New Construction and Renovations in the Heartside District

[GRDadof3]

I was just going to post asking what this was going to be again, but saw the post above..  oh well, excitement abated.

 

 

The ground floor of this now has Collier's signs in the windows for lease. I thought this was going to be Heartside Ministry or something?

Edited October 29, 2015 by GRDadof3

[ctpgr34]

Looks like the owner is flipping it- http://www.crelisting.net/S2g85TE3g

[GR_Urbanist]

Thank goodness.

One less non-profit taking up ground floor space, killing any street activity.

[GVSUChris]

From what I have heard, they're selling it and potentially buying the building Goodwill was in. I have someone working to confirm why they're doing that and when. It sounds like they felt like the Goodwill building would work for their needs better. I'll let you know when I hear back . 

[GRCentro]

Thank goodness.

One less non-profit taking up ground floor space, killing any street activity.

Street activity? It ain't exactly chic, but the non-profits' storefronts are about as active as it gets! More folks milling about there than quilt-seekers during ArtPrize.

From what I have heard, they're selling it and potentially buying the building Goodwill was in. I have someone working to confirm why they're doing that and when. It sounds like they felt like the Goodwill building would work for their needs better. I'll let you know when I hear back . 

Rumors are that Dégagé's building might have a buyer on the way, too...

[GRDadof3]

Here's another "gentrification" article about Heartside that again seems to totally miss the mark. I was in Heartside today and I was struck by the sheer number of retail vacancies. That will be even more pronounced when the Harris Building tenants clear out. I also don't see a sea of affluent people walking around Heartside, at least not South of Rockwell/Republic on Division. Headed to the Downtown Market, yes you will see a few small groups occasionally.

This professor points to all of the new projects that supposedly "displaced" people and made them homeless? They're all income restricted projects, every one of them but 38 Commerce. Did he actually interview a sampling of homeless people he came across and find out where they came from? 

Lastly, the Cool Cities grant for Avenue for the Arts was successful for a while, but the number of artists working along South Division has dropped dramatically, according to artists I know who are some of the lone holdouts. 

These articles just seem to stir the shit pot with bad math/science and not any mention of solutions. 

http://www.therapidian.org/placematters-urban-sociologist-explains-concerns-heartside-gentrification

 

[MJLO]

Aside from being income restricted, most of those new housing units were either built on vacant lots or previously abandoned structures.  Please tell me who if anyone was displaced?  (Aside from the homeless people living under the wealthy street bridge on Ionia.) That's nothing more than an ideoligical agenda driven opinion piece.  Grand Rapids can not be used as an example of residents being displaced by gentrification with any sort of intellectual honesty.

[GRDadof3]

11 hours ago, MJLO said:

Aside from being income restricted, most of those new housing units were either built on vacant lots or previously abandoned structures.  Please tell me who if anyone was displaced?  (Aside from the homeless people living under the wealthy street bridge on Ionia.) That's nothing more than an ideoligical agenda driven opinion piece.  Grand Rapids can not be used as an example of residents being displaced by gentrification with any sort of intellectual honesty.

The only area of Grand Rapids where I've heard firsthand that actual low income households are being displaced due to rising rents is on the West Side near Harrison Park Elementary, which is a concern because the families have to stay in Harrison Park's district to receive the Challenge Scholars program (free college tuition if the kids go all the way to graduation). 

And the author only briefly mentions (links to) Well House, which has an amazing mission for the homeless. They actually buy up old run down homes (many from the KCLB), fix them up, and provide housing for the homeless. No preaching, no conversion of souls, just housing. 

 

[wingbert]

17 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

These articles just seem to stir the crap pot with bad math/science and not any mention of solutions. 

http://www.therapidian.org/placematters-urban-sociologist-explains-concerns-heartside-gentrification

 

[GR_Urbanist]

On 12/29/2015 at 4:23 PM, GRDadof3 said:

Here's another "gentrification" article about Heartside that again seems to totally miss the mark. I was in Heartside today and I was struck by the sheer number of retail vacancies. That will be even more pronounced when the Harris Building tenants clear out. I also don't see a sea of affluent people walking around Heartside, at least not South of Rockwell/Republic on Division. Headed to the Downtown Market, yes you will see a few small groups occasionally.

This professor points to all of the new projects that supposedly "displaced" people and made them homeless? They're all income restricted projects, every one of them but 38 Commerce. Did he actually interview a sampling of homeless people he came across and find out where they came from? 

Lastly, the Cool Cities grant for Avenue for the Arts was successful for a while, but the number of artists working along South Division has dropped dramatically, according to artists I know who are some of the lone holdouts. 

These articles just seem to stir the crap pot with bad math/science and not any mention of solutions. 

http://www.therapidian.org/placematters-urban-sociologist-explains-concerns-heartside-gentrification

 

LOL! Heartside is quickly collapsing back into the "good old days" of skid row. Retail is abandoning S. Division as soon as their leases are up and stampeding into Uptown because no one wants to be down there. And why should they waste their time in such a crappy location?

When you just have a continuous pack of homeless people (many of them are not GR natives) loitering around, and circulating between, Degege, Guiding Light Mission, God's Kitchen, and the Herk, then why would anyone want to be down there if they dont have to be?

No homeless person has been "displaced". Sadly, they seem to be more concentrated than ever. I only wish Heartside became gentrified when we had the chance. The area would be far better off for both the homeless that actually wanted to get off the street, and people that wanted to actually try to make the area more appealing to all people.

[GRDadof3]

[organsnyder]

This seems like a good time to remind everyone that Well House's 19:1 campaign ends tonight. The housing-first approach to homelessness is the most effective way to improve the Heartside neighborhood—while also improving people's lives. We need to put our city's homelessness industry out of business.

[ctpgr34]

 Love how loosely Mlive uses Landmark.  http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2016/02/demolition_eyed_for_heartside.html#incart_river_home

[GR_Urbanist]

On 2/19/2016 at 3:28 PM, ctpgr34 said:

 Love how loosely Mlive uses Landmark.  http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2016/02/demolition_eyed_for_heartside.html#incart_river_home

Rip it down, build this ^^^ project, and dont make it "low income".

 

 

[The ATX]

The article says it could be another one of those 12-story buildings.

[MJLO]

My feeling is that this particular proposal will go in the forgotten archives of "could have been".

[GRDadof3]

There's another proposal floating around for this site, an addition on Purple East. Wonder what the story is...

[x99]

Does anyone have any recent information regarding Degage?  I heard a mention that there may be issues with them staying in their current facility.  I didn't really press for details.  But I'm thinking that may have been a confusion with Heartside Ministries which ran into all sort of issues with moving into the former Tini Bikini's.  Anyone have an inside track on the local shelter industry?

[joeDowntown]

10 hours ago, x99 said:

Does anyone have any recent information regarding Degage?  I heard a mention that there may be issues with them staying in their current facility.  I didn't really press for details.  But I'm thinking that may have been a confusion with Heartside Ministries which ran into all sort of issues with moving into the former Tini Bikini's.  Anyone have an inside track on the local shelter industry?

I had rumors a few months back about Dégagé, but nothing recently. And they may just be rumors. Don't know  

Joe

[GRCentro]

On April 12, 2016 at 11:01 AM, x99 said:

Does anyone have any recent information regarding Degage?  I heard a mention that there may be issues with them staying in their current facility.  I didn't really press for details.  But I'm thinking that may have been a confusion with Heartside Ministries which ran into all sort of issues with moving into the former Tini Bikini's.  Anyone have an inside track on the local shelter industry?

From what I have heard, an unnamed local nonprofit has a multi-year option on Degage's building. They can't afford some major building maintenance items (like the crumbling terra cotta cornice) and are looking to relocate within the next couple years. Rockford is representing both parties.

[joeDowntown]

9 hours ago, GRCentro said:

From what I have heard, an unnamed local nonprofit has a multi-year option on Degage's building. They can't afford some major building maintenance items (like the crumbling terra cotta cornice) and are looking to relocate within the next couple years. Rockford is representing both parties.

It's a pretty cool old building (with a moose on it). Would love to see the facade get restored. 

Joe

[MJLO]

Is South Division going to hit a ceiling in terms of neighborhood improvement because the many homeless and missions are locked in?  It seems like the most premium spot in the city to re-engage a retail corridor downtown.

[RegalTDP]

3 hours ago, MJLO said:

Is South Division going to hit a ceiling in terms of neighborhood improvement because the many homeless and missions are locked in?  It seems like the most premium spot in the city to re-engage a retail corridor downtown.

Seriously, you want to open up that can of worms again?  We had a whole thread on this.

 

[x99]

4 hours ago, MJLO said:

Is South Division going to hit a ceiling in terms of neighborhood improvement because the many homeless and missions are locked in?  It seems like the most premium spot in the city to re-engage a retail corridor downtown.

As has already been pointed out, we've opened that can of worms before.  Long story short, if you check property records, you'll see that Dwelling Place and other homeless/low income nonprofits own vast swathes of real estate.  That said, I don't think low income housing on upper floors is a significant impediment to redevelopment of the commercial space.  What occurs on a daily basis outside of Degage's facility is 90% of that areas's image problem.  It they have to leave, it could change things substantially so long as the congregating and drinking/drugging/fighting don't simply move across the street.

So far as what is actually going on with the building, what has been posted matches up with what I have heard, sort of.  As I heard it, Degage sort of made a deal they could not cancel because they thought they had somewhere to go, and now they're stuck because their deal fell apart.  My guess is we'll hear something once the involved parties (ideally) find somewhere else for Degage to go.  No one wants to be the bad guy who put the homeless shelter out on the street, even if they have the right to do it, and no one involved has a thing to gain by mentioning any of this more publicly than they have to.  Which is why, of course, we're left with bread crumbs and speculation.  

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, RegalTDP said:

Seriously, you want to open up that can of worms again?  We had a whole thread on this.

 

I think we've had 20 threads on the subject.