Eastern Floral moving to the inner city

[GRDadof3]

It looks like Eastern Floral is seeking a Brownfield Credit to demolish an old factory and replace it with a 23,000 sf retail, office and production facility at 818 Butterworth Drive.

Page 52 - City Commission Agenda

[twoshort]

It looks like Eastern Floral is seeking a Brownfield Credit to demolish an old factory and replace it with a 23,000

That is QUITE the relocation. I wonder what the motivation is for this? My only guess is that its a second location/HQ or most of their business is not retail any more, so location isn't as crucial.

[GRDadof3]

That is QUITE the relocation. I wonder what the motivation is for this? My only guess is that its a second location/HQ or most of their business is not retail any more, so location isn't as crucial.

The city memo says they are going to relocate their corporate offices, all 40 of their staff and add 10 - 12 positions. I bet you're right that most of their business is now corporate and/or people calling in for deliveries, because that area is pretty industrial on the edge of a what I would call a "depressed" area. Not exactly convenient for most people in Grand Rapids. It should do wonders for that area. There are a few older buildings that could be nice with some sprucing up. If the owner owns the land at 28th and Beltline, they should make a killing on the sale.

[civitas]

The city memo says they are going to relocate their corporate offices, all 40 of their staff and add 10 - 12 positions. I bet you're right that most of their business is now corporate and/or people calling in for deliveries, because that area is pretty industrial on the edge of a what I would call a "depressed" area. Not exactly convenient for most people in Grand Rapids. It should do wonders for that area. There are a few older buildings that could be nice with some sprucing up. If the owner owns the land at 28th and Beltline, they should make a killing on the sale.

Eastern Floral leases their building at 28th & Broadmoor.

The same owner that owns the Eastern Floral building also has the land on either side of Eastern Floral.

[tamias6]

The floral shop is a nice score for the inner city. More tax revenue for GR. Hopfully the floral shop will do well enough in their new home that other businesses will follow in their foot steps.

[The one & only]

The floral shop is a nice score for the inner city. More tax revenue for GR. Hopfully the floral shop will do well enough in their new home that other businesses will follow in their foot steps.

Muller owns the building for eastern floral. They have been wanting to go out to knapps corner but muller and reminnga's place is too expensive and Benner is blowing up the deal for the other corner.

[Kayak1]

I know that Muller was trying to get a Jared Jewelers at the old Ethan Allen store but that fell through.

[GRDadof3]

I thought I heard they were going to level everything on that corner and build something new, like the thing that's going in where Grand Olds used to be?

Jeez, and with that Ford Dealership moving down the street, that's going to be one big vacant corner.

[DwntwnGeo]

I thought I heard they were going to level everything on that corner and build something new, like the thing that's going in where Grand Olds used to be?

Jeez, and with that Ford Dealership moving down the street, that's going to be one big vacant corner.

Maybe they wanted to build a Home Depot on the site so it can compete with the Lowes across the street....

[CK1]

Maybe they wanted to build a Home Depot on the site so it can compete with the Lowes across the street....

I don't know about a Home Depot, since they are just down the street in a pretty decent location, but Menard's coming out of hiding from behind Eastpointe...

Perhaps a fast-food mecca could go here? Lord knows there aren't enough drive-thru's on 28th street

[tamias6]

I don't know about a Home Depot, since they are just down the street in a pretty decent location, but Menard's coming out of hiding from behind Eastpointe...

Perhaps a fast-food mecca could go here? Lord knows there aren't enough drive-thru's on 28th street

Could be worse. Sam Walton could slap a Wally-World on that piece of land.

[Kayak1]

Could be worse. Sam Walton could slap a Wally-World on that piece of land.

Bite your tongue tamias. I heard Muller was looking at smaller tenants like the Jared that I spoke about earlier but that was before Eastern moving.

[civitas]

Bite your tongue tamias. I heard Muller was looking at smaller tenants like the Jared that I spoke about earlier but that was before Eastern moving.

The Press article said Eastern is moving their production facilities and their corporate offices but will keep the retail store at 28th and Broadmoor. That site appears very difficult to efficiently develop if Eastern Floral keeps their current location on the site.

[joeDowntown]

Which would be crazy since the Ford dealer was originally an "HQ" home improvement store.

I don't know about a Home Depot, since they are just down the street in a pretty decent location, but Menard's coming out of hiding from behind Eastpointe...

Perhaps a fast-food mecca could go here? Lord knows there aren't enough drive-thru's on 28th street

[GRDadof3]

According to the Planning Commission agenda for this week, this project has been "withdrawn". Anyone know the details?

[zenstyle]

What is a brownfield credit? I'm guessing it's something like a grant you apply for to clean up a polluted building site?

[tamias6]

What is a brownfield credit? I'm guessing it's something like a grant you apply for to clean up a polluted building site?

[Raildudes dad]

According to the Planning Commission agenda for this week, this project has been "withdrawn". Anyone know the details?

[GRDadof3]

An article today in the Press says that Bing Goei is moving forward with moving his Eastern Floral HQs to Butterworth Drive, renovating an old Kindel Furniture building that will be finished Summer 2008.

http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/inde...&thispage=2

Eastern isn't finished growing. Goei is pouring millions into renovating a former Kindel furniture factory at 818 Butterworth Ave. SW.

When finished next summer, the 60,000 square feet will serve as a close-to-downtown floral shop, corporate offices, a centralized production center, showroom and community meeting space.

He is even designing space to help budding minority and women entrepreneurs.

[numstead]

went exploring today...

more on flickr...

[RegalTDP]

So the "Goei Center" is pretty much open for business now, right? Does anyone have any exterior pictures of what it looks like now? Is it even anything worth taking pictures of?

I'm just curious, because of what that site looked like before.

[GRDadof3]

It looks much better from the exterior, cleaned up with added landscaping (that probably can't be seen very well now).

[GRDadof3]

[suydam]

The interior is fantastic.

If you haven't stopped in, you should.

[RegalTDP]

Thanks for the pic GRDad.

I've seen a couple interior shots around the web, which probably don't do it justice; but I was just curious how the renovated building looked in the neighborhood.

I'd love to see it. From the outside, it's still hard to imagine there'd be a flower shop and a banquet hall in there.