Hey, what's that (and other miscellanea)?

[Guest]

This maybe have been posted elsewhere, but does anyone know what's going on with one of the parcels by Front and Butterworth?  It looks like they may be doing so type of drilling/testing with lots of water on the site?   Hoping it's not another GVSU parking lot.

[GRDadof3]

14 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

This maybe have been posted elsewhere, but does anyone know what's going on with one of the parcels by Front and Butterworth?  It looks like they may be doing so type of drilling/testing with lots of water on the site?   Hoping it's not another GVSU parking lot.

I think that's what it was? A parking lot? 

Uhh yep:

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/117878-gvsu-downtown-development/?page=22&tab=comments#comment-1447641

 

[Guest]

ugh, seriously?  I wish they would stop.  I know they're probably just securing it for "future development", but are their lots ever full?  If so add on to the other half of the parking ramp.  If anything, they should really add some more student  housing.  I would love to see some more development in the area.  It would be really cool if Williams and Watson were connected whenever the city of GR Market property is developed.  That area isn't exactly the most accessible.

[Raildude's dad]

Not a GVSU parking lot. I was by there today and it sure looked like foundation work. Found this by looking up the property owner and googling.

[WMrapids]

On 12/26/2018 at 10:36 AM, EastownLeo said:

The National Science Institute (Geek Group) has nothing to do with Tech Shop.  They actually hated Tech Shop.

The Homeland raid documents are sealed right now and no one is talking, so it might be a while before we get into.

Some media mentioned that the IRS was also onsite.  There are a load of things it could be.

The Geek Group has had tax issues in the past when they were located in Kalamazoo.

They also are a Non-Profit that takes donations of equipment and materials, maybe that is part of it.

They also Dabble in Bitcoin, maybe that has something to do with it.

They also allow members of the Institute, members who pay, from all over the world, they allow those members access to use onsite servers and computer systems.  So maybe that has something to do with it.

Im sure we will find out and it won't be as exciting as we all hoped.

Geek Group is gone. Seems like it had to do with funding issues?

https://fox17online.com/2018/12/31/gr-tech-group-raided-by-federal-agents-will-cease-public-operations/

[EastownLeo]

On 12/31/2018 at 12:17 PM, WMrapids said:

Geek Group is gone. Seems like it had to do with funding issues?

https://fox17online.com/2018/12/31/gr-tech-group-raided-by-federal-agents-will-cease-public-operations/

Actually had more to do with Chris Boden, the director, illegally participating in bitcoin trading.

[joeDowntown]

Totally random, but I drive Monroe north past Leonard almost every day, and if you are listening to the radio, it almost always cuts out/ gets interference (always when I’m listening to something interesting). Anyone know what’s in this area that would interfere with radio signals? It’s obviously another station but it happens in the same area every day, no matter what station I’m listening to. I’ve always been curious (and I’m now stuck in traffic when it’s happening.

Joe

[walker]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

Totally random, but I drive Monroe north past Leonard almost every day, and if you are listening to the radio, it almost always cuts out/ gets interference (always when I’m listening to something interesting). Anyone know what’s in this area that would interfere with radio signals? It’s obviously another station but it happens in the same area every day, no matter what station I’m listening to. I’ve always been curious (and I’m now stuck in traffic when it’s happening.

Joe

I'm sure the interference is from the radio transmitter of B-93, the country music station, across the river behind the hotel.  I don't think it is as powerful as it once was, but the original station there, WJEF-FM, was once I believe the most powerful FM station in the country at 500,000 watts and could be heard through a much wider area than most FM stations.  It belonged to the radio/TV pioneer John Fetzer.  Most of the time he had it, it didn't make any money because almost no one had an FM receiver back then .  Remember Muzak elevator music.   He owned the franchise.   Muzak was just about his only source of revenue from the station back in its early days.  You couldn't hear the Muzak signal on a regular FM radio but he broadcasted an  encrypted Muzak signal within the FM station's regular signal that could only be picked up by businesses that subscribed to the Muzak service.    

EDIT: OK, this was a nice story but it is not entirely correct and is not the reason for Joe's interference.  The radio station transmitter across the river that is probably causing the interference is from station WTKG, an AM station.   It was originally the transmitter for Fetzer's AM station, WJEF-AM.  The source of my confusion I think was that the studios for both the AM and FM station were in the small adjacent building by the transmitter.  The FM transmitter I think is out around Gun Lake.        

Edited February 27, 2019 by walker
because I'm a confused old man

[Raildudes dad]

There's a Consumers Energy substation on the west side of the street north of Leonard. There's lots of electromagnetic stuff going on there. I would think there's something wrong with the audio system in your vehicle. I drive by there quite often and I never experience any interference.

[Guest]

Looks like the bottom floor of 240 Ionia is being finished.  Anyone have the scoop?

[GrSportsGuy]

On 8/14/2018 at 6:09 AM, tSlater said:

I think I hear the plans are to cover it back up again with new covering, which might be for the best. That facade is pretty well preserved and that may only be because it was covered up, and properly preserving that while keeping it visible would potentially be difficult. Best save that task for when things like that become cheaper.

Does make me wonder how many other buildings like this are hidden in plain view, though.

I’m glad they didn’t cover it up. Looks cool.

 

[GR_Urbanist]

This is more "Hey, WTF???" than "What is that?".

 

But what on Earth is the deal with this building? And how has the city allowed this guy that owns it to leave it in this perpetual boarded-up state for 20 years while millions have been poured into the area for improvements.

 

With the new theater complex opening soon as well as 10 Ionia rising in the opposite direction, the city needs to start leaning on this guy as well as the Richmond Stamp people, to at least improve the facades of these places. 

photo source: numstead 2006

 

These have to be the last two buildings on Ionia that has never had a thing done to them since the VAA went up.

Edited March 3, 2019 by GR_Urbanist

[joeDowntown]

Richmond Stamp has been in business forever, so I don’t mind if they don’t do much but the building next door has baffled me since the mid 90’s. It looks like it has good bones, it has a nice facade, and I can’t imagine a developer (or ten) hasn’t approached the owners about selling. 

I thought one guy owned it (a mailman?) and was sitting on it for retirement? It’s been so long, that I learned, forgot, and probably just made up the story about this building. Haha.

Joe

[GRDadof3]

6 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

This is more "Hey, WTF???" than "What is that?".

 

But what on Earth is the deal with this building? And how has the city allowed this guy that owns it to leave it in this perpetual boarded-up state for 20 years while millions have been poured into the area for improvements.

 

With the new theater complex opening soon as well as 10 Ionia rising in the opposite direction, the city needs to start leaning on this guy as well as the Richmond Stamp people, to at least improve the facades of these places. 

photo source: numstead 2006

 

These have to be the last two buildings on Ionia that has never had a thing done to them since the VAA went up.

Call him and find out. I'll track down his info for ya. 

[walker]

Back on June 18, 2005 GRDadof3 provided the guy's name and home address.  Click on replies, it's the twelfth reply down.  Current tax records show it hasn't changed.  The building address is 22 Ionia. 

Edited March 4, 2019 by walker

[joeDowntown]

So we basically had this exact conversation in 2005 (14 years ago, that’s crazy!) Haha. And still no movement  

Joe

[uncus]

Does anybody know

What’s this

Thing on top of the light pole being installed at the corner of wealthy and fuller?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[walker]

2 hours ago, uncus said:

Does anybody know

What’s this

Thing on top of the light pole being installed at the corner of wealthy and fuller?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just an uninformed guess, it looks like a small cell wireless antenna shroud, except based on the images I've found, it looks like it's upside down:

GOOGLE IMAGES: antenna shrouds 

 

Edited March 17, 2019 by walker

[MJLO]

9 hours ago, uncus said:

Does anybody know

What’s this

Thing on top of the light pole being installed at the corner of wealthy and fuller?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You're going to start seeing them everywhere.  It's part of how 5G is getting deployed.

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, MJLO said:

You're going to start seeing them everywhere.  It's part of how 5G is getting deployed.

That’s interesting. So 5G will be smaller towers, closer together? Or are these for testing in dense areas?

[ChevalierNoir]

I've been seeing them pop up all over town. There is  one right as you drive into the Green Ridge shopping center on Alpine, really close to the Taco Bell.

 

[MJLO]

8 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

That’s interesting. So 5G will be smaller towers, closer together? Or are these for testing in dense areas?

From what I understand it will be smaller towers closer together.   As it’s been explained to me 5G  allows for much greater data transmission, but on higher  frequencies that have a much shorter range.  It can’t be transmitted from just the big towers.  Small cells have been around for a while.  They have traditionally been deployed in high traffic areas where too many users put the big towers at capacity(there has been a ring of small cells flanking the shopping areas around Alpine for years). They also have been used to bridge weaker zones between big towers.  Verizon and AT&T have been quiety been putting dozens of them up all around the area for the last 18 months.   I believe the one pictured is a newer Verizon version.  The one mentioned by Taco Bell on Alpine is the original Verizon version, they are more common.  Onces you realize what they are you’ll start seeing them everywhere lol.

[organsnyder]

Yup, that one is AT&T's:

https://inspections.grcity.us/CitizenAccess/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=Permits&TabName=Permits&capID1=19CAP&capID2=00000&capID3=00213&agencyCode=GRANDRAPIDS&IsToShowInspection=

[GR_Urbanist]

I just passed a massive blade for a wind turbine being trucked north on the E. Beltline by cascade rd.. Anyone know of a wind turbine farm going up on the NE side of the GR area?

Edited May 31, 2019 by GR_Urbanist

[RegalTDP]

1 hour ago, GR_Urbanist said:

I just passed a massive blade for a wind turbine being trucked north on the E. Beltline by cascade rd.. Anyone know of a wind turbine farm going up on the NE side of the GR area?

It was probably headed north - there's a wind farm project up in the Casnovia/Kent City area that was just approved to start building in April.  Supposed to be complete by 2020. 

https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2019/04/wind-farm-proposed-for-muskegonkent-counties-border-gets-key-approval.html