New infill development at West Fulton and Lexington

[GRDadof3]

This development looks pretty nice. On the Planning Commission agenda for this week. This would be part of that first grouping of older buildings that you see just past Adobe heading toward JB Zoo.

The buildings on the left are the existing, the one on the right is the new addition. The lower image is the Lexington side view (West).

Site plan (with North being to the left)

Residential above ground floor retail. It'd be nice to see at least ONE of these West Side projects get past the drawing stage.

[Eridony]

Looks nice, didn't we hear about a mixed use project in that same area a year or so ago? Was that killed by neighbors who prefer vacant lots?

[fotoman311]

Looks nice, didn't we hear about a mixed use project in that same area a year or so ago? Was that killed by neighbors who prefer vacant lots?

[GRDadof3]

From what I remember of the floorplans and location of that project, it was going to go on the North side of Fulton, with the first phase being to the west of Lots o Pots and a potential 2nd phase to the east of Lots o Pots. I really liked that plan.

This one looks pretty similar, but I'm having trouble placing it. I think that existing building is currently (or was recently) used by the GVSU College of Education for some of their administrative staff. I've walked by it a bunch of times on my way to Vito's pizza for lunch.

I definitely like it and think it would be great for the area. I really wish they could have gotten that other development built.

In my opinion, this area will eventually need to except that they are located in a desirable area for college student housing and push to get GOOD projects built that will attract well-mannered students who will not be having loud, drunken parties rather than many of the not-well kept up rental houses I see in some of the areas that attract loud crowds of college students that leave empty beer cans scattered throughout the yards.

[fotoman311]

Right fotoman, that was this development here planned for the North side of Fulton.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/657-West...l&hl=fulton

This new one is being proposed on the South side, exactly where you mentioned.

Here's an aerial looking South, with Adobe at the bottom left. The new infill will take up that green grassy area to the right of the grouping of buildings, and extend back along Lexington.

[Allison Slater]

Looks like the new addition has some good ideas, but the shape of the upper floors makes it seem rather disjointed from the first, and the windows clumsily trying to hold it all together. It'd look absolutely perfect if the second floor was raised some, and perhaps a more natural balcony area on the opposite side rather than between the buildings.

[GRDadof3]

How many units are in the new planned development?

Not sure I can make it to the Planning Commission meeting tomorrow. There's no way to submit absentee comments is there? I figure they probably have an "if you really care about something, you'll MAKE time to show up," but I really think that these projects (this and the one on Seward) would be positive for the area and would like to support them.

[fotoman311]

Looks like the new addition has some good ideas, but the shape of the upper floors makes it seem rather disjointed from the first, and the windows clumsily trying to hold it all together. It'd look absolutely perfect if the second floor was raised some, and perhaps a more natural balcony area on the opposite side rather than between the buildings.

[GRDadof3]

I don't know that it's a balcony. It might be just to provide spacing so that the upper floors of the existing building still have windows/sunlight coming in. Those deep old buildings are very dark in the middle if there are no windows on the side.

Here's what it looks like now. Based on the lack of any cars in the parking lot, I'm wondering if the whole thing is vacant (?) There are still GVSU signs in the windows, so maybe they are closed for Summer break.

You can see windows on the side on the upper floors, plus a sign saying that the residential units are newly remodeled (barely out of view).

The empty grass lot:

[Allison Slater]

In that case, keep the space between the two, but if they were to use some variance in the architecture between the 1-storey portion and the 3-storey portion it'd probably look pretty good, in addition to my suggested change regarding the windows.

Or better yet, a false wall linking together the new and old.

[GRDadof3]

This project was approved by the Planning Commission in July. Anyone notice any site clearing or other activity?

[fotoman311]

This project was approved by the Planning Commission in July. Anyone notice any site clearing or other activity?