Big Development in Portland (MI)

[OneSweetWorld]

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A...0/1229/portland

"The project is going to be built on 152 acres at the end of Rowe Avenue along Interstate 96 and Cutler Road. The preliminary site plan calls for 183 apartments, 128 townhouses, approximately 160 single-family home lots, 18 senior citizen duplexes, a 115-bed assisted living facility, and a commercial area for retail space, offices or live/work units. There will also be a neighborhood center that could include a playground, sports fields and a community meeting room.[size=5]"

i dont mean to be critical, but doesnt this seem a little big for a city like portland??

[MJLO]

This is cool, but isn't Portland more a Lansing ex-urb than G-Rap news?

[OneSweetWorld]

This is cool, but isn't Portland more a Lansing ex-urb than G-Rap news?

its kind of in between i guess. it will probably be a mix of people commuting to and from lansing, and grand rapids.

but still, this is a total of 604 residential units. i just cant see a city so far out of a metropolitan core support a development like this.

[MJLO]

I certainly can, take a look at the past ten years. The Portland area has had more new residential units, and new developments than anywhere else in Ionia County. I would think thats directly correlated to it's proximity to Lansing with Interstate 96 running directly thru it. That map doesn't really do it justice, it's about 20 minutes from the conveniences of Lansing, whereas it's a good 40 minutes to get to 28th St.

Not to mention that news article came from the Lansing State Journal.

[Allison Slater]

It would be like Wayland getting this, which would feel out of place, but probably could do well. Same situation here, 20 minutes from 28th St. The Windsor Woods trailor park nearly doubled the pop. of wayland back in the late 80s.

[Phizzy]

This is cool, but isn't Portland more a Lansing ex-urb than G-Rap news?

Why do you ask this question? This is in the Michigan forum, not the Grand Rapids forum. Or, was this topic moved?

Also, Portland is within the Grand Rapids-Wyoming MSA, not the Lansing-East Lansing MSA. Not that that means anything, necessarily.

[MJLO]

Phizz, It was in G-Rap.

And I'd love to know, how many residents in and around Portland commute to Grand Rapids vs. Lansing.

[statedude3]

My family roots are in Portland, my grandparents and others still live there. It's been amazing to see how much development has occured there in the past 10 years. It all started when they got a Best Western hotel, and ever since there have been new subdivisions and apartment buildings all over town.

As for commuting, I know several people that drive to Lansing daily and only one that goes to GR...just about 20 minutes to downtown Lansing via I-96, and about 35 minutes to downtown GR.

[MJLO]

yessir, while it is true, Portland is in the GR MSA, the only reason it is, is because it's just east of the Ionia/Clinton County borders. It's like Plainwell/Otsego, they are in GR MSA but only because they are barely in Allegan County, Whereas most of the residents travel to Kzoo to work and play.

[mgman]

I really do not understand who is buying all the new houses that have been built in various parts of the state.

Maybe it will help bring some other things along I-96, that is one boring ride. There is nothing along that road besides lansing and Grand Rapids east of say Brighton. I drove to GR this weekend for the first time in years and could not believe how empty the areas in between were. I guess I have just gotten used to driving between Chicago and Detroit where there are a few more cities in between.

[RustTown]

Portland is a Lansing ex-urb/satellite city, and a cool little town. It reminds me a little bit of Grand Ledge a bit closer to Lansing.

This does sound like a bit too much for Portland, at the moment, but the developers will get their way.

[Phizzy]

but still, this is a total of 604 residential units. i just cant see a city so far out of a metropolitan core support a development like this.

I agree. If Portland and surrounding townships had this kind of demand for housing, it seems like it would have happened by now. However, there appears to have been mediocre growth in the area, given the population figures:

[MJLO]

Ionia countys population is moderately growing, Phizz, is it growing faster on its GR side, or it's Lansing side?

[superNOVA]

Surprisingly I know of a few people that are moving out there. Not quite to Portland but close. If you ask me they are crazy, making that drive to GR in the winter can be hell.

But you can still get big lots cheap. If that is your thing. I am guessing for most on this board - it is not.

[midude]

I live in Portland, and have lived there my entire 35 years (minus 4 years for college). Portland is right on the fence between GR and Lansing. Here are some interesting things I've noticed about which metro Portland is more closely aligned with.

Portland has two school systems, and both play in Lansing area athletic leagues. However, if a team from either school goes to the state playoffs, they generally go through a GR area region.

Most Portland churches are governed by their respective GR or West Michigan diocese/region.

The Lansing State Journal is by far the most popular daily delivered newspaper, but the GR Press is readily available in local stores.

Our cable TV system has all the GR local channels (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox), but only 2 from Lansing (CBS and NBC). If there is overlapping programming, the GR station gets precedence.

Our phones are 517 area code, but both GR and Lansing are long distance calls.

Personally, if I'm going to go on a "night out" like for dinner and a movie I head to GR, but I do my daily work commute to Lansing.

It takes 25 minues to get to GRR airport, 20 min to LAN.

There are a significant number of households where the wage earners head in opposite directions each morning, one to GR, one to Lansing.

Our mail is handled by the Lansing post office.

Our Congressman is Vern Ehlers, from a GR area district.

Our city engineers are from a GR firm.

As to if Portland is ready for this type of development, I don't know. The local (Portland) economy certainly cannot support that many new jobs. So in my opinion the question hinges largely on fuel costs. If gas prices continue to climb, I think fewer and fewer people will consider moving this far away from their work. On the other hand, Portland does enjoy the benefits of tapping into both metro area job markets. If a couple wanted to maximize the potential job market for both people, Portland could be a logical choice.

[GaryP]

There are a significant number of households where the wage earners head in opposite directions each morning, one to GR, one to Lansing.

I bet this is what is driving the growth.

[RustTown]

I live in Portland, and have lived there my entire 35 years (minus 4 years for college). Portland is right on the fence between GR and Lansing. Here are some interesting things I've noticed about which metro Portland is more closely aligned with.

Portland has two school systems, and both play in Lansing area athletic leagues. However, if a team from either school goes to the state playoffs, they generally go through a GR area region.

Most Portland churches are governed by their respective GR or West Michigan diocese/region.

The Lansing State Journal is by far the most popular daily delivered newspaper, but the GR Press is readily available in local stores.

Our cable TV system has all the GR local channels (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox), but only 2 from Lansing (CBS and NBC). If there is overlapping programming, the GR station gets precedence.

Our phones are 517 area code, but both GR and Lansing are long distance calls.

Personally, if I'm going to go on a "night out" like for dinner and a movie I head to GR, but I do my daily work commute to Lansing.

It takes 25 minues to get to GRR airport, 20 min to LAN.

There are a significant number of households where the wage earners head in opposite directions each morning, one to GR, one to Lansing.

Our mail is handled by the Lansing post office.

Our Congressman is Vern Ehlers, from a GR area district.

Our city engineers are from a GR firm.

As to if Portland is ready for this type of development, I don't know. The local (Portland) economy certainly cannot support that many new jobs. So in my opinion the question hinges largely on fuel costs. If gas prices continue to climb, I think fewer and fewer people will consider moving this far away from their work. On the other hand, Portland does enjoy the benefits of tapping into both metro area job markets. If a couple wanted to maximize the potential job market for both people, Portland could be a logical choice.

Thanks for all of the information, Midude. Another interesting thing to add is that Portland has tourist commercials here in Lansing for its downtown area.

BTW, Lansing has some pretty far commuters. I've known quite a few people that lived in Detroit/Metro Detroit, or Jackson, or Metro Grand Rapids that commute from their homes to Lansing, and I've also known a few other's (though, less) that would live in Lansing and commute to the other metros. Being the state capitol centrally located, it's not as uncommon as many would think, and if the proposed high-speed rail is built between Lansing and Detroit, and eventually to Grand Rapids, it will connect all of the metros even more so.

[OneSweetWorld]

Maybe it will help bring some other things along I-96, that is one boring ride. There is nothing along that road besides lansing and Grand Rapids east of say Brighton. I drove to GR this weekend for the first time in years and could not believe how empty the areas in between were. I guess I have just gotten used to driving between Chicago and Detroit where there are a few more cities in between.

wow, i could not agree with you more. minus the various office parks in the eastern suburbs of grand rapids, there is nothing but farms. i think the reason is mainly becuase grand rapids is such an urban citiy, with most of the development happening in the city's core, where the detroit region is famouse for its suburban sprawl. im not sure about lansing, though. maybe its because it's just not that big...

[RustTown]

Grand Rapids Metro is actually a significantly more sprawled/decentralized metro area, and even a significantly less dense Urbanized Area.

[MJLO]

you guys are getting off topic. I know that Portland is in GR's Metro area, but I still feel it belongs to lansing. I don't care what city is this or that, I just wanted to know Ionia county Demography. Which part of the county is growing the fastest? Areas by Belding? Saranac? Ionia itself? Or perhaps the eastern side by Portland. This is all off topic from the original point about the development. But my point in bringing this up, is because I'm sure it's there to cater to the Lansing area residents looking to get a little further out of the city. I would still consider Portland a Lansing exurb.

[midude]

I would still consider Portland a Lansing exurb.

I disagree. The point of my post was that Portland is nearly equally split between the two metros geographically, politically, and commercially. It could be considered a GR ex-urb just as easily.

[Phizzy]

Which part of the county is growing the fastest? Areas by Belding? Saranac? Ionia itself? Or perhaps the eastern side by Portland.

Mostly the middle.

                                          Increase	

2000 2005 # %

Belding city 5,877 5,895 18 0.31%

Boston township 4,961 5,117 156 3.14%

Campbell township 2,243 2,380 137 6.11%

Keene township 1,660 1,802 142 8.55%

Otisco township 2,243 2,369 126 5.62%

West Quarter 16,984 17,563 579 3.41%

Berlin township 1,828 1,968 140 7.66%

Easton township 2,835 2,962 127 4.48%

Odessa township 4,036 4,180 144 3.57%

Orleans township 2,736 2,877 141 5.15%

West-Central Quarter 11,435 11,987 552 4.83%

Ionia city 11,528 12,336 808 7.01%

Ionia township 3,669 3,837 168 4.58%

Orange township 1,040 1,158 118 11.35%

Ronald township 1,903 2,047 144 7.57%

Sebewa township 1,202 1,335 133 11.06%

East-Central Quarter 19,342 20,713 1,371 7.09%

Danby township 2,696 2,847 151 5.60%

Lyons township 3,446 3,602 156 4.53%

North Plains township 1,366 1,497 131 9.59%

Portland city 3,808 3,822 14 0.37%

Portland township 2,441 2,577 136 5.57%

East Quarter 13,757 14,345 588 4.27%

Ionia County 61,518 64,608 3,090 5.02%

[GRDadof3]

I disagree. The point of my post was that Portland is nearly equally split between the two metros geographically, politically, and commercially. It could be considered a GR ex-urb just as easily.

Either way, I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to live there. Talk about having no identity.

[RustTown]

Huh? Portland has plenty of identity as a small town. Just like Charlotte, Ionia, Grand Ledge...It's a small town, and doesn't need to be judged as you would a metropolitan area.

[GRDadof3]

Huh? Portland has plenty of identity as a small town. Just like Charlotte, Ionia, Grand Ledge...It's a small town, and doesn't need to be judged as you would a metropolitan area.

Exactly, I wouldn't want to live in any of the towns you listed. To me, GR is too small. Why would anyone want anything smaller?