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MidTowne Village Development Updates

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Speaking of Michigan Street. This hotel with a whole bunch of parking under it (no slight, just stating the obvious) is well on its way to being closed in.

 

16251055299_4392896389_c.jpg

 

 

It looks interesting seeing it in the whole Michigan Street area context. You can see it now way down at Michigan and Fuller, even though it's not particularly tall.

 

16249646428_4e29ee2c66_c.jpg

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GR8scott Burg

GR8scott

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Speaking of Michigan Street. This hotel with a whole bunch of parking under it (no slight, just stating the obvious) is well on its way to being closed in.

 

16251055299_4392896389_c.jpg

 

 

It looks interesting seeing it in the whole Michigan Street area context. You can see it now way down at Michigan and Fuller, even though it's not particularly tall.

 

16249646428_4e29ee2c66_c.jpg

 

hey concealed parking adding height....I like it 

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GVSUChris Hamlet

GVSUChris

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Here ya go. Not bad looking.

 

 

 

16044203095_f26c9802b1_o.jpg

 

 

 

I was just looking at renderings of 601, and I JUST realized that if you look really closely to the ground floor, it looks like that's a Cosi sign/logo on the ground floor. Anyone else notice that? Do you think that's just random? Or might this be a Cosi location? 

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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I was just looking at renderings of 601, and I JUST realized that if you look really closely to the ground floor, it looks like that's a Cosi sign/logo on the ground floor. Anyone else notice that? Do you think that's just random? Or might this be a Cosi location? 

 

It definitely looks like Cosi. I drive by the site often and was wondering when they were going to start, but I'll bet they're waiting until the hotel parking garage is available before they start construction. With all of the worker vehicles parking in Mid Towne Village, I imagine the parking situation is a very sensitive issue right now.

 

 

 

Cosi_logo.png

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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I also noticed that the pocket park has been converted to a parking lot. I assume that is temporary...I hope.

 

I believe the little pocket park is an underground retention basin for rainwater runoff. I think that's why they couldn't plant any trees in it. From someone I know who lived in the condos there up until a few months ago, they were supposed to turn it back into greenspace once the hotel gets built.

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john_denver Hamlet

john_denver

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On the NE side of Union and Michigan, is the new building going on the existing empty lot only?

Or will any of the remaining 1-3 houses be demoed?

 

I see the old Urban Mill/Common Ground cafe is closed...I used to visit that place in its heyday, when it was down on the river in Plaza Towers...

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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On the NE side of Union and Michigan, is the new building going on the existing empty lot only?

Or will any of the remaining 1-3 houses be demoed?

 

I see the old Urban Mill/Common Ground cafe is closed...I used to visit that place in its heyday, when it was down on the river in Plaza Towers...

 

 

Just the corner:

 

16044203105_4e6ea4d2c0_b.jpg

 

 

Did Urban Mill close? They've talked about closing for years but kept plodding along. I kind of liked it for meetings once in a while. And free parking. :)

 

 

Looks like they're looking for another location.

 

http://urbanmillcafe.biz/

 

I think the location was their strong suit..

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john_denver Hamlet

john_denver

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You would think with the new hotel being a 5 minute walk away, the two new buildings that a cafe in that location would be a great thing.

 

While several blocks south...The Lyon Cafe (Martha Vineyards) is always and I mean always packed.  Their offerings are quite good.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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You would think with the new hotel being a 5 minute walk away, the two new buildings that a cafe in that location would be a great thing.

 

While several blocks south...The Lyon Cafe (Martha Vineyards) is always and I mean always packed.  Their offerings are quite good.

 

There are way more people who can walk to Lyon St Cafe (higher household incomes, college students) than Urban Mill. Plus I think Michigan Street right now is a psychological barrier for people in Heritage Hill and Midtown. They also didn't do fancy pour-overs (their coffee was meh, their lunches were not bad).

 

Do people staying at a hotel that provides a free breakfast bar venture out to nearby cafes?

 

I agree though that they were probably 5 years ahead of the curve. The best time to open a coffee shop there is in the next 2 - 3 years.

 

I hate to say it, but with the drive through, it would make a good spot for a Biggby or Starbucks.

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john_denver Hamlet

john_denver

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Yeah, you are right.  A few blocks do make a huge difference.

Same idea if you consider, Spectrum just a few blocks to the west.  I know for sure very few would walk the couple of blocks east on Michigan to frequent these restaurants.  I do know a handful that drive it but if you consider that, driving that short distance is crazy.

When I lived in Seattle, I would walk 8-10 city blocks for lunch/coffee in the downtown area.  Same when I visit Chicago or NYC.

 

I admit walking from Butterworth to any of these would likely not happen for me.  It's an ugly walk.  Hopefully that evolves to something better.

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EastownLeo Hamlet

EastownLeo

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Urban mill worked when there was no other coffee in the area.  They do have a drive through but no one knows it.  The main competition was Bagel Beanery.  Now with Startbucks in the hospital food court and biggby on fuller they have less business. Now with Lyon Cafe they are going to be struggling.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Urban mill worked when there was no other coffee in the area.  They do have a drive through but no one knows it.  The main competition was Bagel Beanery.  Now with Startbucks in the hospital food court and biggby on fuller they have less business. Now with Lyon Cafe they are going to be struggling.

 

No, they won't be struggling. They are closing their doors.

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  • 1 month later...
mpchicago Burg

mpchicago

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Hooray!  Michigan Street has come along way from Division to College, and is really on the cusp of turning things around east of College and west of Division.  Still a lot of work to be done, but it's moving in the right direction.  However, I still can't get over the fact that the city approved that suburban car wash!

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walker Burg

walker

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Hooray!  Michigan Street has come along way from Division to College, and is really on the cusp of turning things around east of College and west of Division.  Still a lot of work to be done, but it's moving in the right direction.  However, I still can't get over the fact that the city approved that suburban car wash!

 

I went to that car wash a couple of days ago.  Kind of a tight squeeze.  I had to make a hard left turn in order to line up with the entrance and my car isn't that big.

 

I told my wife, Medical Mile is a strange place for a car wash.  She said, well doctors need to wash their cars too. 

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