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New Apartment Complex at Lake Michigan & Lexington

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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You have a better eye than me civitas. I was in that area near Seward, LMD and Sibley this morning and all I saw was decay. There were a few exceptions, and obviously it gets better the further West you go, but boy some of those homes (used loosely) are in bad shape. I should have snapped some streetscape photos to show what I mean.

Perhaps the density needs to be brought down a smidge, and a more definitive deal worked out with the DASH lot (or if it is, explained better to the public). It would not serve this area well to turn it into a "student ghetto" like the Vine Neighborhood in Kzoo or the student ghetto in East Lansing. However, a nice medium density project here would only help the blight around it I believe.

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Mark Miller Whistle-Stop

Mark Miller

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If I were that neighborhood association I'd go to the City Commission and ask them to table the current request while a site-specific master plan is developed for the area from GVSU to John Ball Park. A design charrette that includes all the stakeholders would be the proper format for such a planning exercise. These first blocks are clearly not Heritage Hill. They need significant reinvestment dollars that are never available on a home by home basis. The area also needs to get immediate control of the slum lords that prey on students. Look at the housing north of Grand River Avenue in East Lansing. :(

SWAN (Southwest Area Neighbors) held a charrette on May 13 at GVSU. It included a broad cross section of business owners, residents, local activists, GVSU and John Ball Zoo. About 30 to 40 people participated for about 5 hours, many with varying ideas about how the West Fulton corridor could be like.

The scope of the charrette was wide, including from the "Zoo to the U" and mutiple blocks going north and south from West Fulton. Phil from the pottery store participated along with the woman on Seward who is adamently opposed to the apartment project. Obviously these two people have different opinions about how it should be. They represent the fractious nature of this area.

Since the charrette, a preliminary big idea plan was created with another community feed-back meeting in June. There is still much work to be done and many concessions to be made. Ultimately the neighborhood association would like to have an area specific plan that can be adopted, but there is still a long way to go to get there.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Are we going to build a city, or just talk about it - GR Press guest columnist

Some exerpts:

...the city, itself, has been a major player in setting the value of this land at over a million dollars an acre, so we shouldn't be surprised that projects like this are on the table. Nobody's going to spend that much and build single family homes! In fact, I believe no one will ever build single family homes on the lower West Side again -- unless it's something like detached townhomes requiring minimal lot widths.

...This land has just become too valuable. That, and the normal growth of a city is increased density, not bigger lots with single homes. People who want those homes aren't going to look for them in the core city. This project will attract new urbanites who'd rather not have lawns or bushes to trim -- a different type of person from what neighborhood leader Peter Carlberg is used to, and I don't think he gets it.

This is how city people live. This is the future. People have been pushing for Grand Rapids to become a city, well . . . ?

By Jerry Krupiczewicz

A good read all around.

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numstead Hamlet

numstead

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"First, this project is not connected with GVSU, so the headline in the July 28 Press on page B2 ( "Neighbors speak against GVSU apartment plan") is misleading, at least, and at worst, misrepresentation."

That was my first reaction too when I saw the article in the Press.

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GR_Urbanist Burg

GR_Urbanist

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"First, this project is not connected with GVSU, so the headline in the July 28 Press on page B2 ( "Neighbors speak against GVSU apartment plan") is misleading, at least, and at worst, misrepresentation. The developers have always insisted their market is young urban professionals, and, while they admit some might be leased by students, these are not low-end units, especially the "Brownstones."

I guess the thing I have to disagree with an overall great article, is the idea that both sides somehow need to give a veiled knock at students as being a somehow a bad thing to have in this neighborhood, and then playing the "young urban professional" card as if those people are somehow superior in everyway to the immoral, godless, uncouth, subhuman, college student and therefore makes a better case for this development to a bunch of NIMBYs. Just defend it for what it is, a high-density development for a high-density area.

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Veloise City

Veloise

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Are we going to build a city, or just talk about it - GR Press guest columnist

...

This is how city people live. This is the future. People have been pushing for Grand Rapids to become a city, well . . . ?

By Jerry Krupiczewicz

A good read all around.

Wish he could have been at the PC meeting. (Perhaps he was.) Jerry, if you are on this forum, bravo!!

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  • 1 month later...
numstead Hamlet

numstead

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Nothing like advanced notice, eh? (You've got more than a couple folks who'd be happy to show up for the cheering section...help us out here!)

[was still at work at 6 pm]

Yeah, I didnt hear about it until late afternoon, so I wasn't able to go either. From my understanding, there wasn't even any debate by the commisioners, they just listened to everyone that had anything to say and then tabled it. oh well.

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civitas Burg

civitas

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Yeah, I didnt hear about it until late afternoon, so I wasn't able to go either. From my understanding, there wasn't even any debate by the commisioners, they just listened to everyone that had anything to say and then tabled it. oh well.

They will often hold a public hearing at one meeting and then vote at the next to avoid confrontation with the public.

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snoogit Town

snoogit

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Are we going to build a city, or just talk about it - GR Press guest columnist

Some exerpts:

...the city, itself, has been a major player in setting the value of this land at over a million dollars an acre, so we shouldn't be surprised that projects like this are on the table. Nobody's going to spend that much and build single family homes! In fact, I believe no one will ever build single family homes on the lower West Side again -- unless it's something like detached townhomes requiring minimal lot widths.

...This land has just become too valuable. That, and the normal growth of a city is increased density, not bigger lots with single homes. People who want those homes aren't going to look for them in the core city. This project will attract new urbanites who'd rather not have lawns or bushes to trim -- a different type of person from what neighborhood leader Peter Carlberg is used to, and I don't think he gets it.

This is how city people live. This is the future. People have been pushing for Grand Rapids to become a city, well . . . ?

By Jerry Krupiczewicz

A good read all around.

I liked this part:

As to why the West Side? Stop and think. Simple geography. It's flat. You don't have to bulldoze hills into valleys to level it, and bedrock is only a few feet down. What that means is that a developer can build a 60-story building here and anchor it right to the planet!

Although it kind of makes me wish we never built GVSU on that side now :lol:

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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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"Grand Valley has become a problem and not an asset," said First Ward Commissioner James Jendrasiak...

WOW! That's an unexpected comment from a city commissioner.

Ladies and Gentlmen this without a shadow of a doubt is a picture purfect example of NIMBYism in action. The people living in the Near West side say they want the area to come back but are against the traffic noise, and all that comes with it. I say "You can't have your cake and eat it too." Granted I'll give up the fact that GVSU riped out a bunch of houses for surface lots. But I think GVSU's DT campus is a huge asset for the city. Except for the surface lots I think the campus is one of the most pleasing peices of architecture in the city. Oh an let's not forget the life is brought to the area thus far. Without, it that area of the city might as well be as good as dead. So if Westside is to make a revival like the rest of the core, some sacrafices have to be made here.

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civitas Burg

civitas

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Ladies and Gentlmen this without a shadow of a doubt is a picture purfect example of NIMBYism in action. The people living in the Near West side say they want the area to come back but are against the traffic noise, and all that comes with it. I say "You can't have your cake and eat it too." Granted I'll give up the fact that GVSU riped out a bunch of houses for surface lots. But I think GVSU's DT campus is a huge asset for the city. Except for the surface lots I think the campus is one of the most pleasing peices of architecture in the city. Oh an let's not forget the life is brought to the area thus far. Without, it that area of the city might as well be as good as dead. So if Westside is to make a revival like the rest of the core, some sacrafices have to be made here.

I agree, but must clarify a couple of points. GVSU downtown campus was primarily deserted factories and railroad tracks. If they tore down any houses at all it was very few. The surface lots are becoming ramps and the GVSU master plan has the ramps ultimately being surrounded by liner educational buildings.

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CK1 Whistle-Stop

CK1

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"Grand Valley has become a problem and not an asset," said First Ward Commissioner James Jendrasiak...

WOW! That's an unexpected comment from a city commissioner.

A 4-3 vote...that's pretty close...too bad a swing vote couldn't be persuaded

Those are pretty strong words from a politician. Nothing like doing his best to throw mud on one of downtown's better assets.

Too bad you have to be from that ward to cast a vote for the next commissioner...

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PBJ Burg

PBJ

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"Grand Valley has become a problem and not an asset," said First Ward Commissioner James Jendrasiak...

WOW! That's an unexpected comment from a city commissioner.

:blink::huh:

Wow, I would expect some back peddling in the near future. How one of the fastest growing (in size and recognition) educational institutions in the state can be called a "problem" is beyond me. As stated in a later post, GVSU has done nothing but revitalize that part of town, which used to be completely run down.

I can't see even an argument that the students cause many problems "off hours" as the campus is 90% commuter. It's not like Allendale where a lot of students live in the immediate vicinity and cause the need for increased police patrols and such to control students and the way they sometimes act (tailgating and parties and so on).

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CK1 Whistle-Stop

CK1

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Here's a question...does the City have any say as to what Grand Valley puts on its properties? I know that in Ann Arbor, UofM pretty much has free reign to do what it wants with its land. If GVSU came through and bought up blocks of the west side (as it has done in the past), could they build apartment and education-related buildings without planning commission approval?

I can't see even an argument that the students cause many problems "off hours" as the campus is 90% commuter. It's not like Allendale where a lot of students live in the immediate vicinity and cause the need for increased police patrols and such to control students and the way they sometimes act (tailgating and parties and so on).

I would have to think that the YMCA has caused more traffic and parking issues than GVSU.

And no, I am not Y-bashing - I belong to, use, and love the Y, and I honestly wish that it were twice the size it is now (the place is busting at the seams during peak hours).

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mpchicago Burg

mpchicago

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Granted I'll give up the fact that GVSU riped out a bunch of houses for surface lots.

I didn't realize that GVSU had demolished any homes for surface lots. I know that there was a huge furniture factory on the site of the Pew Campus, and the resident halls were the site of a barrel manufacturer. Maybe there were homes where the GVSU parking ramp is? Regardless, the city has devoured more homes for their DASH lots there than anyone else.

EDIT: See that Civitas addressed the demolished homes issue...

Was the density of the project really inappropriate or am I missing something? Some disturbing comments from Commissioner Jendrasiak. :blink:

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