Jump to content

Walker Lear site receives Renaissance Zone status


GRDadof3

Recommended Posts

This article states that the State House passed the bill to create a Renaissance Zone at this location, and I believe Granholm approved it this past week:

http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/inde...5640.xml&coll=6

http://www.mibiz.com/absolutenm/templates/...=8791&zoneid=25

I think we've discussed that Blue Bridge Ventures plans to close on this next month.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 16
  • Created
  • Last Reply

This article states that the State House passed the bill to create a Renaissance Zone at this location, and I believe Granholm approved it this past week:

http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/inde...5640.xml&coll=6

I think we've discussed that Blue Bridge Ventures plans to close on this next month.

Jack, consider the bigger picture as you distribute industrial and retail uses. The land to the north may be available, including the school on Hillside. If you can cross the tracks, you could have direct access to the US-131 interchange. Its time for the junk yards to redevelop too. BTW, Meijer is not interested in moving their store.

128717953_9e258066a1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fairview Elementary is going nowhere either :P If Kenowa Hills does sell a school it would be Marne Elementary, not Fairview.

As an alum of Fairview (hehe) I would be happy to see the school and that big chunk of land remain in the hands of KHPS. Although - I'm sure if the price was right they'd build a new elementery school and vacate that parcel. (I wonder if anyone would push for historical status on that building - it's been there forever).

Ahh - current building built in 1918 after a fire destroyed the previous building...

http://fairview.khps.org/fairviewhistory.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

fairview is old and ugly, I'm for Kenowa upgrading it's primary schools!While they are at it they might as well merge the school district with Comstock Park, they could streamline operations, and both schools could rise from obscurity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

fairview is old and ugly, I'm for Kenowa upgrading it's primary schools!While they are at it they might as well merge the school district with Comstock Park, they could streamline operations, and both schools could rise from obscurity.

Kenowa is doing just fine on its own actually. Its moved up from small farm school status, into the same league as the Jenison, and Lowell Schools in terms of size. It will only get bigger as Walker gets bigger.

edit: KHPS Alum, (2001)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you speculating or is this fact?

My comment about considering more land wasn't meant to spark a discussion about school closings, but this is very interesting. I was told by a past administration that the Hillside School parents love their school and would resist loosing it for any reason. I was also told that the system would entertain an offer to buy the building. "Entertain," of course, does not mean they would accept such an offer. At the time I was considering a development of the parcel south of the school.

For the Lear site discussion, I think it is always smart planning to consider nearby land uses when planning a large redevelopment. Everything changes over time. Maybe the school needs to be bigger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kenowa isn't making any major budget changes for the upcoming school year. Last year we mothballed rooms in some of the buildings, but there are a lot of housing developments going up in the area and two of the five elementaries are already at capacity. They're already shifting students from new developments in the Zinser area (Leonard and Kinney West) out to Marne as they enter the district.

Also, as far as merging with Comstock Park, they do work together already. We share our Food Service Manager with Comstock Park and Kenowa provides Bilingual and Migrant programs for Comstock Park. I could see more sharing of services, but not a merger unless the state steps in and starts pushing that.

With the heat other districts have taken over closing schools the budget will have to get a lot worse before they seriously entertain closing any school buildings.

With the ratio of commercial property to housing, the commercial growth along both sides of I-96 out past Walker Ave, and the possiblities from the development at Walker and I-96 they are in pretty good shape compared to alot of school districts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nix the track crossing - if there is not an existing crossing, the RR people will fight tooth and nail against it.

It adds a new point of liability for them.

Why do they have any say in the matter? They were there first. Most roads had to get easements to cross

RR tracks, back in the day.

Too bad because thats not a very busy streach of track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why do they have any say in the matter? They were there first. Most roads had to get easements to cross

RR tracks, back in the day.

Yep, now add in the fact that federal railroad laws basically make the railroad a god wherever their track is laid and you pretty much have a tough hill to climb if the railroad doesn't want you there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.