Grand Rapids Then and Now

[mpchicago]

What is the building on the triangular land on fulton, louis and ottawa? There is a parking lot there now, but it looks like there was a decent sized building there at one time.

That was a 10 story parking garage if I'm not mistaken. I've said this before, but the current parking lot should be turned into a park, with a water feature

[andrew.w]

Okay, one more question:

What was the seven story brick building on the Ottawa side of the new GRAM site and when was it demolished? (as seen in GRCentro's black and white photo attachment)

Edited March 14, 2006 by andrew69@ltu

[joeDowntown]

I have a picture. I'll scan it in soon. The Van Hoek's building was one of the most awful "modernizations" ever. Aggregate rock facade with NO windows above the first floor. Just fire access doors on the west facing walls. Horrible stuff! DeVries did an awesome job on that building!

Joe

Does anyone have any pictures of the way this building used to be? I am posting this from my office in that building now, it now goes by Aldrich Place. Ed DeVries & Co. a really nice job redoing it. I just can't remember what it used to look like.

[Sunlover38]

I was only 6 years old at this time, but I remember the construction of Plaza Towers and Bridgewater Place. Wasn't the Plaza Tower originally a Raddison Hotel?

OK, now I feel old . . . . . . .anyway, it has always been condos + a hotel . . . . . . .

[Rizzo]

I was about six or seven around that time also, and I would get the tour of the place while it was being constructed. My uncle did the carpeting in some of the upper floors... Man, everytime I went there I was terrified of that thing, it was such a monster.

Edited March 15, 2006 by Rizzo

[grrwymg]

OK, now I feel old . . . . . . .anyway, it has always been condos + a hotel . . . . . . .

And apartments.

I was about six or seven around that time also, and I would get the tour of the place while it was being constructed. My uncle did the carpeting in some of the upper floors... Man, everytime I went there I was terrified of that thing, it was such a monster.

Anyone else been up to the roof of Plaza Towers? My company used to provide the cable Internet access to Plaza Towers before Comcast swooped in and bought out the cable company that used to do the CATV there.

Got to see some pretty neat things inside that giant building. The view from the roof and some of the upper floor condos is breathtaking.

Edited March 15, 2006 by grrwymg

[Rizzo]

I just remember having to watch my step

[Prankster]

I got a view of downtown from the balcony of one of the penthouse suites on the top floor. Very nice view.

[GRDadof3]

Okay, one more question:

What was the seven story brick building on the Ottawa side of the new GRAM site and when was it demolished? (as seen in GRCentro's black and white photo attachment)

That was a department store (I believe Herpelscheimer's).

I know I've asked this before, but does anyone have an old picture of the Aldrich Building (Van Hoeks Shoes) when it was entirely wrapped in wrapping paper and a bow just before Devries unveiled the renovation?

[mejane]

The GRPD is now in the old Herpolscheimers building. Wurzburgs was the

department store now gone. Steketees occupied the building where River

Bank books and Blue Cross is. Visiting all three before Christmas in the

early 60's was a treat beyond words for a kid.

Edited March 16, 2006 by mejane

[Rizzo]

^Yup, almost paints a picture of "A Christmas Story."

[mpchicago]

The GRPD is now in the old Herpolscheimers building. Wurzburgs was the

department store now gone. Steketees occupied the building where River

Bank books and Blue Cross is. Visiting all three before Christmas in the

early 60's was a treat beyond words for a kid.

The building in question (SW corner of Monroe and Ottawa), was infact Herpolshimer's, originally. When they moved to their new store at Monroe and Division, Wurzburg's took over that spot. That's why the sight of the the new GRAM was called the Wurzburg Block for years.

[mpchicago]

I know I've asked this before, but does anyone have an old picture of the Aldrich Building (Van Hoeks Shoes) when it was entirely wrapped in wrapping paper and a bow just before Devries unveiled the renovation?

[GR1]

And apartments.

Anyone else been up to the roof of Plaza Towers? My company used to provide the cable Internet access to Plaza Towers before Comcast swooped in and bought out the cable company that used to do the CATV there.

Got to see some pretty neat things inside that giant building. The view from the roof and some of the upper floor condos is breathtaking.

Not the roof of Plaza Towers, however once I was strapped into a harness on the roof of the AGP...talk about terrifying!!

[downtownGRguy]

I have a picture. I'll scan it in soon. The Van Hoek's building was one of the most awful "modernizations" ever. Aggregate rock facade with NO windows above the first floor. Just fire access doors on the west facing walls. Horrible stuff! DeVries did an awesome job on that building!

Joe

Joe---any luck on this? I am tiring of the "Project X" discussion, ready to get back to some other topics

I just can't imagine why they would cover all the windows above the first floor, my office has two huge windows looking over Monroe Center...the view is better now that BCBS renovated the Steketees building!

[twoshort]

Joe---any luck on this? I am tiring of the "Project X" discussion, ready to get back to some other topics

I second that.

[GRDadof3]

Here's one photo linky to the Aldrich Bldg when Siegels occupied it, but I think they even added more of that siding later on :

http://www.grpl.org/photocoll?cat=onclick&keynum=340

[torgo]

Oh barf. That looks terrible. Its baffling that somone would put that siding on there, on purpose.

[grmetro]

Here's one photo linky to the Aldrich Bldg when Siegels occupied it, but I think they even added more of that siding later on :

I've seen many a photo of the Aldrich building w/ the wrapping paper. I don't, however, have any in my possession but the DeVries website does. I would bet that if you call Janene at DeVries she could help you out if you let her know that you are a photo junky. DeVries has some other great shots of their restoration projects and many before and afters on their website. The work they are doing on Clear Water Place is amazing. Check it out: www.devriescompanies.com

Edited March 26, 2006 by grmetro

[GRCentro]

Thanks for the link, grmetro.

[andrew.w]

So the complete facing was changed when the building was completely wraped. I thought that the style in GRDad's link looked different from that of the aerial photo back on page one.

Is that a picture of the installation or removal of the siding?

[joeDowntown]

I'll try and dig it up. I'm going out of town on business so it might be after I get back, but you have to see the ungodly job they did on this building. A complete bunker. It is such a beautiful building now. It is crazy to think that they thought covering it up was the right thing to do.

Joe

Joe---any luck on this? I am tiring of the "Project X" discussion, ready to get back to some other topics

I just can't imagine why they would cover all the windows above the first floor, my office has two huge windows looking over Monroe Center...the view is better now that BCBS renovated the Steketees building!

[andrew.w]

It is crazy to think that they thought covering it up was the right thing to do.

You could ask that question with almost any building that had 60s/70s "improvements" (i.e. tacking tiles or siding or some sort of panel over the entire front of the building.) In addition to looking bad or bland, alot of them were done cheaply and after years of weathering look even worse.

So why do it - to hide something old and "outdated" with a fresh new look?

Edited March 28, 2006 by andrew69@ltu

[Nitro]

You could ask that question with almost any building that had 60s/70s "improvements" (i.e. tacking tiles or siding or some sort of panel over the entire front of the building.) In addition to looking bad or bland, alot of them were done cheaply and after years of weathering look even worse.

So why do it - to hide something old and "outdated" with a fresh new look?

Honestly I'm glad they did it that way...........becuase it makes it easy to take it off and restore the old front of the building.

Typically building alteration takes the path of least resistance. If you can cover something up rather then physically remove it from the buiding you are usually money ahead. Building owners that did projects like that typically didn't have a lot of money and that was the cheapest method to give the building a "new" look.

You'd be suprised what architectural gems hide under those panels.

Edited March 28, 2006 by Nitro

[GRDadof3]

Not to defend the generations ahead of us, but you guys have to realize what was going on back then.

The indoor mall was introduced, and they were sleak and new,

The jet age arrived, and influenced everything from cars (big gull wings) to clothes, to architecture, to movies, to everything,

People thought that we were never going to go back to the old, that we would be in flying cars and personal rocket jet packs,

Suburbs were strarting to take off, promising new frontiers of safe neighborhoods,

The civil rights movement and unrest in the inner city began,

If you look at those photos of the ugly panellings on the older buildings, they look strangely like Woodland Mall , for a reason. The Italianate architecture downtown that we so love was associated with crime, dirt, old, bad!!! I'm with Nitro, at least they had the foresight to just cover it up and hope people would come back to their senses.