Plainfield Ave. Meijer Construction Updates

[Zomby-Woof]

Today while stopping to pickup something for lunch I decided to snap a few pics of the new store(well no store yet but a mostly empty lot). I think it's kind of cool that I work just down the street and I am able to see the new store take shape day by day. With my job I pass by at least 5 times a day. I am disappointed over the fact that they have closed both Woodworth entrances, I use them all the time for shortcuts to Plainfield and the gas station. I hope that once the store is finished they reopen at least one. It looks like workers have got a good majority of the excavating done and are starting on the sewer and water infrastructure. I also noticed that a few weeks ago they dug up the rest of the parking lot where the Olympia career training student's park. Well here's some pics I took. Though there is not much to see yet.

[Zomby-Woof]

Just to let everyone know that Woodworth is closed at the store entrance next to the ford lot. When I left work Thursday it was closed which bummed me out since I go though their when I come and go form work. If its still closed Monday I will get some pics.

[tamias6]

Construction Update:

Today, at the Plainfeild Meijer construction as really ramped up in pace. 'dozers, excavators, and various other machines were out in force making easy work of grading the site. Speaking of which, the construction site has substantially increased in size in all directions. The front of the site has been pushed about 100 feet closer to Plainfield Ave. Even though the grocery entrance appears to be blocked off at first glance, it is still open and accessible thanks to a portion of the front drive remaining intact and open to the public. However the new area that the site grew into has been striped to the bare ground, regraded, and had new curbing and tree islands installed suggesting the outlines of how the parking lot will be reconfigured.

While front of the construction site has been pushed out toward the street, the back of the construction site has been pushed out all the way to the tip of the triangular shaped property. The rear most area which is near the apartment complex behind the property has been made into a run off basin. This new basin, about 20 feet deep and 100 some odd feet on all three of its sides, will collect drainage from the parking lot and the new building's roof and allow the runoff to be gradually absorbed into the ground. This type of drainage basin is has been employed at the LEED certified Allen Park Meijer that was recently completed. Along the sides of the drainage basin are culverts that I assume are or will be connected to an upgraded storm drainage system to prevent overflow.

As work ensues at a feverish pace, the old Plainfeild store is really feeling the squeeze due to the construction site's growth. Less than half of the entire parking lot remains intact and open to the public. So obviously parking is now a major issue. To alleviate some of the pressure, a temporary lot made of dirt and gravel has been hastily hobbled together between the store's SW side and the service road that gives access to the mobile home park and the apartment complex. But even this is no real help. Nearly every one of the remaining spaces were occupied today. Fortunately for me, this was just a quick scope-and-go visit. But for those that depend on this store, I strongly suggest doing your shopping late at night or heading to ether the Alpine store or Knapp Corner store at least until the old Plainfield store is finally demolished and replaced by more parking.

Now for some Pictures:

This is a view into the construction site from near the car dealership. Directly ahead is were the old outlet store once stood. Once reconfiguration is complete, the parking lot will wrap around the side and rear of the car dealership's property thus land locking it.

The curbing to the right of this photo that extends all the way to the back of the construction site suggests that the trees may be kept to act as a privacy screen buffering neighboring buildings from the hustle and bustle that will go on in the new Plainfield store.

In this photo one can see the hectic activity brewing inside the construction site. Also note the formation of tree islands taking shape in the center and right of the image. These tree islands will tame the harshness of the ubiquitous asphalt sea that comes standard with any big box store.

From a distance, access to the grocery entrance looks to be severed. But as seen here its still open. However customers intimidated by construction activities have been flocking to the store's two retail entrances instead.

This is a shot of the temporary parking hastily thrown together to compensate for the dramatic reduction in parking capacity. All but the furthermost slots are occupied.

This is the drainage basin located at the back of the store property as viewed from the parking lot serving the middle set of apartment buildings. The culverts on the sides of the basin are safe guards to prevent overflow in the event of sever weather.

Wrapping things up is this view of the construction site from the parking lot of the rearmost set of apartment buildings. I believe the point where the construction fencing meets the apartment complex's fencing is furthest extent of the store's property, the apex of its triangular shape.

[pcdoctor]

Since it was ride the bus for free day today, I decided to go out to the meijer store on Plainfield Ave. I went in through the grocery entrance to take a look at what the new meijer would look like and it look interesting. Then I went completly in and walked up and down the front promenade, then up on the mezzanine floor. Up on the mezz, there's the possibilities hair salon, then the walk in medical center, then there's an area with tables and chairs up there. Probabily where the McDonald's used to be, then a computer kiosk where people can apply for a job. Then the offices. On the lower floor, they have a flagstar bank, than an olan mills, and then a cafeteria like type of thing. Somehow it got missed or was never said, but there is a center entrance at that store. It is between the front retail and grocery entrances. Then the guest services desk. Then I believe your at the retail entrance. There are a total of 31 lanes in the store like at Alpine meijer, but only 26 lanes up front. It's rather interesting how the ceiling quickly slopes going into the retail section.

The retail section: Yes the drop ceilings are quite low, but I didn't find lighting to be all that bad. It is indeed cramped, and the concourses are crowded.

Then I get to the grocery section and I found that to be quite better than the rest of the store. I didn't smell many stenches in the grocery section, and the floors for the most part didn't look that bad. There are 15 aisles as well.

Tamias: You mentioned that a door had a piece of sheet metal on the bottom to hold it in place. All of the inner doors looked to have this. I think it has been there for ages though.

But yeah, it will be really nice once meijer replaces the new building and demolishes the old.

[tamias6]

Here's of shot of my Plainfield Model showing why the ceilings over the retail section are so low and the reason it cannot be renovated.

As for the sheet metal work. It was on one of the outside doors of the back retail entrance. However that door must have been fully repaired by the time I made my most recent update since the sheet metal was gone.

[tamias6]

Construction Time Line:

According to a Plainfield Ave. Planning Commission Minute dated March 27 2007, the Plainfield Ave. Meijer construction narrative is as followed.

Quote from the minute:

[qoute]

1. Phase 1 would include the Meijer Outlet store demolition, site utility

construction and a Township collector sewer from Plainfield Avenue

to Woodworth Street to begin in March of 2007. The new building

construction is anticipated to begin in July of 2007 and will be ready

to open by the spring of 2008.

2. Phase 2 will occur during the spring and summer of 2008 and will

include removal of the existing Meijer store and construction of

utilities and new parking areas.

3. Phase 3 will be complete by the fall of 2008 and will include

completion of parking and utilities along with final landscaping of

the property.

[Raildudes dad]

Here's of shot of my Plainfield Model showing why the ceilings over the retail section are so low and the reason it cannot be renovated.

As for the sheet metal work. It was on one of the outside doors of the back retail entrance. However that door must have been fully repaired by the time I made my most recent update since the sheet metal was gone.

[LA Dave]

Raildudes Dad -- that it did, that it did. I remember when the discount store was there, combined with a Meijer Grocery in the front. As I recall, this was the first Meijer store in the North End, not counting the store at Michigan and Fuller opened in the early 1950s.

[Raildudes dad]

Raildudes Dad -- that it did, that it did. I remember when the discount store was there, combined with a Meijer Grocery in the front. As I recall, this was the first Meijer store in the North End, not counting the store at Michigan and Fuller opened in the early 1950s.

[tamias6]

That reminds me of when the family and I use to live in Virginia back in the early 80's. Being an east coast state, it had what are known as Blue Laws. One of them dictated that on Sundays a retailer could sell food but not general merchandise. So when we shopped at the local Giant Way (a pseudo version of Meijer) on a Sunday, we fond the retail section roped off and obscured by plastic sheets. Silly but true.

Did your folks shop at Atlantic Mills? My dad remembered when they had to put that big truss on the roof to keep it from collapsing. (Ice area at the time. After the ice arena, Grayhound parked their buses there.) The structural issue plus my parent's desire to support the GR merchants meant they didn't patronize the "out of town" discounters. I was in Atlantic Mills once with them. Also slightly off topic, my CRC parents didn't shop at Meijer's for a long time after they opened on Sunday in GR.

[LA Dave]

That reminds me of when the family and I use to live in Virginia back in the early 80's. Being an east coast state, it had what are known as Blue Laws. One of them dictated that on Sundays a retailer could sell food but not general merchandise. So when we shopped at the local Giant Way (a pseudo version of Meijer) on a Sunday, we fond the retail section roped off and obscured by plastic sheets. Silly but true.

[LA Dave]

Did your folks shop at Atlantic Mills? My dad remembered when they had to put that big truss on the roof to keep it from collapsing. (Ice area at the time. After the ice arena, Grayhound parked their buses there.) The structural issue plus my parent's desire to support the GR merchants meant they didn't patronize the "out of town" discounters. I was in Atlantic Mills once with them. Also slightly off topic, my CRC parents didn't shop at Meijer's for a long time after they opened on Sunday in GR.

[Raildudes dad]

Atlantic Mills was just across the river from our house, so we went there quite often. I also remember an Arlen's store -- it seemed like it was on 28th, but I could be wrong.

We weren't CRC, so Sundays involved a paper, maybe a trip to the beach and only one church service. But I had some friends who were; one kid, I recall, had parents so strict that his mom made Sunday dinner on Saturday, so as not to upset the Sabbath peace.

[LA Dave]

I definitely remember the Arlens at Northtown center s of 4 Mile. The south end one was in the building recently vacated by Hope network on Division south of 36th or 44th.

My dad wouldn't take delivery of the Sunday paper at home but would buy one every Saturday night at the Press bldg on Monroe & Michigan from the crippled vendor that sold them outside the printing plant. If they were running behind on the printying the cars would line up for blocks.

[tamias6]

I've finally got around to figuring out how to upload Sketchup models to the 3D Warehouse. So here's a link to download a copy of my Plainfield Meijer Sketchup model. Hope you like it.

My Plainfeild Meijer Sketchup Model

Just be sure to view it in Sketchup 5 or 6

[pcdoctor]

I don't get how to view these. It asks me to click a sketchup 5 or 6 button, then it brings up a file download box with find, save or cancel. If I click find, it says something about Windows Live Search. What am I doing wrong?

Says windows does not recognize this type of file.

[Rybak 187]

I don't get how to view these. It asks me to click a sketchup 5 or 6 button, then it brings up a file download box with find, save or cancel. If I click find, it says something about Windows Live Search. What am I doing wrong?

Says windows does not recognize this type of file.

[tamias6]

Be sure to have Sketchup version 5 or preferably 6 installed on your system. When downloading click save option then open the file in Sketchup.

[GRDadof3]

Wow, when did these walls go up?

[Raildudes dad]

Wow, when did these walls go up?

/quote]

With the "lift" of a crane They look like precast concrete panels to me.

[Nitro]

With the "lift" of a crane They look like precast concrete panels to me.

[tamias6]

Thanks for the pic GRDad. This will be a big help in getting the exact positioning of new store in my Plainfield Meijer Sketchup Model. Also from what I can tell of the image, the front of the new store looks like it will have the same ceiling height as the old store's grocery section, about 24 feet, and taper down to about 18 to 20 feet in the back. Meijer has been tapering the ceilings of its new stores from front to back to enhance runoff collection. Also tapering the ceiling invokes an optical illusion known as forced prospective, meaning that by slightly angling walls and ceilings in a certain way causes the eye to perceive the space as appearing larger and/or longer than what it really is. In the case of a new Meijer store, the tapered ceiling makes the sales floor's back wall appear farther away which makes the space appear much larger than it really is.

Wow, when did these walls go up?

[highwayguy]

Wow, when did these walls go up?

[Raildudes dad]

Meijer has been tapering the ceilings of its new stores from front to back to enhance runoff collection.

[tamias6]

Must be the architects finally figured out that flat roofs will always eventually leak here in MI . I was involved in the planning and construction of one of our facilities. I suggested to the architect that we put a significant slope on the roof rather than a 200,000 sft flat roof and I was told "we don't do that". (Lets think out of the box and solve known problems ). I did get him to design a steep standing seam roof on the office area. At least we don't have water dripping on the desks