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Two new mixed-use projects planned for Eastown

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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What Guy Bazzani did for the Cherry-Diamond area (Marie Catrib's/Center of the Universe building), he hopes to do for Eastown.

He's partnering with Eastown neighborhood leader Baird Hawkins to buy the now-closed Fifth Third Bank branch, 1350 Lake Dr. SE, in Eastown to build a three-story mixed-use building. Like all of Bazzani's projects it will be LEED certified.

...Guy said he is two to three weeks away from starting work on replacing the building at 1500 Wealthy St. SE, which was best known for blowing up in February, leaving a vacant lot in the heart of the business district. Plans for that site include a LEED-certified two-story building with apartments upstairs and retail on the ground floor. Bazzani said he's close to landing a retail tenant for the building.

http://blog.mlive.com/knapescorner/2008/10...d_lov.html#more

Let's hope the Planning Commission doesn't trip these up.

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PRCH Whistle-Stop

PRCH

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No Planning Commission approval required for either........ :shades:

Good point. Some posters seem to feel the PC is the AntiChrist, or worse.

Some of the more critical posters may want to look into being appointed....the view is different from the other side of the podium.

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CK1 Whistle-Stop

CK1

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No Planning Commission approval required for either........ :shades:

Pardon my ignorance, but why would the PC not have to be involved? Given all the disasters involving them with the West Side and 28th/Kalamazoo, I'm not complaining that they aren't, just a curiosity question.

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Prankster Burg

Prankster

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Pardon my ignorance, but why would the PC not have to be involved? Given all the disasters involving them with the West Side and 28th/Kalamazoo, I'm not complaining that they aren't, just a curiosity question.

I would guess that it meets the zoning requirements, and does not require a variance. Nitro, would this be correct?

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Nitro Burg

Nitro

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I would guess that it meets the zoning requirements, and does not require a variance. Nitro, would this be correct?

What Prankster said plus sites under a certain size (1 acre, I think. Can't remember the exact threshold) can be approved by staff.

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concretepoem Whistle-Stop

concretepoem

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This is great news - I drive by the empty 5/3 every day and wonder what could go there!

Before Old Kenk Bank decided to vacant their walk-in branch at the Intersection of Wealthy and Lake and tear down a perfectly good block of small scale retail to create a drive-up/thru branch, there was some good stuff located on Lake at Carlton. I recall a Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors at the corner, and Buffalo Traders next door. I imagine an interesting mix of retailers this time around.

With Gilmore doing his GR Opera HG/mixed use offices at the lower end of Carlton, and Baird and Guy re-doing the upper end at Lake Drive, it's a pivotal moment in the life of 'North' Eastown/Wilcox Park. As someone with a few chips in the game in that part of town, a couldn't be happier to see those two developers take those particular parcels and evolve them into anchors/gateways to the area.

My only regret is they'll likely not be developed as part of any long term vision for a street rail line...once upon a time an electric rail ran up Fulton and took a right up Carlton before heading to Reeds Lake...how cool would that be? That's the kind of thing that makes Portland, Portland. Cool 'LEED' buildings/businesses are great, but if the mode of transport that get people to those buildings isn't sustainable, what's the future? Retailers and residents beotching about the lack of parking?

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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Your right. People here would probably make logical and sound decisions that would enhance neglected properties and revitalize areas. I doubt I'd see it differently on the other side. ;)

Joe

Good point. Some posters seem to feel the PC is the AntiChrist, or worse.

Some of the more critical posters may want to look into being appointed....the view is different from the other side of the podium.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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The Lake Drive and Carlton project's Brownfield request is on the city's docket for Nov. 12th.

3 stories, 9000 square feet of retail, 16 - 18 apartments (18,000 square feet). A 9000 square ft base is pretty good sized, slightly larger than the Center of the Universe footprint (I believe is about 7000).

Here's the birds-eye of the site:

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...1&encType=1

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fotoman311 Burg

fotoman311

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The Lake Drive and Carlton project's Brownfield request is on the city's docket for Nov. 12th.

3 stories, 9000 square feet of retail, 16 - 18 apartments (18,000 square feet). A 9000 square ft base is pretty good sized, slightly larger than the Center of the Universe footprint (I believe is about 7000).

Here's the birds-eye of the site:

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...1&encType=1

Ohhh, I'm excited about this! Bring on the renderings! :)

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Where are these shots from?

Reminds me of La Grange IL

P.S. As chains go, Oberweis is pretty awesome stuff. I frequent the one in Royal Oak when I'm in town for visits.

Mount Prospect. There seems to be at least one of these at every Metra stop (from my travels around Chicagoland).

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AlexPKeaton Burg

AlexPKeaton

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The scale may be okay, but I don't care for the fake old look. There are multiple facades on the same building. They aren't fooling anyone. :)

The replacement building on Wealthy does look good though. It has a more timeless look, not cartoony. I also can't wait for renderings for the Lake Drive building.

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Ted Whistle-Stop

Ted

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I like how the storefront windows go all of the way down. It adds a more open look. If they stopped and had some type of wall under them then there wouldn't be enough glass and it would look too closed in.

Glass to the ground on storefronts in these climes is a winter problem with window damage from shovels and leakage from expansion and contraction. Additionally, aesthetically speaking, it's also a tiny little - historically inaccurate and functionally dubious - detail that I would argue helps to put the 'fake' in 'fake old'. There's an easy baker's dozen of these kind of little details in this picture that contribute to a huge missed opportunity and an uncomfortable final result.

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concretepoem Whistle-Stop

concretepoem

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Yes? No? Something more modern looking? What do you Eastowners think?

As an Eastowner in absentia, I'd hope for something far more modern at Lake and Carlton than the Mount Prospect project you've attached....the faux 1880s era/scale brick stuff has been done to death, IMHO, rarely to good effect... and I see it so often now in a suburban setting that I no longer associate that style with 'the city'.

We already have an amazing collection of authentic period-pieces in our city, from renovated factories to restored homes. Let's not cheapen them by creating more lame attempts at pseudo-history like Gaslight Village...they have no soul. It's an amazing opportunity to design a building that looks ahead to 2050, not 1880. That may not be where Guy and Baird's heads are at...I don't know...but it's the perfect scale and mix of uses to do something truly innovative...especially given the unusual the shape of the lot and the usual street angles that converge at Robinson Road/Lake/Carlton.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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As an Eastowner in absentia, I'd hope for something far more modern at Lake and Carlton than the Mount Prospect project you've attached....the faux 1880s era/scale brick stuff has been done to death, IMHO, rarely to good effect... and I see it so often now in a suburban setting that I no longer associate that style with 'the city'.

We already have an amazing collection of authentic period-pieces in our city, from renovated factories to restored homes. Let's not cheapen them by creating more lame attempts at pseudo-history like Gaslight Village...they have no soul. It's an amazing opportunity to design a building that looks ahead to 2050, not 1880. That may not be where Guy and Baird's heads are at...I don't know...but it's the perfect scale and mix of uses to do something truly innovative...especially given the unusual the shape of the lot and the usual street angles that converge at Robinson Road/Lake/Carlton.

Let me just say that I don't know what they have planned, scaled, look or otherwise, other than the approximate size and height. The parcel on Lake Drive just reminded me of that development in Mount Prospect so I thought I'd post it for discussion.

It's hard to say what architectural style would fit in that area. It's such a mix, with the big records building on the corner, the short squat retail buildings across the street, the modern Richard Terrace next door, and the 70's architecture to the West. I agree that probably simple and classic is probably better.

Don't know what kind of budget something like this would bring:

2248082336_96603a6eea.jpg

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