Grand Rapids Wish List 2006

[Prankster]

Hey, then where am I going to park?

Take your pick. You can't swing a dead cat around downtown without hitting a parking ramp.

[snoogit]

Take your pick. You can't swing a dead cat around downtown without hitting a parking ramp.

[kellyphotography]

they really need to redo the train station. It's awful.

[Rizzo]

A proposal to move the station mark and route the track to the Rapid Central Station is in the works I believe.

[sfloria]

I would like to see a new building on the north side of 196 where the Post Office takes up the bottom floors for all their utilities. The next few floors would be the GR Press offices. Above that would be offices or condos.

This would free up the GR Press and Post Office buildings to be torn down and developed for a much better use.

The Post Office could make room for a nice hotel addition to the Olds Manor with room for a riverside park with retail and restaurants. The Press building could make way for more medical facilities or a relocation for the county building.

Those buildings just HAVE to go!!

[joeDowntown]

Here is a good question though. So you'd pay $4 to ride a train to downtown (probably a drive-and-park situation at the station), but people won't pay $6.50 downtown?

I'm sorry, but it doesn't make sense. The economics of light rail have to be combined with the ease-of-use of driving. Until that happens, cars will prevail (this is a true statement, not that I wouldn't believe in light rail, but it has to make sense to work).

Joe

[tamias6]

Here is my wish list of what I would like to see in GR and the surroun ding Metro Area.

1. Move the Post Office Somwhere else to make room for a hotel catering to the covention crowd. OR..developer buys the air rights and builds a nice peice of architecture on top of the post office provided the ugly post office is modified to incorperate it into the more pleasing look if the stucture on top.

2. Light Rail is too expensive. But a deticated lane / bus system similar to what Portland Oregan is implementing would be a fair solution. I.E. Buses look and act like light rail trains complete with stations but the vehichles ride on rubber tires on existing road infrastucture on dedicated lanes. No other traffic can use dedicated lanes and buses control green lights to make them almost immune to traffic congestion. As this system would only rquire light to moderate modification to existing road infrastructure, GR would get the benifits of a light rail system without paying the full expence of installing one. This system would serve GR and Surrounding communities.

3. For longer distances, a commuter rail system serving the Grand Rapids / Muskegen / Holland triangle along with a Gerald R. Ford Airport to Downtown connector would be a nice addition. This system would be expanded overtime to include K'zoo and Lansing. Routing the rail line alongside existing freeways would reduce the hassle of purchasing right of ways.

4. Make the Grand River into more of an asset. I.E. boardwalks, shops, and parks along the banks.

5. The Van Andel Area has the underlaying infrastructure to expand to 16,000 seats when need be. Let's make that expandtion to open up the possiblitiy of attracting a big league team to GR. NBA Baskeball, NHL Hockey, Etc. But then again why should we pay big league prices when just as much fun can be had from from the teams we got at more earthly ticket prices. Although playing host to a big league team would be very nice status for GR.

6. Move all of corparate HQ's of local big bussinesses, I.E. Alticore, Meijer, etc. into downtown to provide needed job growth in GR proper. Not just the low wage burger flipper jobs, but the high wage jobs only corprate HQ's can provide. Doing this would add alot of tax revenue to GR's coffers to do the next entry on my wish list.

7. FIX GRPS!! How can a city with a hoplessly failing school system even think about attracting families to move in? My brother and his family hightailed it out of GR to move into the Ada School system dispite the expense of living in that area. Ada as far as I know has a steller school system and my brother and his wife was willing to deal with a giant morgage payment on their expensive house to insure their kids get a good education from a good school system. Fix GRPS and make it into a good public school system and families will come.

8. Incourage the hi-tech industry to make a beach head in GR alongwith, film and media. In essence diversiify the local economy so that GR is less affected by ups and downs of Michigan's rust-belt economy.

9. Redevelope Calder Plazza into beautiful green space surrounded by monumental buildings of world class architecture. Maybe a 400 ft + tower to anchor it would very nice and give the Downtown skyline some much needed height.

10. Grand Rapids Press replaces its current HQ with a better looking building.

11. Turn the empty parking lot, south of Fulton next to Charlie's crab into a bustling farmer's market.

12. Create an overseeing authority who's mission it is to turn the entire 12 mile stretch of 28th street into a world wide shopper's peradise by unifying the look and feel of 28th street with a single and beautiful master plan, adding mass transit and pedestrian freindly options to ease traffic congestion, attract high end retail and small bussinesses alike to setup shop on 28th street. Maybe it sounds a bit crazy but when I travel on 28th street I see a diamond in the rough.

13. Local and state governments to pass laws to enact hard limits on urban sprawl. Look to the City of Portland and the State of Oregan for a case study. Limiting Urban Sprawl at local and state levels would be good for the envionment and force cities to reinvest in themselves. Urban sprawl limits would stem any further flight from core cities thus retaining the tax revenue. It would make it easier to empliment and maintain mass transit options thus reducing dependance on the automobile. Gas prices are only going to get higher. How does $5.00 or even $10.00 per gallon sound? Kinda makes you want to take the bus or train instead? Doesn't it?

14. Remodel the Meijer stores on Alpine and on the corner of 28th street and K'zoo Ave. or replace them with new Meijer stores.

15. Redevelop the old Lear Plant site on Alpine into a mix use development consisting of commercial and retail and industrial style urban loft residential uses.

[GRDadof3]

Here is my wish list of what I would like to see in GR and the surroun ding Metro Area.

2. Light Rail is too expensive. But a deticated lane / bus system similar to what Portland Oregan is implementing would be a fair solution. I.E. Buses look and act like light rail trains complete with stations but the vehichles ride on rubber tires on existing road infrastucture on dedicated lanes. No other traffic can use dedicated lanes and buses control green lights to make them almost immune to traffic congestion. As this system would only rquire light to moderate modification to existing road infrastructure, GR would get the benifits of a light rail system without paying the full expence of installing one. This system would serve GR and Surrounding communities.

6. Move all of corparate HQ's of local big bussinesses, I.E. Alticore, Meijer, etc. into downtown to provide needed job growth in GR proper. Not just the low wage burger flipper jobs, but the high wage jobs only corprate HQ's can provide. Doing this would add alot of tax revenue to GR's coffers to do the next entry on my wish list.

7. FIX GRPS!! How can a city with a hoplessly failing school system even think about attracting families to move in? My brother and his family hightailed it out of GR to move into the Ada School system dispite the expense of living in that area. Ada as far as I know has a steller school system and my brother and his wife was willing to deal with a giant morgage payment on their expensive house to insure their kids get a good education from a good school system. Fix GRPS and make it into a good public school system and families will come.

Not to split hairs on a "Wish List" thread, but I have to point out a few things:

2. The alternative to light rail you are talking about is called Bus Rapid Transit. It's cost is still pretty high, and there are a lot of critics of BRT, saying it's not "cool" enough to get enough ridership increases. It's just not the "end all be all" answer to all our problems, IMO.

6. Corporate HQ's do not necessarily provide the best wages. Many people in corporate HQ's are administrative, customer service, Accounts Payable, pencil pushers, etc.. which is not the same as a small office with a lot more concentration of professionals (engineers, architects, graphic design, computer information, etc.). I would rather see all the Class B space taken up with small professional services firms then one big Geico Insurance HQ.

7. Ada does not have its own school system. It's part of the Forest Hills School System, which is one of the best in the State. But contrary to popular belief, the taxes are much lower in Ada Township, Grand Rapids Township and Cascade Township then they are in Grand Rapids. Plus you don't pay city income tax. Median house prices are more expensive, but mostly because they are bigger and have more expensive interior finishes. You can find a decent house in Forest Hills in the same price range as many areas of Grand Rapids ($150 - $200K). You're right that GRPS needs to greatly improve, because to move to a better school system in the burbs is very doable in this area without spending a fortune.