Rumor Mill: 2nd Bridgewater Tower

[joeDowntown]

In last weeks Grand Rapids Business Journal (in the Street Talk section), They said that Robert Grooters had plans in place for finally adding the second tower to Bridgewater. GRBJ said it would be 28 floors (although exactly the same height as the 16 story office tower). It would definitely provide good views of downtown.

Joe

[Allan]

Finally! I heard somewhere that the new tower will likely be residential, so it will be similar in style to BW1, but it might have balconies. Regardless, it will be a nice addition to downtown. Grand Rapids is definately a city to look out for in the next few years. I see them adding significant height and density downtown.

Now if the city could just get a light rail system installed....

[joeDowntown]

Never wanting to be totally part of the rumor mill , I found the article that discusses the long awaited second tower. This is great as long as it doesn't derail any of the other planned developments. It seems like people are itching to live downtown, I hope everything planned gets built.

Tower Of Power

By Business Journal Staff

Industrial real estate tycoon Robert Grooters, of Grooters Development Co., has been among the most popular guys as seasonal gatherings give way to small talk (or in our vernacular, Street Talk). Grooters, who developed the giant flashcube (Bridgewater Place, more recently otherwise known as "Varnum"), said his long-awaited second tower, for which a footprint already exists, will be constructed

[Allan]

Good to see the Bridgewater rumor confirmed.

I am intrigued by the Olds Manor thing though. Ever since I was little, I remember driving past that building on 196 on the way to my great grandmother's house. I remember reading last December that DeVos had purchases the building. I thought for sure it was going to come down, but it doesn't look like that is going to be the case.

[joeDowntown]

DeVos did indeed buy it. They actually removed all of the asbestos and put in two sets of stairwells recently. My personal opinion is this will become a boutique hotel. Either that or they are waiting until they can push the post office out and free up the riverfront. I could then see a renovation / new tower combo ala the Amway Grand. The building is too beautiful to rip down. I'll try to post some images of some of the ornamentation.

Joe

[Allan]

My uncle's girlfriend lives downtown and works at the downtown post office. In the talks I've had with her she has said that the downtown post office is too small. It probably won't be much longer until the post office needs to expand, which it will likely do at a new site. I think that DeVos knew this when he bought Olds Manor. He definately plans to do something...probably a hotel of some sort like you have mentioned.

It would be great if you could post those detail images. The only time I've really seen the building is driving by on 196 going 60+ mph. I would like to come to GR some day next year to take photos...maybe during spring break. It's a long haul from here though - nearly three hours - so I need to find someone who wants to go with me.

[Yankee Fan]

I saw this thread and it took me back down memory lane... I think that this is the original thread that I found way back when I found UP. Pretty cool to go back and see what was being written then.

[MJLO]

Yankee Fan, how long did you lurk before you started posting wow!

[Yankee Fan]

About that long. It was a while back.

[GRDadof3]

When I first saw this thread pop up, I thought "now what?!". Too funny. Look at Allan, SuperNOVA and joedowntown conversing with each other on the earlier threads:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...lter=all&st=900

It's great that they stuck it out. But as Joe said, we wouldn't have as much to talk about if there weren't so many great things going on downtown and the near neighborhoods.