Jump to content

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


sparky05

Recommended Posts

It use to be an old army base and then it was torn down for an office building however it was never erected. whats the deal!?!??

If I had to guess it would be that there is not enough demand for office space over in that part of Michigan St. so they won't spend the money to build until there is? :dontknow:

Originally, a group of docters was going to lease a building that was supposed to be built. With what is being built on Michigan Hill, Cascade/I-96, there is plenty of leasable medical space around. There was talk about a Hotel but I haven't heard anything on that in a while. The expectations were extremely high for that piece but there it sits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


god ofcourse someone had to mess up our brand new beautiful midtowne village building. Some people i swear.

On another note, what ever happened to the building that was suppose to be built across the street from Bill's Family Restaurant and Cone Shoppe by michigan and fuller. It use to be an old army base and then it was torn down for an office building however it was never erected. whats the deal!?!??

Wow, does that ever bring back memories (if my memory isn't too far gone!). I'm thinking that (Michigan & Fuller) is the building we had dances in during high school in the mid-late 60's. Seems like right smack on that corner there was a dog-n-suds or an A & W. I'm curious - is the Bill's Family Restaurant where the seafood shop & restaurant used to be? (Anyone here as old as I am?!!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, does that ever bring back memories (if my memory isn't too far gone!). I'm thinking that (Michigan & Fuller) is the building we had dances in during high school in the mid-late 60's. Seems like right smack on that corner there was a dog-n-suds or an A & W. I'm curious - is the Bill's Family Restaurant where the seafood shop & restaurant used to be? (Anyone here as old as I am?!!)

The demo'd building was the local Army Reserve Center (now on 3 Mile in walker). Bill's is the old Dog & Suds, Superior Seafood / Oyster Haven was between Decker Appliance and Michigan. Duthler's Foods was a Meijers' with the corporate offices in the rear on the second floor.

PS: I think I'm older than you - I clearly remember these places :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The demo'd building was the local Army Reserve Center (now on 3 Mile in walker). Bill's is the old Dog & Suds, Superior Seafood / Oyster Haven was between Decker Appliance and Michigan. Duthler's Foods was a Meijers' with the corporate offices in the rear on the second floor.

PS: I think I'm older than you - I clearly remember these places :D

Well, PS back: How cool is that! I'm usually the oldest one wherever I go (except Church!). I loved Superior Seafood. I was also sitting here thinking that back in the day there was also a drive-through car was my mom sent me to - car boiled over because she didn't know you needed to check oil! Needless to say, "mad dad"!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, PS back: How cool is that! I'm usually the oldest one wherever I go (except Church!). I loved Superior Seafood. I was also sitting here thinking that back in the day there was also a drive-through car was my mom sent me to - car boiled over because she didn't know you needed to check oil! Needless to say, "mad dad"!

Anyone remember the Burger Chef near Michigan/Fuller?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're tearing down an old brown building on W. Fulton West of Seward (can't think of the intersection), on the North side of the street. Anyone got the scoop of what's going on?

edit: checked Regis and the address is 751 W. Fulton, at the NE corner of Fulton and Straight.

Does anyone have a photo of this building?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I only remember Burger Chef on Plainfield (near Lamberton Lake) just about across from "Presidents Motel" which, again, really dates me. I'm sure Presidents Motel is no more.

Are you thinking of the Lazy T Motel on the corner of Lamberton Lake & Plainfield? (that is still there by the way) If so the Burger Chef must have been where the Pizza Hut is now next to the old Eberhard's (MESC Office). Is that right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you thinking of the Lazy T Motel on the corner of Lamberton Lake & Plainfield? (that is still there by the way) If so the Burger Chef must have been where the Pizza Hut is now next to the old Eberhard's (MESC Office). Is that right?

Grand Inn currently at the WB I96 entrasnce ramp was formerly the Presidents Inn. Burger Chef was where the Muffler shop / Vet clinic? north of the Speedway on the east side of the street is today. I can't remember what was there before Pizza Hut, might have just been vacant (it's been there a long time).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you thinking of the Lazy T Motel on the corner of Lamberton Lake & Plainfield? (that is still there by the way) If so the Burger Chef must have been where the Pizza Hut is now next to the old Eberhard's (MESC Office). Is that right?

Nope. That's too far out. This is closer to where Fuller ends at Plainfield. The President's Motel overlooked the expressway. I remember when that Pizza Hut was built, BTW! There was either a liquor store or little bar next door and a fairly large white house behind Pizza Hut where a high school friend lived. I take it there are no more Eberhard's. We didn't shop there much at all.

Raildudes, you're right. I think the property on which Pizza Hut sits was either grass/weeds or an extension of the Eberhard's parking.

Edited by pr sc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eberhard's has been gone since the early 90s. A painful and ugly death. In the end going to Eberhard's was like going into the Clark's Food Center on State. The Plainfield Eberhard's was lost in a spectacular early morning fire in the early 1980's.

Don't know how I missed learning about the fire - we still visited regularly throughout the 1980's. Maybe just don't remember - getting old!

What has happened with all the other strip malls / discount stores, etc. as you move on out on Plainfield? Are there office buildings, auto malls or that type of thing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't know how I missed learning about the fire - we still visited regularly throughout the 1980's. Maybe just don't remember - getting old!

What has happened with all the other strip malls / discount stores, etc. as you move on out on Plainfield? Are there office buildings, auto malls or that type of thing?

The Plainfield Eberhard fire was very controversial. At that time Eberhard's policy was to lock the stock crew in the store so that they couldn't get out. When the fire started there were people trapped in the building. A skinny guy had to crawl out of a restroom window and run to get help for the others. No one died if I remember right, but the potential was sure there.

Plainfield has sadly become mostly a wasteland prime for redevelopment. The whole Northtown Center is close to 70% vacant. Since D&W closed up that corner became a ghost town. That corner has become a prime spot for a big box retailer. I just hope it isn't WalMart.

As stores have closed, dollar stores and check cashing places have moved in. It seems like they are everywhere.

The North Kent Mall long ago failed and was redeveloped into a Lowe's. K-Mart remained and the old Monkey Wards building has been mostly redeveloped into smaller stores, Dunham's Sports, Dollar Tree, & Family Farm & Home. The Lowe's looks a little strange placed in between two old mall anchors.

There has been a rash of strip malls built in the last 5 years mostly beyond 5 mile heading toward the beltline. A lot of old vacant parcels have been swiped up and turned into strip malls (Vern's Full Service). The old drive in was redeveloped into a subdivision about 15 years ago.

Where Plainfield has seen the most growth lately has been from the bottom of the hill to the Beltline. Strip malls galore, mostly urban sprawl crap. One new strip mall that had a strange orientation to the street (turned 90 degrees) sat vacant for over 5 years. There is only one shop in there currently. Someone took a huge bath on that one.

The beltline inbetween the River and Grand River Dr. has exploded with growth since the gravel pit closed and was redeveloped. Mr. Fables is unfortunately long gone but there is a McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and coming soon a new Arby's in that stretch. Not to mention other take out restaurants as well, Qdoba, Quizno's, Subway, and the like.

Of all the growth, nothing is really noteworthy. It's mostly sprawl oriented development. Kind of sad really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Plainfield Eberhard fire was very controversial. At that time Eberhard's policy was to lock the stock crew in the store so that they couldn't get out. When the fire started there were people trapped in the building. A skinny guy had to crawl out of a restroom window and run to get help for the others. No one died if I remember right, but the potential was sure there.

Plainfield has sadly become mostly a wasteland prime for redevelopment. The whole Northtown Center is close to 70% vacant. Since D&W closed up that corner became a ghost town. That corner has become a prime spot for a big box retailer. I just hope it isn't WalMart.

As stores have closed, dollar stores and check cashing places have moved in. It seems like they are everywhere.

The North Kent Mall long ago failed and was redeveloped into a Lowe's. K-Mart remained and the old Monkey Wards building has been mostly redeveloped into smaller stores, Dunham's Sports, Dollar Tree, & Family Farm & Home. The Lowe's looks a little strange placed in between two old mall anchors.

There has been a rash of strip malls built in the last 5 years mostly beyond 5 mile heading toward the beltline. A lot of old vacant parcels have been swiped up and turned into strip malls (Vern's Full Service). The old drive in was redeveloped into a subdivision about 15 years ago.

Where Plainfield has seen the most growth lately has been from the bottom of the hill to the Beltline. Strip malls galore, mostly urban sprawl crap. One new strip mall that had a strange orientation to the street (turned 90 degrees) sat vacant for over 5 years. There is only one shop in there currently. Someone took a huge bath on that one.

The beltline inbetween the River and Grand River Dr. has exploded with growth since the gravel pit closed and was redeveloped. Mr. Fables is unfortunately long gone but there is a McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and coming soon a new Arby's in that stretch. Not to mention other take out restaurants as well, Qdoba, Quizno's, Subway, and the like.

Of all the growth, nothing is really noteworthy. It's mostly sprawl oriented development. Kind of sad really.

I can't believe they tore down the mini-golf course by McDonalds. We just noticed that the other day. Any idea what they are doing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't believe they tore down the mini-golf course by McDonalds. We just noticed that the other day. Any idea what they are doing?

Yeah, I noticed that as well. My three year old just asked me the other day if we could go golfing there again soon. Development is so hard to explain to a three year old.

I don't know what is going in there. My guess is that it's something having to do with the old Pietro's. But, I can't be sure on that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember when that Pizza Hut was built, BTW! There was either a liquor store or little bar next door and a fairly large white house behind Pizza Hut where a high school friend lived.

The bar was and still is "Tom's Brew" :) I remember the Pizza Hut going up now that you mention it. I think the white house is still there, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My brother is the parts manager at the new K&M Suzuki at Plainfield and 5 Mile. They built it inside the old movie theater. He gave me a tour one day and the windows from the old projector booth that would look into the theaters are still there. Weird to see an old movie theater as a car dealership now, especially having worked for 2 movie theater chains before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bar was and still is "Tom's Brew" :) I remember the Pizza Hut going up now that you mention it. I think the white house is still there, too.

Ah, yes, Tom's Brew! It's amazing how something like that can last forever. Maybe because they decide to never change. And, if I remember correctly, a veterinarian was next door or right in there, also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.