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Centerpointe Mall to get huge makeover (again)


GRDadof3

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I hope Centerpointe includes some housing, too, as well as entertainment/activities ( a Lucky Strike for bowling, anyone?). And definitely opportunities for outdoor dining in good weather.

There is already an apartment complex (this is Rentwood after all), a bowling alley, and a nightclub behind the mall, and a brand new Cinemark theater nearby at Woodland. There isn't really much more that can be added for entertainment that isn't already in the area.

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There is already an apartment complex (this is Rentwood after all), a bowling alley, and a nightclub behind the mall, and a brand new Cinemark theater nearby at Woodland. There isn't really much more that can be added for entertainment that isn't already in the area.

I am thinking more of a reconfiguration of the site, like this: http://www.belmarcolorado.com/sub/directions/directory/, where the entertainment venues are integrated in and among the retail/commercial and housing units. I don't think the bowling alley and the theater will create much synergy with the "lifestyle" center if they are separated from each other by a lot of asphalt and moving/parked vehicles.

Besides, the Lucky Strike is more like a nightclub (with elements of a sports bar) than a traditional bowling alley. Or how about something like a Dave and Buster's or Jillian's (restaurant, bar, assorted arcade/computer games, bowling, etc.)? Does anyone in GR or surrounding communities have the imagination to create an urban-like node along 28th Street? Start to bring up the area to the 21st Century? :dontknow:

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I am thinking more of a reconfiguration of the site, like this: http://www.belmarcolorado.com/sub/directions/directory/, where the entertainment venues are integrated in and among the retail/commercial and housing units. I don't think the bowling alley and the theater will create much synergy with the "lifestyle" center if they are separated from each other by a lot of asphalt and moving/parked vehicles.

Besides, the Lucky Strike is more like a nightclub (with elements of a sports bar) than a traditional bowling alley. Or how about something like a Dave and Buster's or Jillian's (restaurant, bar, assorted arcade/computer games, bowling, etc.)? Does anyone in GR or surrounding communities have the imagination to create an urban-like node along 28th Street? Start to bring up the area to the 21st Century? :dontknow:

I actually hope that doesn't happen along 28th Street. Grand Rapids is just not a big enough metro area to support multiple entertainment districts like this, and I'd prefer they put anything like that downtown first. Although it sounds like they are going to try and do something similar in Walker at Orchard Park (movie theater, waterpark resort, Cabela's, lifestyle center, etc..)

I think a Lucky Strike would do wondrously downtown in a mixed use entertainment venue.

Speaking of 28th Street, the Metro Cruise is coming up again and has been extended to two days. They're expecting about 200,000 spectators:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss....xml&coll=6

A little off-topic.

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There is already an apartment complex (this is Rentwood after all), a bowling alley, and a nightclub behind the mall, and a brand new Cinemark theater nearby at Woodland. There isn't really much more that can be added for entertainment that isn't already in the area.

Even a Deja Vu. (Shuttered, but still...)

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Agreed. This way Centerpointe foots the bill to inject some energy that will be needed in that area in a few years, and Woodland can hopefully skate by without having to demolish and adapt. Woodland can't risk kicking out its current tenants and try to attract upscale retailers. It'd be suicide.

It sounds like the Walker lifestyle center is now being pushed off to a 2010 or 2011 opening, so the 3 Mile/Beltline Village is the only game in town for the North side. But it's still going to rob all the upscale shoppers from 28th and Beltline. Once the 3 Mile one opens, you will probably never see Cascade, EGR, Ada and Rockford shoppers at Woodland ever again. Especially not with intermittent showings of "West Side Story" at the food court. Plus, if they get Crate & Barrel, it's all over for the opposing team.

That Woodland mall manager better start looking into meds. :lol:

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I actually hope that doesn't happen along 28th Street. Grand Rapids is just not a big enough metro area to support multiple entertainment districts like this, and I'd prefer they put anything like that downtown first. Although it sounds like they are going to try and do something similar in Walker at Orchard Park (movie theater, waterpark resort, Cabela's, lifestyle center, etc..)

I can understand your point, but there are folks who will never go downtown, or almost never, and I'd rather have a true "new urban" center than a lifestyle center out in the 'burbs that is nothing more than a mall without a roof. And somehow, 28th Street businesses/land owners have to start think about retrofitting or redeveloping into something more than just 1960 - 1980 inspired strip development pattern. Otherwise, it will just deteriorate into an area to avoid (which to some degree, I bet many perceive it to be now).

"Smart growth", mixed use, sustainable development principles shouldn't just apply to downtown GR. As others have mentioned, many of the elements of a new urban-like development are there in and around CenterPointe, or nearby. It's a matter of pulling them together in an attractive, walkable, and economically productive array.

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I can understand your point, but there are folks who will never go downtown, or almost never, and I'd rather have a true "new urban" center than a lifestyle center out in the 'burbs that is nothing more than a mall without a roof. And somehow, 28th Street businesses/land owners have to start think about retrofitting or redeveloping into something more than just 1960 - 1980 inspired strip development pattern. Otherwise, it will just deteriorate into an area to avoid (which to some degree, I bet many perceive it to be now).

"Smart growth", mixed use, sustainable development principles shouldn't just apply to downtown GR. As others have mentioned, many of the elements of a new urban-like development are there in and around CenterPointe, or nearby. It's a matter of pulling them together in an attractive, walkable, and economically productive array.

I would have to agree that some type of epicenter above and beyond what the malls can provide would do that area some good. But the priority should be to put in place the elements needed entice the very people you speak of to come to DT instead of staying out in the 'burbs. A good and strong city is only good and strong from the inside out. Not vice versa.

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I would have to agree that some type of epicenter above and beyond what the malls can provide would do that area some good. But the priority should be to put in place the elements needed entice the very people you speak of to come to DT instead of staying out in the 'burbs. A good and strong city is only good and strong from the inside out. Not vice versa.

Economic activity is going to continue in the suburban fringes regardless, unless the economy totally collapses. That activity may as well be developed or redesigned in a mixed use, nodal arrangement rather than strung along arterial streets and separated from each other by large distances and surrounded by oceans of asphalt. And older suburbs are going to suffer from blight and underinvestment, in many cases, if they don't take care to reinvent themselves and keep up with changing tastes, styles, and preferences. I think a community of the size of Grand Rapids can handle all of it. Yes, keep working on bringing downtown to its full potential, but don't ignore the suburbs. They are crucial to the health and vitality and attractiveness of the metro area, too.

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  • 3 weeks later...

4 Lifestyle Centers!!! Are they nutz?

As someone that lived in Lansing for years, their lifestyle center is great unless not in summer. No one likes it when it is cold, we live in Michigan. Plus GR can not sustain 4 life style centers, this is crazy. Woodland and Centerpoint's best solution would be to close both down, tear em down, and build a medium to up scale double decker mall connected like the one on Big Beaver road in Detroit.

None of us like driving to Chicago, Detroit, or even out to Rivertown for the medium level stores. Plus it is a great location in the middle of GR to service the upper middle class, college students, and rich folks. For a Neimans etc Ruel....

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You brought up a point that will make Life Style centers a passing fad. If I had my choice between going to a Macy's in an HVAC controlled Mall and a Macy's in a life style center in the middle of a rainstorm or a good ol' Michigan cold snap. I think my choice is pretty obvious. Life style centers may flourish in more southerly latitudes where winters are milder and the weather not so sever. But here in Michigan, I'll stick with Malls.

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  • 1 month later...

I just read in the Commercial Quarterly, about the renovation planned for Centerpointe Mall. Demolition of Klingmans and Linens-N-Things space to make way for additional parking as well as converting the mall into a "lifestyle model concept" all stores oriented outward and there will no longer be an interior mall. So, in othe words, all stores will be accessed from outside. I am curious what folks think about this. In Florida, great idea, but Michigan? Are people going to walk all over a 500,000 +/- sf outdoor mall for TJ Max type of stores? It works at Michigan City and the other outlet mall in Howell, so maybe it will work here . . . . .

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Greenridge to me is just an oversize collection of typical run of the mill strip malls. The strongest points it has is a collection of big box retailers intermixed with the smaller shops giving it some of the attributes of a power center.

It worked on Alpine, didn't it (Greenridge Square)? I don't think it was an indoor mall to start with, but it's a good example of a successful outdoor mall. Probably depends on the type of stores they'll try to attract.
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Greenridge to me is just an oversize collection of typical run of the mill strip malls.

Amen brother :thumbsup: And the lack of access to 4 Mile Road for Gage & Kingsbury (Weatherford - Walker was willing to foot the bill) and to West River make for the cluster called "traffic" on Alpine. Coventry on the west side of Alpine will not have access through the English Hills redevelopment to 4 Mile Road. "Planning" at it's best in Walker :angry:

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I think that lifestyle centers are ways for the mall operators to make more money. Think about it, when they build a regular mall they have to build a roof and worry if the floors are attractive, etc. And once they get it built they have to worry about keeping the floors clean, heating, cooling, etc.

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I think that lifestyle centers are ways for the mall operators to make more money. Think about it, when they build a regular mall they have to build a roof and worry if the floors are attractive, etc. And once they get it built they have to worry about keeping the floors clean, heating, cooling, etc.

Lifestyle centers lower overhead (that's what you're saying right?) but if they didn't work (from a retail standpoint) I doubt they'd get built.

Sure, the mall owners want to maximize profit (no crime in that) but the only way to do it is to fill their shops...so if enclosed malls did a better job than lifestyle centers, you'd only see enclosed malls.

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  • 4 months later...

"The property is on the north side of 28th Street east of East Paris Avenue. It has access to 28th Street between the Art Van Furniture and the La-Z-Boy stores."

So I didn't live in town when the AJs was still around (I think). So this is a bit off of 28th St, like behind the furniture stores? :dunno:

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That's sort of a bummer in one way - but in another - it'll make centerpointe's lifestyle makeover a little bit easier to do.

This is most likely where it'll be going:

menards.jpg

The article states it is a 19 acre site they are looking at, so I imagine it will either include the parcel to the right (East) or part of the parcels to the North. The square you have outlined is only 10.46 acres. I'm thinking it might take up part of both parcels, as a 165,000 square foot store (400' x 400') would take up that whole square and then some! :o (edit, sorry no it wouldn't, that square is about 600 x 700)

I think it's great that they are looking at reusing this site, vs. looking at a greenfield site somewhere (like all that open land along Patterson).

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We're moving to that SE area kind of and last night I was trying to figure out where I'd do home improvement shopping... Menards was knocked off my list because of the crappy Centerpointe store. I love the fact that they are reusing an existing site and actually think its great they are going BEHIND other stores... not sure why, but I like that move...

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We're moving to that SE area kind of and last night I was trying to figure out where I'd do home improvement shopping... Menards was knocked off my list because of the crappy Centerpointe store. I love the fact that they are reusing an existing site and actually think its great they are going BEHIND other stores... not sure why, but I like that move...

Cascade/28th is home store heaven. You got your Home Depot (check out the stealth entrance off Patterson). You got your Lowe's (ditto, off 29th). And your crappy Menards (first left into the parking lot takes you past the loading area, saves waiting at the stop sign).

This location does tend to have unique leftovers and clearance items. In the seasonal department were five rolls of Mardi Gras ribbon (green-purple iridescent, with beady drops of gold) for something like $1.50. (Gone!)

Pet peeve with this chain: if you ask an employee for an item location, they take off across the store "to lead you to it." Why can't they say "it's in Aisle [number], next to the gizmos"?

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