Grand Rapids Then and Now

[Pattmost20]

Decided to find a few more pictures from throughout the years.

[destijl]

4 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

Does anyone know what the curved brick building was? I assume it's gone. 

Joe

I believe it was the Vinkemulder Building.

[walker]

4 hours ago, destijl said:

I believe it was the Vinkemulder Building.

Here's the 1953 Sanborn map showing the Vinkemulder Building with all the railroad tracks etc.  It's probably more than anyone wants to know:

 

Most everything is changed now including the name of this part of Market which was renamed Monroe.

link to map

After you link, If you click once more on the map it will expand and be more readable.

Edited November 14, 2016 by walker

[RegalTDP]

41 minutes ago, walker said:

Here's the 1953 Sanborn map showing the Vinkemulder Building with all the railroad tracks etc.  It's probably more than anyone wants to know:

Most everything is changed now including the name of this part of Market which was renamed Monroe.

link to map

After you link, If you click once more on the map it will expand and be more readable.

Thanks, that clears it up.  I wasn't sure where the building in question was actually located & how it was oriented.

At first I was surprised to see that tracks used to run through that location, then I remembered, duh, the Blue Bridge must've been built for a reason... 

[joeDowntown]

So the Vinkemudler building was approximately where the valet area of plaza towers is, correct?

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the info. 

Joe

[GR_Urbanist]

 

(2006) D.A Blodgett Restoration

[SEsideguy]

Berlinishdat Teknoglogikol Instutoot.

[joeDowntown]

Found a treasure trove of old pictures from what I like to call the "Second Wave". After the Arena was announced but before it was open. I'll share photos as I have time.

I'm amazed at how dilapidated downtown was. And yet I was still enamored with it. 

First up, the B.O.B.  Before they had announced what it was, or that it was even being developed. I notice them cutting holes in the side of the building. Imagine waking up in your hotel room across the street to this building. This really said "Welcome to Grand Rapids!"

 

[kevin8gr]

I remember hearing that when they were building Plaza Towers or EastBank Towers as it was called the developers were worried that people  would not want to live across the street from this boarded up building. I remember construction of EastBank started around 1988 I think.

[arcturus]

Check out the changes from just 5 1/2 yrs ago.

https://youtu.be/9I_nikxYxbE

[walker]

Just found this - A real nice video of a movie made by the Grand Rapids Amateur Movie Club the year I was born:

Grand Rapids 1946

Looks like a nice place to live.

[GRDadof3]

12 hours ago, walker said:

Just found this - A real nice video of a movie made by the Grand Rapids Amateur Movie Club the year I was born:

Grand Rapids 1946

Looks like a nice place to live.

Wow, look how huge those lead-burning gas-guzzling cars were back then! Bigger than SUV's!

Just kidding, that's pretty cool. I'll have to watch the whole thing when I get a chance. 

[arcturus]

Grand Rapids 1946.  What an amazing video.   Can someone tell me what building is seen at 4:40?

 

[GR_Urbanist]

It looks like the entrance to the old City Hall.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2017 by GR_Urbanist

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, arcturus said:

Grand Rapids 1946.  What an amazing video.   Can someone tell me what building is seen at 4:40?

 

 

I think that's the Richmond Park pool house. 

Ah, GRUrbanist is right, at 4:40 is the old city hall:

[gvsusean]

2 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

I think that's the Richmond Park pool house. 

Ah, GRUrbanist is right, at 4:40 is the old city hall:

IMO, the greatest loss of urban renewal.... i would crap a brick if a developer came along with the old plans and rebuilt it with a modern interior...

Edit: looks like plans do exist

https://www.google.co.id/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://grplpedia.grpl.org/wiki/images/d/da/222.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjXyqbfrJHSAhVKMY8KHe_LD_gQFgghMAM&usg=AFQjCNHfbHb_MhcE6YuuRIJFhW65_VngpQ&sig2=hSV7kNj-sJpgsrruMTtUSQ

Edited February 15, 2017 by gvsusean

[Allison Slater]

10 hours ago, gvsusean said:

IMO, the greatest loss of urban renewal.... i would crap a brick if a developer came along with the old plans and rebuilt it with a modern interior...

Edit: looks like plans do exist

https://www.google.co.id/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://grplpedia.grpl.org/wiki/images/d/da/222.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjXyqbfrJHSAhVKMY8KHe_LD_gQFgghMAM&usg=AFQjCNHfbHb_MhcE6YuuRIJFhW65_VngpQ&sig2=hSV7kNj-sJpgsrruMTtUSQ

If I were rich..

[thebeerqueer]

13 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

I think that's the Richmond Park pool house. 

Ah, GRUrbanist is right, at 4:40 is the old city hall:

 

Yep, that's the one. A Westside gem. 

[EastownLeo]

Wish this would have been implemented.  

[mpchicago]

DTS Winkelmann, designed an addition to the building about 10 years ago, before the recession put a lid on the plan. 

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/115455-former-ja-building-renovation/

Edited April 11, 2017 by mpchicago

[EastownLeo]

7 minutes ago, mpchicago said:

DTS Winkelmann, designed an addition to the building about 10 years ago, before the recession put the lid on the plan. 

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/115455-former-ja-building-renovation/

I would much rather have the clean, artdeco style look of the original.  It even more interesting when you see what was next to it.

 

[mpchicago]

Its hard to tell from the rendering, but they were actually following the same exact lines, and window layout of the original building, and I think were going to reuse the old stone roof cornice on top of the addition. I liked the contrast in brick color from the original two floors to the new red brick for the addition.  

[joeDowntown]

6 hours ago, mpchicago said:

Its hard to tell from the rendering, but they were actually following the same exact lines, and window layout of the original building, and I think were going to reuse the old stone roof cornice on top of the addition. I liked the contrast in brick color from the original two floors to the new red brick for the addition.  

I also remember them deciding to go with red brick as they couldn't get a proper match to the original brick.

Joe

[EastownLeo]

14 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I also remember them deciding to go with red brick as they couldn't get a proper match to the original brick.

Joe

I also think that red brick is cheaper.

[ProtoSapien]

Hi, I saw this and thought this group might find it interesting - Rare Maps Unearthed