Studio Park - $140 Million Celebration Cinema/mixed use project

[joeDowntown]

This is awesome news. I hope it happens!

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2012/04/celebration_cinema_looks_at_do.html#incart_river_default

Joe

[Veloise]

Rapidian piece.

I dug out some of our parking discussions and bumped them for future reference, since that's a hot topic on the R's comments.

[Allison Slater]

Doesn't look quite as amazing as the old Lot 4/5 proposal from the 2000s, but still great nonetheless. It also looks like the entrance will be on the north-east corner of the property. But I do wonder what the back will look like since it is rather heavily trafficked and is where much of the parking for the facility will likely occur.

[sfloria]

Great news!! Must be why the city did the land swap with those parking lots recently.

[Phizzy]

On the topic of parking, I read WOOD TV8's article regarding these plans and most of the Facebook comments were complaints about parking. One person even wrote "GR needs more, not less, parking."

[GR_Urbanist]

On the topic of parking, I read WOOD TV8's article regarding these plans and most of the Facebook comments were complaints about parking. One person even wrote "GR needs more, not less, parking."

If it was up to those people, there wouldn't be anything there but the Buffalo Wild Wings and parking lots!

They should have seen the place in 1991. Plenty of free parking to save their precious feet from having to walk more than a few yards.

Not that there was much past a few yards to go to.

Just stick to Rivertown and Alpine and let people that want something unique enjoy it.

[Allison Slater]

I think people just need to be a bit more aware of the parking ramps just a street away. Some advance signage directing people to parking instead of just on the building itself would go a long way, I think.

[gvsusean]

I hope it's an IMAX, This should be their main facility not out on 68th avenue..

[joeDowntown]

The Commerce Ramp will be right across the street (plus the other surface lots in the area). Much ado about nothing.

Joe

[RegalTDP]

Yes! I'm pumped. It will forever change the concept of "Dinner and a movie" in Grand Rapids. The casual dating scene will improve dramatically.

I don't think the issue is lack of actual parking spaces, but lack of free parking. Of course I don't want free parking lots to open up downtown, but think about it this way: Without validated parking, this will be the only multiplex theater in GR where parking isn't free. There's no way it will stay in business without it, casual dating be damned.

I couldn't tell from the article if a ramp will be included. The rendering looks like there won't be... I don't think there needs to be one (like Joe said, there are plenty of spaces), but there has to be validated parking somewhere. It works just fine in other cities; I have never seen a downtown cineplex that didn't offer it.

[wingbert]

You know, there are very few people who can actually answer yes to the question, "would it kill you to walk a couple of blocks?" That being said, if free parking right next to your destination is so darn important to you then stick to the 'burbs. We don't need a bunch of double wides waddling around taking up half the sidewalk anyway.

[suydam]

I hope it's an IMAX, This should be their main facility not out on 68th avenue..

I believe their main facility is technically at Knapp and the Beltline, not out on 68th.

Their corporate offices are at the Knapp location for sure and that theater has IMAX (though I have no idea if 68th might as well, never been).

[john_denver]

You know, there are very few people who can actually answer yes to the question, "would it kill you to walk a couple of blocks?" That being said, if free parking right next to your destination is so darn important to you then stick to the 'burbs. We don't need a bunch of double wides waddling around taking up half the sidewalk anyway.

Exactly!! Or carpool.

[x99]

On the topic of parking, I read WOOD TV8's article regarding these plans and most of the Facebook comments were complaints about parking. One person even wrote "GR needs more, not less, parking."

I like to gripe about parking lots as much as the next guy, but lack of parking is a valid point. This building appears to be rather sprawling instead of being vertically oriented. Personally, I would like to see them put the theater on top of the Government Center ramp. We can donate the Calder to Padnos. Heh, heh, heh.

Seriously, though, this would be a nice development, although I really wish they would do something more substantial with the building other than this glass-and-metallish-crap-encased-suburbanesque-vomit-inducing stink bomb. (Fire the architects. Now.) Something like the AMC River East 21 in Chicago would be nice. (Yeah, right--won't happen). Toss in a ramp like the Ellis ramp on Pearl between Ottawa and Monroe, with ticketing and retail on the ground floor, and the theaters above, with a snazzy "sky lobby" accessed by a trio of huge glass elevators. (Loeks' has the scratch for it--call it a "gift" to downtown). And I don't even want to think about the gaudy, heinous Celebration!(!!!!!!!) interior this will probably have. Here's a challenge: Make the old Cinemarks that Loeks bought look like dumps. Go whole hog "vintage" with a grand lobby, and a proper marquee out front. Won't ever happen, but a guy can dream, can't he? (I'm so greedy--griping about the ugly design of a proposed downtown theater. Really?)

[GRDadof3]

I was told at the DDA meeting that these drawings are VERY preliminary, and that the final drawings will probably look a lot different. I imagine they'll have to provide at least some parking, possibly a ramp (?)

Instead of more "restaurants" on the ground floor like they're talking (as if Heartside needs more eating establishments), how about incorporating a Lucky Strike or Dave & Busters type place? Sort of like the theater/Lucky Strike in Steeterville in Chicago. Might be the River East you're talking about x99.

[fotoman311]

I was told at the DDA meeting that these drawings are VERY preliminary, and that the final drawings will probably look a lot different. I imagine they'll have to provide at least some parking, possibly a ramp (?)

Instead of more "restaurants" on the ground floor like they're talking (as if Heartside needs more eating establishments), how about incorporating a Lucky Strike or Dave & Busters type place? Sort of like the theater/Lucky Strike in Steeterville in Chicago. Might be the River East you're talking about x99.

Yes, yes, yes. I like the idea of an adult arcade type place quite a bit. It would give it a special draw that none of the other theaters have and create more of a destination.

[droonus2000]

What about putting some parking on the roof? Not sure how it would work for a theater, but If grocery stores can do it. why not? Just a thought. I agree it should be a real destination place. If only to set it apart from the suburban theaters.

[fotoman311]

What about putting some parking on the roof? Not sure how it would work for a theater, but If grocery stores can do it. why not? Just a thought. I agree it should be a real destination place. If only to set it apart from the suburban theaters.

What about a large mini-golf course on the roof instead. None of the other Celebration Cinemas have that.

[Jippy]

I suppose beggers can't be choosers, but I would love to see some additional density to this. Yes! include the Dave and Busters or Lucky Stripe (and rooftop mini-golf...that would land on a few ULI/CNU/APA covers), but an extended stay or conventional hotel and/or apartments would certainly add some value to the project and neighborhood.

Frankly the whole flare-up over parking seems a bit overblown, but I am inclined to let the market decide what works in this situation. If they feel that they need it to compete, then great.

But parking complaints always seem to retort to Yogi Berra-type reasoning...."No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded"

[fotoman311]

It's funny, the few thousand people at Art.Downtown tonight somehow found parking even though there was a Griffins Dollar Beers, Dollar Dogs game tonight. I'm really not sure how that happened. </ sarcasm>

[GRDadof3]

It's funny, the few thousand people at Art.Downtown tonight somehow found parking even though there was a Griffins Dollar Beers, Dollar Dogs game tonight. I'm really not sure how that happened. </ sarcasm>

Art Downtown was spread out though all over downtown, with trolley service. Although, I have to say, parking at a new theater downtown can't be any worse than finding parking at Celebration Cinema at Woodland.

[joeDowntown]

Haha, good point! The parking at the Woodland movie theatre is horrible. It's free, you just have to walk 3/4 through rows of parking to get to there. I'd rather stroll down Ionia any day.

Joe

Art Downtown was spread out though all over downtown, with trolley service. Although, I have to say, parking at a new theater downtown can't be any worse than finding parking at Celebration Cinema at Woodland.

[Allison Slater]

The old Area 4/5 proposal thread in case any future referencing needs to be done:

http://www.urbanplan...-5-development/

In looking at it I still yearn for what those renderings showed, even if only the smallest of the two lots will be developed. I also couldn't help but notise my language usage and post quality of the past. Oh, my.

Edited April 15, 2012 by tSlater

[sonic]

I like to gripe about parking lots as much as the next guy, but lack of parking is a valid point. This building appears to be rather sprawling instead of being vertically oriented. Personally, I would like to see them put the theater on top of the Government Center ramp. We can donate the Calder to Padnos. Heh, heh, heh.

Seriously, though, this would be a nice development, although I really wish they would do something more substantial with the building other than this glass-and-metallish-crap-encased-suburbanesque-vomit-inducing stink bomb. (Fire the architects. Now.) Something like the AMC River East 21 in Chicago would be nice. (Yeah, right--won't happen). Toss in a ramp like the Ellis ramp on Pearl between Ottawa and Monroe, with ticketing and retail on the ground floor, and the theaters above, with a snazzy "sky lobby" accessed by a trio of huge glass elevators. (Loeks' has the scratch for it--call it a "gift" to downtown). And I don't even want to think about the gaudy, heinous Celebration!(!!!!!!!) interior this will probably have. Here's a challenge: Make the old Cinemarks that Loeks bought look like dumps. Go whole hog "vintage" with a grand lobby, and a proper marquee out front. Won't ever happen, but a guy can dream, can't he? (I'm so greedy--griping about the ugly design of a proposed downtown theater. Really?)

Yes! Yes! Yes!

"Something like the AMC River East 21 in Chicago would be nice." Yep, or the Yonge and Dundas AMC in Toronto, or any of the theaters in Times Square in NYC. Question is, how can we exercise our collective muscle to help make something like that happen, rather than the "glass-and-metallish-crap-encased-suburbanesque-vomit-inducing stink bomb"?

[Veloise]

Haha, good point! The parking at the Woodland movie theatre is horrible. It's free, you just have to walk 3/4 through rows of parking to get to there. I'd rather stroll down Ionia any day.

Plenty of open space over by Sears. And it's free. There's tons of free parking out there. :snork:

On the extremely rare occasions I visit those hinterland parking lots, I can't help but be impressed by how badly ignored is the traffic flow routing. Centerpointe is another. The Meijers on Clyde Park is getting a tire store, and the addition of traffic islands (and logic!) is remarkably helpful. Another Large Project of My Acquaintance has overhead lane signage that doesn't match the pavement arrows. Don't you dare go be a pedestrian in these wild open spaces.