Mercantile Bank to build on Riverfront?

[civitas]

Oh sweet mother of crap!!

Very nicely said. I agree!

[GRGyp]

Mercantile Bank must of decided to rebuild the World Trade Center along the banks of the Grand River, rescaled to size for cocker-spaniels.

[mjak68]

They had apparently gone back with some changes (increased setback from the river being one of them).

Thank heavens.

[torgo]

I'll bet their building still looks like hell

[MJLO]

I still don't understand why they don't just build one Large facility that will accompany their growth. What is the companies reasoning. I think it's great that they are trying to help the community by building in somewhat "blighted" areas. But building a bunch of low rise clone buildings will turn the near west side into Cascade Twp. Not help density, or the city much at all.

[Prankster]

I still don't understand why they don't just build one Large facility that will accompany their growth. What is the companies reasoning. I think it's great that they are trying to help the community by building in somewhat "blighted" areas. But building a bunch of low rise clone buildings will turn the near west side into Cascade Twp. Not help density, or the city much at all.

Bottom line, it is much cheaper to build 4 - 5 stories, than 15 - 20 stories. And because Grand Rapids are not into building "trophy" buildings, cost and function take precidence over form.

[wolverine]

Even putting the parking the underground, in say 2 levels, and having the two buildings form a sort of campus would have been nice. You could still have a few spaces above ground, but it would have appeared more dense. Poor planning, poor building strategy IMO. This could still look really great, even as lowrise buildings. It's just all that parking that gets me.

[jschutMTU]

Even putting the parking the underground, in say 2 levels, and having the two buildings form a sort of campus would have been nice. You could still have a few spaces above ground, but it would have appeared more dense. Poor planning, poor building strategy IMO. This could still look really great, even as lowrise buildings. It's just all that parking that gets me.

you can't put 2 levels of parking in that area. The North side of GR in the river basin has bed rock at a very low depth. They actually hit it while building the existing Mercentile Building. Its about 13' in the ground of so. The foundation sits right on it. I-96 is about the cut off for where the foundation of taller buildings changes. This is why the JW marriot, Riverfront Building Expansion, and Alticor parking deck had pile foundations. That entire area is poor ground to build on, its mostly fill from early in GR's life. North of I-96 you dont need expansive foundations but you are limited to the depth of your building.

[baronium]

North of I-96 you dont need expansive foundations but you are limited to the depth of your building.

Do you mean north of I-196? The Mercantile building is north of I-196. North of I-96 is Comstock Park.

[GRDadof3]

Thanks baronium. A pet peave of mine.

Couldn't they have made the first couple of floors of the building parking? Not necessarily two UG levels of parking? That would have left them room to expand again if need be, without having to overpay for more riverfront property. Then they could have put in a pond/park on the Front St side for employees to enjoy (or something better than hot asphalt), or put a park on the river side.

[twoshort]

One of their board members is David Cassard who "is member of the Downtown Development Authority and Downtown Improvement District Board." Maybe he should step up and address the parking situation.

[joeDowntown]

Other than the twin surface lots, I kind of like the idea of two buildings. I'd rather have one big one downtown (too bad Lyon & Ottawa wasn't around) but I think it'll look interesting coming south into downtown.

Joe

[wolverine]

you can't put 2 levels of parking in that area. The North side of GR in the river basin has bed rock at a very low depth. They actually hit it while building the existing Mercentile Building. Its about 13' in the ground of so. The foundation sits right on it. I-96 is about the cut off for where the foundation of taller buildings changes. This is why the JW marriot, Riverfront Building Expansion, and Alticor parking deck had pile foundations. That entire area is poor ground to build on, its mostly fill from early in GR's life. North of I-96 you dont need expansive foundations but you are limited to the depth of your building.

Ah, I didn't realize the bedrock was so close to the surface.

[tamias6]

I would like to see the building close to the street and the parking at the rear. Sure you'd still have an asphalt dessert but at least customers and employees would get a view of the river.

[MJLO]

Haha makes me think that maybe Mecantile bank could have just been the tenant of if they finished Lyon at Ottawa.

[joeDowntown]

With great signage rights right in the financial district (can I call it that?)

Haha makes me think that maybe Mecantile bank could have just been the tenant of if they finished Lyon at Ottawa.

[GRDadof3]

Mercantile compromised with the city on the design and are going with only 4 stories and providing a 10' public easement for a walkway along the river.

http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us//download...9c2e7f8499b.pdf

[GR_Urbanist]

As far as I can tell, they are still going to build the same god awlful building, just a little further away from the river's edge. It's still going to have the same in-front parking lot that was there in the first place! The city totally waived the requirement to have the lot on the side or at the rear of the building.

Great Job guys. Nice to know all that master plan stuff is going to great use!

[sarcasm]

[GRDadof3]

As far as I can tell, they are still going to build the same god awlful building, just a little further away from the river's edge. It's still going to have the same in-front parking lot that was there in the first place! The city totally waived the requirement to have the lot on the side or at the rear of the building.

Great Job guys. Nice to know all that master plan stuff is going to great use!

[sarcasm]

Actually, in the minutes one of the Commissioners pointed out that in the Master Plan, residents of Grand Rapids preferred to have buildings along the riverfront pushed closer to the river, vs. having a parking lot on the river. Treating the river as the "street front". But they also wanted public access maintained or created in any new developments along the river.