

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It sounds like they are going to demolish the old Campau Commons near Division and Franklin, and replace them with 92 units of multi-family houses, along with an office building. Anyone know more of the scoop? That place is in need of an extreme makeover.

http://www.grhousing.org/pages/familyhsng.html

I saw it in the latest of issue of Commercial Quarterly.

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Anyone know more of the scoop? That place is in need of an extreme makeover.

Here is the scoop. The GR Housing Comission has been applying for the past three years to HUD for a HOPE VI grant. This is a federal program designed for municipal housing authorities to turn government "housing projects" into mixed income communities.

The plan for Campau is very broad and complicated. Yes, the plan is to completely tear down Campau and relocate most of the residents...temporarily if they want to stay or permanently if they want to leave. The GR Housing commission has purchased numerous empty lots throughout the SE side. I dare say they probably own 30-40 lots. They also purchased Sheldon School from GRPS. Sheldon School and the new housing developed around it has been developed as senior housing as there are a lot of senior living in Campau. Housing wll also be developed on the scattered site empty lots

(On a quick side note the housing built around the school building on the Campau lot is an atrocity, check it out)

The new development includes market rate single family units for rent and to purchase. Also included will be some higher density rental, both market rate and subsidized. I believe they are also including a few urban pocket parks. Last, a rather significant redevelopment of Campau School is also included in the HOPE VI application. Included in this is a cool community center attached to the school which will serve as a gathering place for this newly built community. I belive along Division they will be building mixed use with commercial on the main floor and residential above.

I do not know if it there are any elevations or site plans yet.

HOPE VI is one of the most successful urban renewal programs ever to come out of Washington. The Bush Administration has been trying to cut and even eliminate it for years. Ironically, recent talk and plans from the White House regarding the redevelopment of the areas devastated by Katrina and her sister look and sound remarkably similar to HOPE VI.

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I believe one of the first (if not THE first) type of this project was in Atlanta at the old Techwood Homes. They razed a delapidated, crime filled area and replaced it with a mixed use community, school and shopping. It has been a huge success and has helped turn around a vast area adjacent to it that had remained undeveloped despite its great location near downtown. Go for it!

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I believe one of the first (if not THE first) type of this project was in Atlanta at the old Techwood Homes. They razed a delapidated, crime filled area and replaced it with a mixed use community, school and shopping. It has been a huge success and has helped turn around a vast area adjacent to it that had remained undeveloped despite its great location near downtown. Go for it!

I think you are right about Atlanta having the first HOPE VI. I spent some time with some folks last week in the middle of a HOPE VI projectin Mechanicsville, Atlanta. It too has been phenomenally successful. In Mechanicsville they incorprated some incredible reforms with the local public school as well. Academic achievement in this school has gone off the charts.

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Here's a picture of the one in Atlanta GRGuy:

I hope thats what this new development will look like. I cant stand the waste of space the current set up is right there. Also I'm happy to see the mix of market rate/subsidation; I think that is a much better solution than just clumping a bunch of low income people right next to each other.

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  • 10 months later...

Hmm, looks like someone had some strange tastes on how to apply vinyl siding to a building (the way it changes color in the the middle of the window).

They dodn't look like they were in terrible condition, but if someone can do better, I'm definitely all for it.

About how many units are there currently on the site?

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As promised:

corner of Franklin & Division

249364582_c068205c31_b.jpg

(full size)

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Some work across the street (don't know if it's related)

249364587_acf2e3078c.jpg

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Wow! We're not wasting anytime here. I though this was going to be in the talking stages for some time before anything was started. But it sure looks like we're getting the ball rolling. I'm so happy to see that horrible example of urban blight get demolished and replaced by somthing far batter. Let's hope it will help cut that area's crime rate down to a safe level.

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I'm diggin' the slide. I thought it was art for a moment. I'm interested in hearing what's going on with that orangish brick building with the new windows. Looks like a cool project.

theres no way that is a slide. theres no ladder leading up to it, and it lookes like theres no edges going down. its gotta be a sculpture... :thumbsup:

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Oh it's a slide:

249365252_46822077b8_b.jpg

The whole scene reminds me of the demolition of the housing projects in Chicago, on a smaller scale. I have no idea how many units were there (hundreds), but there's probably only 3 buildings left of maybe 10 townhouses each. There's actually a fairly nice newer church called New Hope Church near the back of the property. The elementary school, community pool and pool house that sit in the middle of the project are still there too.

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Some work across the street (don't know if it's related)

249364587_acf2e3078c.jpg

This is a private individual that purchased the building. I did the majority of the cad work for that project. I'm sure it is completly independent to the Campau Commons project. There are 6 low income housing units going on the second floor with 4 potential tenant spaces with new store front on the lower level. This used to be the old Grand Rapids Calender Building built in the 30s I believe... I actually did the existing building drawings based on the original architect drawings

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This is a private individual that purchased the building. I did the majority of the cad work for that project. I'm sure it is completly independent to the Campau Commons project. There are 6 low income housing units going on the second floor with 4 potential tenant spaces with new store front on the lower level. This used to be the old Grand Rapids Calender Building built in the 30s I believe... I actually did the existing building drawings based on the original architect drawings

Its a nice looking building. It's good that its being brought back to life. Even though I'm all for change, I'd rather see developers explore ways of reusing or incorporating worth while buildings into their visions before resorting complete demolishion and building anew.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 5 months later...

Haven't been past here since last Fall. Some of you may be scratching your head at where this is (Division and Franklin):

I know these duplexes have a suburban township look, but for the people who will benefit by these new homes, I don't think it much matters, IMO.

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(click for larger images)

This portion of the project facing Franklin is very interesting:

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I like the fact that they are brick on all sides:

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The loft project across the street:

508186343_d4d55d653a.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

A little off the beaten path and a little long on updates, but they keep adding to the new Campau Commons project. This is apparently a new management office and clubhouse, at the corner of Division and Franklin.

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Could have been built out to the sidewalk a bit more, but not bad:

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And from that same corner, you can see work progressing on the new Kent County Human Services Complex down the street on Franklin (this picture is down the block, looking West actually):

2594468660_b12d31e61e_b.jpg

A lot of changes going down on South Division.

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