Michigan Street/Midtown Neighborhood Development

[joeDowntown]

Nice photos of the rooftop deck, apartment interiors, etc. at the 616 development on Michigan Street:

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2015/10/616_lofts_on_michigan_ready_to.html#incart_river_home

Joe

[kevin8gr]

I'm not sure where this goes or what the development was called but this is at Michigan street and Houseman.

 

[joeDowntown]

Anyone know how flat landers is doing? Looks like an interesting place but I haven't heard anything about it recently. 

Joe

[HavingAhoot]

This is great news! Now if they would just put some sort of modern cornice or something on top of the building.

 

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, HavingAhoot said:

This is great news! Now if they would just put some sort of modern cornice or something on top of the building.

 

The building's finished. There was a big pooper scooper that was initially designed for it. 

[GRDadof3]

More changes being looked at for Michigan Street near Spectrum, including getting rid of the dedicated bus lane to reduce the street for pedestrian crossings, and making sidewalks much larger. 

 

[Chester Cheeto]

14 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

More changes being looked at for Michigan Street near Spectrum, including getting rid of the dedicated bus lane to reduce the street for pedestrian crossings, and making sidewalks much larger. 

 

I gotta say the wider sidewalk would be fantastic.  As someone who walked on this stretch of road every single day this past spring/summer, either pushing a stroller or walking a dog, it is a very unfriendly pedestrian area.  You feel boxed in by the imposing facade of the childrens hospital with traffic so close, and then the raised planter sections cut the sidewalk width in half making it challenging getting a large stroller around somebody headed in the opposite direction.  This definitely would be a nice improvement for Michigan Street.

[organsnyder]

I agree that it looks like it would be an improvement. What would that mean for the Silver Line station (south/outbound)? It's hard to tell from the drawing (since the station is out of frame), but would it need to be moved?

[GRDadof3]

2 minutes ago, organsnyder said:

I agree that it looks like it would be an improvement. What would that mean for the Silver Line station (south/outbound)? It's hard to tell from the drawing (since the station is out of frame), but would it need to be moved?

Good question, it would have to be I would think. 

16 minutes ago, mielsonwheels said:

I gotta say the wider sidewalk would be fantastic.  As someone who walked on this stretch of road every single day this past spring/summer, either pushing a stroller or walking a dog, it is a very unfriendly pedestrian area.  You feel boxed in by the imposing facade of the childrens hospital with traffic so close, and then the raised planter sections cut the sidewalk width in half making it challenging getting a large stroller around somebody headed in the opposite direction.  This definitely would be a nice improvement for Michigan Street.

There are some other things mentioned too, like continuing to add more of the audio walking signals. The shrinking of the road will make it easier for pedestrians to cross (which is probably one of the most pedestrian heavy areas downtown). 

If anyone's more interested, here's a link to the SmartZone meeting agenda where it's being talked about:

http://grandrapidscitymi.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2332&Inline=True

(starts on page 15)

[Chester Cheeto]

24 minutes ago, organsnyder said:

I agree that it looks like it would be an improvement. What would that mean for the Silver Line station (south/outbound)? It's hard to tell from the drawing (since the station is out of frame), but would it need to be moved?

Why not leave the bus only lane for that stretch of street where that station is?  That way the bus can load/unload without blocking a lane of traffic.

21 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

There are some other things mentioned too, like continuing to add more of the audio walking signals. The shrinking of the road will make it easier for pedestrians to cross (which is probably one of the most pedestrian heavy areas downtown). 

The Coit/Michigan intersection has had the audio walking signals added recently. The audio signals only announce when you have the walk signal, but I thought they usually give you a countdown from the flashing to solid don't walk signal, these don't.  Maybe GR didn't get the super fancy brand name audio signals and went with a cheap knock off brand instead. 

Also, this will make it easier for the valets working at the hospitals to skip between cars having one less lane of traffic to avoid. I sometimes get the idea that they play some messed up real life version of frogger.

[GRDadof3]

2 minutes ago, mielsonwheels said:

Why not leave the bus only lane for that stretch of street where that station is?  That way the bus can load/unload without blocking a lane of traffic.

The Coit/Michigan intersection has had the audio walking signals added recently. The audio signals only announce when you have the walk signal, but I thought they usually give you a countdown from the flashing to solid don't walk signal, these don't.  Maybe GR didn't get the super fancy brand name audio signals and went with a cheap knock off brand instead. 

Could be! There's a whole discussion about the fact that they spent less on them then originally planned, so they want to add more. 

[GRLaker]

They would have to move that stop? It took them like 15 years to build the thing.

[VectorPrime]

Just now, mielsonwheels said:

Why not leave the bus only lane for that stretch of street where that station is?  That way the bus can load/unload without blocking a lane of traffic.

Pretty sure that's just an error on that particular map as the following maps on pages 19 and 22 (as well as the overview for the improvements) show the right turn lane to Bostwick still present. So the Silver Line stop should be fine.

It's good to see the bus lane between Bostwick and Coit removed. Given that most buses then had to merge through three lanes of busy traffic quickly to make the left turn onto Lafayette, the bus lane was more a hindrance than a help.

[wingbert]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

There are some other things mentioned too, like continuing to add more of the audio walking signals. The shrinking of the road will make it easier for pedestrians to cross (which is probably one of the most pedestrian heavy areas downtown). 

If only there were a skywalk or two around there it would make crossing busy Michigan street easier for hospital visitors, patients and employees when moving between facilities or to the parking garage.

[joeDowntown]

4 hours ago, wingbert said:

If only there were a skywalk or two around there it would make crossing busy Michigan street easier for hospital visitors, patients and employees when moving between facilities or to the parking garage.

Smart ass.  If they really wanted to remove pedestrian congestion, they'd build an adjacent smokers skywalk (sans roof). Seems like you see 10-20 smokers at any given time mulling around, looking pathetic, smoking and freezing. 

Joe

[jas49503]

On December 9, 2016 at 9:16 AM, mielsonwheels said:

Why not leave the bus only lane for that stretch of street where that station is?  That way the bus can load/unload without blocking a lane of traffic.

The Coit/Michigan intersection has had the audio walking signals added recently. The audio signals only announce when you have the walk signal, but I thought they usually give you a countdown from the flashing to solid don't walk signal, these don't.  Maybe GR didn't get the super fancy brand name audio signals and went with a cheap knock off brand instead. 

Also, this will make it easier for the valets working at the hospitals to skip between cars having one less lane of traffic to avoid. I sometimes get the idea that they play some messed up real life version of frogger.

I heard those,. I get a really weird vibe from them like they should be broadcasting some sort of propaganda from a futuristic dystopian society.

[GRDadof3]

A big new parking lot going up behind Big Apple Bagels at College and Michigan, where Jade Pig had a garage, and there's an old doctor's office facing College.

 

 

[Allison Slater]

Really?  The only thing that will be on that stretch now is a bagel shop and McDonalds.  I suppose parking is needed and those buildings are empty otherwise, but it's like getting socks for christmas... when you're 6.

[GR_Urbanist]

There is NO WAY on Earth the city gives the green light to this. After all of this effort to develop this street up, to then allow a huge parking lot to front Michigan?

This lunatic lot rips out two buildings at a major intersection! And on top of that, it is next door to the spot where they denied a Starbucks because it was too car-oriented!

If they allow this, then they can rip up the entire master plan for Michigan St. because they will have no grounds to expect anyone else to follow it!

[SEsideguy]

Geez!! Give um a little more room for the drive thru!!

Sure miss seeing Betty Trills Texaco station at that intersection.  haha

[RegalTDP]

A liner building 38Commerce-style would be better to go alongside Michigan Street.  You could still get your precious 150 spots, and then leave room for something else to go up along College Ave.

That parcel is way too big for just surface parking.  Not that we're trying to build a city here or anything.

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, GR_Urbanist said:

There is NO WAY on Earth the city gives the green light to this. After all of this effort to develop this street up, to then allow a huge parking lot to front Michigan?

This lunatic lot rips out two buildings at a major intersection! And on top of that, it is next door to the spot where they denied a Starbucks because it was too car-oriented!

If they allow this, then they can rip up the entire master plan for Michigan St. because they will have no grounds to expect anyone else to follow it!

Spectrum will pull the "We're the largest employer and taxpayer downtown. You'll do as we say or we'll move out to Grand Rapids Township!"

 

[joeDowntown]

It is interesting that they skewered the Starbucks development, but, as GRDad said, will probably roll over for Spectrum. 

Joe

[SEsideguy]

This is so bad!! The city should not allow the swap of building for parking only. Put up a new building too or a parking structure. If the owners don't want to build on it somebody else might.

[GRDadof3]

11 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

It is interesting that they skewered the Starbucks development, but, as GRDad said, will probably roll over for Spectrum. 

Joe

Scratch that everybody! That property is owned by MSU. I do now remember that they bought up much of that land back when the Secchia Center opened.