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Downtown GR Uber Construction Photo Thread


GRDadof3

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Plus, it sounds like we will hear soon (months) whether or not Gilmore can work out the plans and pull the trigger on his BOB expansion. That would be good medium size project to help boost that Monroe Center/Museum/VanAndel triangle. Perhaps if we got some destination retail at Wealthy and Division and he could land something similarly unique to the area, we could finally get to that needed critical mass.

True. Even if he just does Phase I (20K sf) in the next few years, that will drastically change the area around the BOB for the better.

I just had a thought: Is there any reason why Tower 25 (yet to be built Michigan Street Development tower) would not be built right away? Would they just do the parking garage and cap it? The only reason I ask is there are a lot of projects going on hold around the country. Do they need Tower 25 for the Towers Bldg people?

I hope it's still a go as planned.

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  • 4 years later...

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It is pretty cool. We're always looking at "what's next". When you look back, it's amazing to see how far we've come!

 

Joe

 

It's funny, when I meet people who just recently moved here or in their 20's, I talk about "I remember when this.." and "I remember that" and I feel like an old man. :)

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These years of Riverhouse and the JW were the modern day GR tower boom. I wonder when we will see two buildings over twenty stories be built nearly simultaneously again.

I certainly hope so not only for the infill two or more buildings like that would provide. Usually the construction of buildings of such magnitude stem from economic good fortunes or anticipation of economic upturns.

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I personally would rather see the "D.C.fication" of downtown Grand Rapids. I like the mid-rise scale and walkability of D.C. over any other city in America. How often do you find yourself enjoying the walk between the Amway and JW? Their pedestrian-oriented urban form sucks, and it is adjacent to the river -- that street should be the gateway into downtown! Compare that to walking down Ionia or Monroe, both (largely) mid-rise buildings that is more reminiscent of the D.C. neighborhoods.  

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These years of Riverhouse and the JW were the modern day GR tower boom. I wonder when we will see two buildings over twenty stories be built nearly simultaneously again.

 

Perhaps not simultaneously but I suspect at least one may be built within 5 years, probably apt or condo.  There seems to be an increasing pace of apartment construction via rehab and overall vacancies remain low.  If Morton House and the (proposed?) Fulton/Division high rise are successful plus another university expansion/relocation this would clearly be a green light.  Heck, there's whispers that Icon on Bond might go condo again.

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I personally would rather see the "D.C.fication" of downtown Grand Rapids. I like the mid-rise scale and walkability of D.C. over any other city in America. How often do you find yourself enjoying the walk between the Amway and JW? Their pedestrian-oriented urban form sucks, and it is adjacent to the river -- that street should be the gateway into downtown! Compare that to walking down Ionia or Monroe, both (largely) mid-rise buildings that is more reminiscent of the D.C. neighborhoods.  

 

I agree. Towers are great and all, but I don't think GR is a "tower" market. Get used to mid-rises, a ton of mid-rises. With office vacancies downtown still hovering in the high 20% (even though commercial space in the burbs is down in the low single digits), I'd say a high rise office building is 20 years out. A 20 story residential tower maybe. But as you say, what good is a tower if it ignores the street.

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I personally would rather see the "D.C.fication" of downtown Grand Rapids. I like the mid-rise scale and walkability of D.C. over any other city in America. How often do you find yourself enjoying the walk between the Amway and JW? Their pedestrian-oriented urban form sucks, and it is adjacent to the river -- that street should be the gateway into downtown! Compare that to walking down Ionia or Monroe, both (largely) mid-rise buildings that is more reminiscent of the D.C. neighborhoods.  

I like the mid rises too for the same reasons. However as for that stretch of Perl between Amway Grand Plaza hotel and the JW. I would not fault the fact they are high rises for making that area not so pedestrian friendly. Its the ground level stuff. The JW looks like a stoic fortress on the Pearl Street side. There's no windows, and that side has some unsightly loading docks. The little pocet park helps things a bit. If I were the designer of that hotel I would have put the main entrance on Pearl street. And as for the Amway, the drive up area at it's main entrance is not exactly Pedestrian friendly. I would change that. Though I am not sure where I would move the drive up area. Maybe a complete renovation of the Amway's main entrance to something more modern and spiffy would help.  But anyway point being I think high rises can be Pedestrian friendly if they added things conclusive to that at their ground levels. 

 

The Hearst Tower in NYC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_Tower_(New_York_City)

 

 

This skycraper was build from inside the shell of an older building. The old building gives the pedestrian friendly aspects of a mid rise building. Granted this is a rather unusual example of a skyscraper  achieving some pedestrian friendliness. But I can see maybe a facade make over on the Amway Grand's main entrance to add similar attributes achieved by the Hearst Tower.

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I agree. I'd be happy to achieve a smaller, mid-rise city that has more in common with parts of Boston or DC. There are plenty of cities with large buildings and no character. It'd be nice to keep building on the character we have with buildings that make the city very walkable. Heck, even Kate Upton called Grand Rapids 'cute' the other day. I'll take that.  :shades:

 

Joe

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I agree. Towers are great and all, but I don't think GR is a "tower" market. Get used to mid-rises, a ton of mid-rises. With office vacancies downtown still hovering in the high 20% (even though commercial space in the burbs is down in the low single digits), I'd say a high rise office building is 20 years out. A 20 story residential tower maybe. But as you say, what good is a tower if it ignores the street.

 

I'm sure the owners of Bridgewater Place and 99 Monroe - both current and former - are thinking, "Downtown revitalization?  What revitalization?"

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I'm sure the owners of Bridgewater Place and 99 Monroe - both current and former - are thinking, "Downtown revitalization?  What revitalization?"

 

Actually, 99 Monroe is filling up with some new tenants with the renovations they've done. But you're right.

 

It's the Waters, Trust, Trade Center, 50 Monroe buildings I think which are hurting the most.

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With that being said, the Trust and Trade Center are going through major upgrades, and there are THE rumors about 50 Monroe. The Waters building could use some updating, it seems outdated (and not outfitted to current office needs). It'll be interesting to see if these still struggle after they are updated for a modern work environment?

 

Joe

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With that being said, the Trust and Trade Center are going through major upgrades, and there are THE rumors about 50 Monroe. The Waters building could use some updating, it seems outdated (and not outfitted to current office needs). It'll be interesting to see if these still struggle after they are updated for a modern work environment?

 

Joe

 

What rumors about 50 Monroe?

 

I do think with upgrades they'll be more marketable. Even the fonts in the elevators looked circa 1980's. Anything will help.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm talking about the "de-skinning" rumor that is being tossed around: http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/53407-50-monroe-to-get-de-skinned/page-2 . I've heard 50 Monroe is kind of a trainwreck right now. Poor facilities management, etc. Someone in that building stated "it's almost like they want us to move". 

 

Again, all rumor mill, but something I'd love to see personally :)

 

Joe

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I'm talking about the "de-skinning" rumor that is being tossed around: http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/53407-50-monroe-to-get-de-skinned/page-2 . I've heard 50 Monroe is kind of a trainwreck right now. Poor facilities management, etc. Someone in that building stated "it's almost like they want us to move". 

 

Again, all rumor mill, but something I'd love to see personally :)

 

Joe

 

Didnt CWD take over management?

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Those new builds are very European (at least it reminds me of my time in Europe lol) I LOVE IT

*Upon closer inspection, I realized that the orange was just wrapping material and not actual siding   :(  I really like the orange lol

 

The orange on the narrow one facing Cherry is actual siding, not wrap. If you mean the bright orange red color, then yes it's just wrap at this point. Who knows what color it will end up though. They've gone pretty bold, which is awesome.

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