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RDV buys Charley's Crab site


mgreven

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From the Grand Rapids Press,

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/04/devo...eys_crab_p.html

Charley's to remain open, just lease back the location from RDV. "No plans for the site" is the official word from RDV.

Obviously, I know we all hope they have something planned....the "Times Square of Grand Rapids" comment will stick in all our speculative minds...

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I always thought that land would be used for a new performing arts center. Has a site for a new arts center ever been finalized?

From the Grand Rapids Press,

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/04/devo...eys_crab_p.html

Charley's to remain open, just lease back the location from RDV. "No plans for the site" is the official word from RDV.

Obviously, I know we all hope they have something planned....the "Times Square of Grand Rapids" comment will stick in all our speculative minds...

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I'm going to make a prediction, that with all this movement going on around Market/Fulton, that in a few years we will have this announcement: "New $200 Million riverfront complex proposed by Rich Devos to anchor Southern end of new Monroe Ave Streetcar Line".

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I equate having the "resources" RDV has as him being able to play giant, real-to-life game of SimCity. Would'nt it be fun to build the city up like he can? Gotta appreciate the presence of the philanthropists like DV and VA in our town. (I would like to play that game someday, though. :)

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I'm going to make a prediction, that with all this movement going on around Market/Fulton, that in a few years we will have this announcement: "New $200 Million riverfront complex proposed by Rich Devos to anchor Southern end of new Monroe Ave Streetcar Line".
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As stated recently by me, this was the originally proposed site for a 52-story version of the Metropolitan Center proposal (the one revisioned by the Urban Planet-GR/MBEI Committee for the Planning of a World-Class Downtown as a 30-story mixed-use tower at Division and Fulton). Since the original version included a ground-level transit station (perfect for now housing a Monroe/Market streetrail station), an atrium mall with 10-levels of high-end national retail (connected to the skywalk system at Market & Fulton on the second floor of the mall), class-A office space, another convention-supporting hotel (to address downtown's remaining need for 900+ hotel rooms), apartments/condos and a rooftop restaurant, I think now would be a good time to tap DeVos on the shoulder and say, " . . . . had you considered something onlong these lines? :shades: "

I still have the original conceptual document on hand; the Fulton/Division version is right here in its own UP-GR thread. <Insert the song, "Going In Circles"> :)

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I really admire those of you who can do these large-scale digital models. I imagine it takes hours of time! (I'm a pencil and paper kind of sketcher myself...)

Could I suggest an alternate view of this property? I was really grabbed by the "Times Square" idea. Not that I want to see downtown slide away from Fulton and Division -- in fact, I think that "ground zero" area has tremendous potential -- but it would be nice for that huge lot-and-restaurant parcel to become an interesting walking destination, with ground-level shops, services, and restaurants. Perhaps a movie theater!

I'd like to see those lots become someplace to stroll. Someplace to be social and people-watch, with interesting things (storefronts, outdoor art, crowded piazzas) for people to look at. Someplace to send conventioneers and hotel-goers.

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I talked with someone this weekend who has seen plans for this site, big plans. Though the intentions would be to not do anything for a number of years. I do need to say though that I wonder if my source was getting the Charley Crab and the huge parking lot next door mixed up.

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I really admire those of you who can do these large-scale digital models. I imagine it takes hours of time! (I'm a pencil and paper kind of sketcher myself...)

Could I suggest an alternate view of this property? I was really grabbed by the "Times Square" idea. Not that I want to see downtown slide away from Fulton and Division -- in fact, I think that "ground zero" area has tremendous potential -- but it would be nice for that huge lot-and-restaurant parcel to become an interesting walking destination, with ground-level shops, services, and restaurants. Perhaps a movie theater!

I'd like to see those lots become someplace to stroll. Someplace to be social and people-watch, with interesting things (storefronts, outdoor art, crowded piazzas) for people to look at. Someplace to send conventioneers and hotel-goers.

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But imagine, if you will, the Times Square development anchoring this corner, Gilmore's development kitty-corner, the arena, and then Fulton&Division anchoring the other end. All of a sudden you have sort of a "mall" that we've been talking about.
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I don't get why everyone is so high on the Fulton & Division intersection. Even if the UICA building gets built, the corner is still terrible on the other 3 fronts. The JA Building is in disrepair and even from a building/design standpoint is a fairly bland building compared to others downtown. The park on the NorthEast corner hasn't been updated in years. The 'plaza' sidewalks are falling apart and the only activity the park gets is the anti-war group that goes in there. Then theres the police station and the street walls.

In my opinion, building up a corner like Fulton & Market/Monroe would be ideal!

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I don't get why everyone is so high on the Fulton & Division intersection. Even if the UICA building gets built, the corner is still terrible on the other 3 fronts. The JA Building is in disrepair and even from a building/design standpoint is a fairly bland building compared to others downtown. The park on the NorthEast corner hasn't been updated in years. The 'plaza' sidewalks are falling apart and the only activity the park gets is the anti-war group that goes in there. Then theres the police station and the street walls.

In my opinion, building up a corner like Fulton & Market/Monroe would be ideal!

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I don't get why everyone is so high on the Fulton & Division intersection. Even if the UICA building gets built, the corner is still terrible on the other 3 fronts. The JA Building is in disrepair and even from a building/design standpoint is a fairly bland building compared to others downtown. The park on the NorthEast corner hasn't been updated in years. The 'plaza' sidewalks are falling apart and the only activity the park gets is the anti-war group that goes in there. Then theres the police station and the street walls.

In my opinion, building up a corner like Fulton & Market/Monroe would be ideal!

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Fulton and Division is indeed the geographic center of GR and it would be nice to have something more happing there on that location. But on the other hand wouldn't it be nice to turn the Grand River into a major vocal point? After all allot of GR UPer's have voiced there discontent about how the city has "turned its back on the river." The Market and Fultion block is a major opportunity to set things straight when it comes to including the river as part of GR's urban fabric.

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I have to agree with posts noting how overrated the Division and Fulton intersection is to downtown's vitality. If you have to pick the most vibrant parts of downtown right now they'd be up and down Monroe, with the VAA at one end and the DVCC at the other. Developing the river is our best bet in the long run.

Clinging to the arbitrary selection of Fulton and Division as The Center Of Grand Rapids (insert reverb here) doesn't really do us any good in my opinion. Imagine with me for a moment... the UICA project is done, someone finally gets off their butt and does something with the old JA building and we have a less-dead corner than today. You're still going to have an eastern-anchor to downtown (as GRD3 mentioned)... not the center of everything.

I'd say putting something big at Charley's would be outstanding. You'd finally be using the river in GR the way many other cities use theirs: As the geographic and emotional center of the city....as it should be.

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