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Urban Music Village

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids

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francishsu Hamlet

francishsu

Posted
Posted

No silly :P , I was thinking about something more specific like this...

http://history.acusd.edu/gen/recording/music-row.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Row

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twoshort Town

twoshort

Posted
Posted

I would say that the Press has it close enough to start this new thread.

I think the title of the thread is a little much. There is no unveiling, it's just talking about more rumor. It isn't CONFIRMED by anyone.

I did like seeing metrogrkid in the article.. but there was no unveiling unless i missed something.

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

Posted
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You've got to watch PR people though. :) Don is good, and is obviously saying what he wants to say, which is a whole lot of nothing (which is why good PR people can drive you nuts). :)

Can anyone possibly see Google working in a "search, storage, retrieval" mode for the music industry? I hear this "possible" Google office may only be 150 people or so (and could be unrelated to this music village). Maybe it's tied to the VAI/MSU thing :dontknow:

OK snoogit, now you're just in denial :P Did you read the article? The local PR agent all but confirmed it (as much as he could).

I am not trying to add to speculation about Google, but I think it would be safe to assume that Google is working on an iTunes killer since they have their hands in everything, and usually do a darn good job of innovating (but this is just a statement on Google, not on whether they will come to Grand Rapids).

Maybe that is where Google comes in?
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superNOVA Whistle-Stop

superNOVA

Posted
Posted

Now the why us portion...

GR is an up and coming metro with high per capita income, low average age, and relatively healthy growth. Not to mention it is right between Detroit and Chicago. Does not get much better than that for a development like this.

I doubt the connection is with an artist, or even a studio exec. The connection is with stats and numbers. Someone does not tell their company to spend $2 billion and move just because they miss their home town. Lots and lots of research goes into these things.

Look into some of my past posts (the ones where I was shouted down for cheerleading the region) - the answers are all there.

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snoogit Town

snoogit

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Can anyone possibly see Google working in a "search, storage, retrieval" mode for the music industry? I hear this "possible" Google office may only be 150 people or so (and could be unrelated to this music village). Maybe it's tied to the VAI/MSU thing :dontknow:

OK snoogit, now you're just in denial :P Did you read the article? The local PR agent all but confirmed it (as much as he could).

Maybe it is just a little denial I thought it would be something that made well a little more sense. Something about this just doesn't seem right is all.

I mean, Do many rap artists even come to GR? It seems like this might be better for St. Louis, or Atlanta, or even Detroit, but not GR, where the Hip-Hop establishment is very much in place.

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hood Burg

hood

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While I wish GR the best, I think that a development like this would be better suited, more feasable, and much more needed in a larger city, namely Detroit. I can't imagine why they would want to build in GR, but as I said, I wish GR the best with this project because it sounds too good to be true.

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GRCentro Hamlet

GRCentro

Posted
Posted

Now the why us portion...

GR is an up and coming metro with high per capita income, low average age, and relatively healthy growth. Not to mention it is right between Detroit and Chicago. Does not get much better than that for a development like this.

I doubt the connection is with an artist, or even a studio exec. The connection is with stats and numbers. Someone does not tell their company to spend $2 billion and move just because they miss their home town. Lots and lots of research goes into these things.

Look into some of my past posts (the ones where I was shouted down for cheerleading the region) - the answers are all there.

I think you are right superNOVA. GR is a healthy and growing city, located between Chicago and Detroit...

...perfect fertile ground for a fresh start in cultivating a new wave of talent.

I think we all owe a huge thank you to the visionary minds at MBEI for getting this ball rolling.

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GRCentro Hamlet

GRCentro

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Posted

Yeah, this will be GREAT for GR. Everyone knows rap & hip-hop artists are wondferful citizens. This will create 10,000 jobs? Why do they need valuable riverfront property for this?

:blink: Give me a break. This isn't going to be a playground for 50cent and G-Unit to run around and shoot things. This is going to an incubator for new talent. Furthermore, urban music is far more than just rap. Think hip-hop, R&B, jazz, house, carribbean, soul, probably even some blues and latin...

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Rizzo City

Rizzo

Posted
Posted

While I wish GR the best, I think that a development like this would be better suited, more feasable, and much more needed in a larger city, namely Detroit. I can't imagine why they would want to build in GR, but as I said, I wish GR the best with this project because it sounds too good to be true.

If this was better suited for Detroit wouldn't it be there instead of GR? Its here for a reason, whether its demographics or pure hometown pride if the people behind this are from GR. Why was Detroit even mentioned, why not Lansing?

I agree it sounds to be to be true, but thats because its taken a life of its own due to various hype by local media. As far as I can tell there hasn't been any official contact from developer, not a single communique from PR people. We can't even say this is billions, or 10,000 jobs.

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quoteme3 Whistle-Stop

quoteme3

Posted
Posted

If a recording business settles into that neighborhood, the strip club London is developing at 234 Market Ave. SW would not be a problem, London said. "They were willing to have me in the quadrant -- they just didn't want it across the street."

Heartwell said negotiations for London's property should resume next week. "It's a key parcel in this land acquisition," he said, though the project could probably build around it.

In any case, he believes the developer -- who is different from the proposed occupant of the property -- will succeed. "I remain optimistic," Heartwell said. \

Thats an interesting snippet from the press article. Looks like ML might actually get to have his cake and eat it too. Kudo's to the mayor if in fact he can set aside ideallism for the sake of the greater good here. Anything beats drawing a line in the sand under these circumstances. Quickest and best scenario - just give him a place to move, period. BTW... maybe a little off topic, but wasnt the buzz by developer sorts around town a couple years ago "you cant have a REAL convention type location/city without a strip club."?

It may not appeal to your better ethical senses, but everybody should have a right to move if they are in the way of something or not wanted. I think Jefferson called that Liberty.

As for the New developer....... WELCOME! bring it on! The S Curve currently stands as a boundry few have dared to cross in what could be considered a blighted neighborhood a few short years ago. Custer and the Rapid station are a short list of peeps who dared be on "the other side of the tracks". To revitalize the whole quadrant to be attractive to retail and the like - it will take a project of this size to make the transformation.

I have my doubts any local developers would be willing to take that risk considering the price tag on the city property alone. This is a good mairrage in a lonely Chapel.

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Rizzo City

Rizzo

Posted
Posted

http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4681262 Looks like our little birdie was kinda right... Somebody is feeding info around,

Huh: ^

To talk directly with Grand Rapidians, we try tapping "chat rooms" or forums on the commercial services, but this information is circumspect and unreliable at best. We also search the Web for information on Grand Rapids. A growing number of cities have established home pages, which can be found directly by typing the city name into a search engine or through sites such as City.Net (http://www.city.net).
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DSchoon Whistle-Stop

DSchoon

Posted
Posted

I think i'm on to something, could it have been infront of our faces the whole time?

Steven Belkin:

Originally from Grand Rapids, Mi.

He was forced out of the ownership in atlanta, but before he had lost his dream of OWNING an NBA franchise to music/TV mogul Robert L Johnson, of BET fame.

Belkin heads up Trans National Group, a VC/entreprenurial group out of Boston. He spent considerable time in Atlanta with the Hawks.

Belkin received his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Cornell in 1969 and his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1971

David Minkin, from POGO law, in Atlanta.

M.B.A., Harvard University, 1973

A.B., Government, Cornell University, 1969

[/quote

That sucks. You just burned one of my trump cards.

Since we're playing this game, I'll give you another one I haven't been able to anything with, here's the clue: "Poor man's Michael Jackson."

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