New projects in East Hills

[amylynne]

The only rumor I heard was that something was happening. Furniture and things have been moving around in there for the first time in a long time. I haven't seen or heard anyone in there during daylight hours though. 

[SEsideguy]

My niece bartends at the Pickwick. Everbody that she knows, that know everything, don't know anything.l

[GRDadof3]

On 12/14/2016 at 9:47 PM, GR_Urbanist said:

I'm seeing some chatter that something is about to happen with the old Gaia space.

Is anyone else hearing this or know something?

New restaurant, supposed to be opening in about a month, apparently. 

[Pattmost20]

On 11/29/2016 at 7:55 AM, tSlater said:

It was discussed at yesterday's neighbours meeting.  I was not in attendance.

Another updated design? GRBJ has an article today showing the building sans the funky, dark roof.

[GRLaker]

13 hours ago, Pattmost20 said:

Another updated design? GRBJ has an article today showing the building sans the funky, dark roof.

Looks less hotel-ish now.

[x99]

5 hours ago, GRLaker said:

Looks less hotel-ish now.

Bland.  Orion's building on Fulton and Carlton is a lot better.  At least they added a few little decorative touches to that one.  On this one, the roofline is boring and the whole product is somewhat flat and expressionless.  Blah.  Doesn't scream "premium rents"!  Still screams Howard Johnson!!!

So, to fix it, since why criticize if you ain't fixin', I took the old one and the new one and sort of blended the ideas to create something that is a little more interesting.  At least, I think it is.  Witness the brilliance of 20 minutes of cutting and pasting with Microsoft Paint: 

It's all Concept's stuff, so here's hoping they run with something similar to this.  

List of improvements: 

• Third floor expression line is continuous
• Cornice is back to the nicer, heavier cornice on the first drawing
• Added an extended cornice over the entryway to break up the roofline, and bumped that whole section out by a brick or two or something just to carry the entryway up to the super-awesome jumbo cornice.  
• Cleaned up the hardipanels so they make a little more sense. At first I didn't run the first floor expression line through.  That was what was  I still had off.  I ran that continuously, and now it works a lot better.  Still don't like them, but I'm trying to keep their theme.
• Added the old fake vent panel things back in to break up the vast expenses of expressionless brick
• Dumped the hardi on the fourth floor and infilled it with brick.  The thinness of that brick ribbon over the windows in their design makes the wings feel disconnected.  Did the same on the first floor.  Now the wings feel attached.

I'm not saying this is perfect, but for 20 minutes cutting and pasting stuff, I think it's a lot better.  Personally, I would do a broken pediment in the 4th floor over the entryway.  And I would do brick quoins on at least some of the corners... Just because it would be suhweeeett...  

 

Edited January 13, 2017 by x99

[GR_Urbanist]

It would be at least presentable if it was massed at the street.

 

It just seems like a dorm for Aquinas at this point.

[joeDowntown]

Nice job @x99 - 

Small but meaningful changes. The devil IS in the details. 

Joe

[uncus]

New restaurant, supposed to be opening in about a month, apparently. 

Hmmm

Clearing out

Everything in the old Gaia place is up on Craigslist

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/bfs/5944005601.html

[GRDadof3]

9 hours ago, uncus said:

Hmmm

Clearing out

Everything in the old Gaia place is up on Craigslist

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/bfs/5944005601.html

The restaurant I thought was going in there was Georgina's, which looks to be headed over to Wealthy St now. 

[GVSUChris]

Okay I couldn't be more confused.

So for some time I have been following this whole "Georgina's" process trying to see where they'd land. At one point we thought Gaia and then recently on Wealthy where Phil's Stuff is. As some of you have probably figured out our Bookstore (Books & Mortar) is in the big old building on Cherry Street and our landlord just told us that Georgina's is signed and all set for build out in our building. This makes no sense to me as I thought they were going in on Wealthy? 

***EDIT*** apparently they will have two locations. The bar on Wealthy and the Cafe/takeout/express concept on Cherry. 

Well there you have it. Some East Hills news. 

[GR_Urbanist]

Oh so that's what's going where the pet store was!

 

Wow! These guys are going to be a serious presence over here, it seems.

[GRDadof3]

3 hours ago, GVSUChris said:

Okay I couldn't be more confused.

So for some time I have been following this whole "Georgina's" process trying to see where they'd land. At one point we thought Gaia and then recently on Wealthy where Phil's Stuff is. As some of you have probably figured out our Bookstore (Books & Mortar) is in the big old building on Cherry Street and our landlord just told us that Georgina's is signed and all set for build out in our building. This makes no sense to me as I thought they were going in on Wealthy? 

***EDIT*** apparently they will have two locations. The bar on Wealthy and the Cafe/takeout/express concept on Cherry. 

Well there you have it. Some East Hills news. 

Great info. Thanks Chris!

[x99]

So HPC approved the Orion project in Heritage Hill as presented.  Maybe we should start calling them the Historic Destruction Commission?  Their idea of preservation lately seems to be glorified window police.  I thought they were finally starting to get on the right track, but first that giant glass tower and then this?  A stinking replaceable window that you can barely see is a capital case, while a building covered in cheap ass fiber-cement panels (or metal panels or glass panels or you name it) that smacks you in the face with its nasty and deficient design is just fine.  I just don't know.

Edited January 19, 2017 by x99

[GRLaker]

19 minutes ago, x99 said:

So HPC approved the Orion project in Heritage Hill as presented.  Maybe we should start calling them the Historic Destruction Commission?  Their idea of preservation lately seems to be glorified window police.  I thought they were finally starting to get on the right track, but first that giant glass tower and then this?  A stinking replaceable window that you can barely see is a capital case, while a building covered in cheap ass fiber-cement panels (or metal panels or glass panels or you name it) that smacks you in the face with its nasty and deficient design is just fine.  I just don't know.

I thought the updates to the 42 story tower were a nice step in the right direction toward giving it a historical tip of the hat. I didn't have an issue with that decision at all.

As for this building...I have seen actual historical buildings look very similar to this design. Although, I like your update a lot better. However, where they definitely went wrong (IMHO) is having parking on the side of the building. They should have extended it or made that green space with trees to ensure that no parking is visible from the street.

With that said, I'm no expert on historical preservation. I'm only trying to compare it to actual historical buildings.

Edited January 19, 2017 by GRLaker

[x99]

18 minutes ago, GRLaker said:

I thought the updates to the 42 story tower were a nice step in the right direction toward giving it a historical tip of the hat. I didn't have an issue with that decision at all.

As for this building...I have seen actual historical buildings look very similar to this design. Although, I like your update a lot better. However, where they definitely went wrong (IMHO) is having parking on the side of the building. They should have extended it or made that green space with trees to ensure that no parking is visible from the street.

As much as I like the tower and the fact that it will be built, a 42 story glass tower in a historic district?  That's just absurd.  This building wasn't too far off the mark, but the ocean of fibercement was.  I wouldn't complaint so much if these buildings ever came out looking better in real life than they do on paper, but that is rarely the case.  

Edited January 19, 2017 by x99

[GR_Urbanist]

If I'm not mistaken, it looks like the roof of the "economy heating" building on Wealthy and Eastern has caved in.

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by GR_Urbanist

[GRDadof3]

17 hours ago, GR_Urbanist said:

If I'm not mistaken, it looks like the roof of the "economy heating" building on Wealthy and Eastern has caved in.

 

Ouch. All that snow and then rain probably did it in. Didn't something similar happen to the garage behind Bazzani's office? 

[GR_Urbanist]

I think that is what happened as well.

 

Well maybe this will facilitate putting this site on the market. Part of me doubts the owner will have the money to fix this, and there is no way the city, nor the district, is going to let this level of damage slide.

 

If I was him, I would have it up by the end of the week.

[walker]

On 1/17/2017 at 0:35 PM, GVSUChris said:

Okay I couldn't be more confused.

So for some time I have been following this whole "Georgina's" process trying to see where they'd land. At one point we thought Gaia and then recently on Wealthy where Phil's Stuff is. As some of you have probably figured out our Bookstore (Books & Mortar) is in the big old building on Cherry Street and our landlord just told us that Georgina's is signed and all set for build out in our building. This makes no sense to me as I thought they were going in on Wealthy? 

***EDIT*** apparently they will have two locations. The bar on Wealthy and the Cafe/takeout/express concept on Cherry. 

Well there you have it. Some East Hills news. 

So months after the rumors here, here's the Mlive story"

Georgina's to Phil's Stuff on Wealthy

It would be nice if the Etoy's remodeling next store was moving along a little faster.

The article doesn't mention the second place for takeout on Cherry.

[GVSUChris]

8 minutes ago, walker said:

So months after the rumors here, here's the Mlive story"

Georgina's to Phil's Stuff on Wealthy

It would be nice if the Etoy's remodeling next store was moving along a little faster.

The article doesn't mention the second place for takeout on Cherry.

Yeah that 2nd location idea fell through after really salty lease negotiations. The space on Cherry that they were after is now going to be an accessory store (women's AND men's I think) that had a shop in DC before moving to GR recently. We'll see.

[GRDadof3]

6 hours ago, walker said:

So months after the rumors here, here's the Mlive story"

Georgina's to Phil's Stuff on Wealthy

It would be nice if the Etoy's remodeling next store was moving along a little faster.

The article doesn't mention the second place for takeout on Cherry.

Old news:

http://www.grnow.com/georginas-fusion-cuisine-looking-to-open-new-tacqueria-on-wealthy-street/

[GR_Urbanist]

The laundromat on east Fulton looks like it is about to undergo a makeover.

I didn't get too much of a look, but there is a sign out front with a drawing of the renovated building to try to entice a new tenant(s) as they are leasing for it.

ok, here is a poor image of the sign at least.

Edited April 26, 2017 by GR_Urbanist

[MidtownTroy]

I've been lurking for a bit, but figured I'd finally start an account. Hi all!

Anyway, I pass that sign everyday, and it is a Building for Lease sign, but I don't believe it actually says anything about the makeover itself. That little strip is really interesting right now; there's a lot of work going into one side of Buffalo Tobacco Traders (looks like it will be a lounge: https://www.facebook.com/BUFFALOTRADERSLOUNGE/), the Heirloom Building just got a new tenant that will be opening soon, Rakowski Family Farm Market just opened up, and there are a couple vacant places as well (one of the antique places is no more, and the popup Cakabakery is vacant). It'll be interesting to see how the dust settles.

Edited April 27, 2017 by MidtownTroy

[thebeerqueer]

Welcome to the club MidtownTroy! 

Thanks for the updates on the happenings on Fulton St. I heard that the Buffalo Traders spot is going to be a second/alternate location for Sidebar. Can anyone corroborate?