Jump to content

Metro Flint developments


dnast

Recommended Posts

There were a couple of things that left me puzzled in this months East Village Magazine:

- One, this article says the FIA expansion was just approved this past month (which is true, it's even on the city's site but I thought it was a mistake). They've been working on the building since last year, I believe, so I'm wondering if they applied for a separate expansion, or did they just not bother applying for the current one until now.

- Secondly, they mentioned how the planning commision discussed whether Aventis (blood bank) is "appropriate" for downtown. From what I know, that place closed shop several months ago, and I heard they moved out of the city (Pierson Rd., I believe). Don't get me wrong, I agree with what they're doing. The amendments will save a lot of headaches in the future. It just seemed weird that they were discussing that specific business and whether or not it "is an appropriate business for downtown" when it's not even there anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 88
  • Created
  • Last Reply

There were a couple of things that left me puzzled in this months East Village Magazine:

- One, this article says the FIA expansion was just approved this past month (which is true, it's even on the city's site but I thought it was a mistake). They've been working on the building since last year, I believe, so I'm wondering if they applied for a separate expansion, or did they just not bother applying for the current one until now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah I thought that too but, I went to th the Cityofflint.mi and went to thr the planning commission agenda and its just expansion of a parking lot, storage and some other minor stuff like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Veefan, by chance is your name Randy and if yes, is that who wrote to the Flint Journal titled " Mayor Wrong About Agencies" ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That'd be me, and I forgotten what I had said. And now that I've re-read it, I could have used a little more tact in getting my points across. lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ VeeFan - It's ok...you should see some of the crap I've written that they've actually printed in the journal.

@ Dnast - They're still pushing dirt around at Trillium Circle. They're turning the rolling hills into a massive flat area so that they can make a gigantic parking lot that will never be full. :sick:

http://trilliumcircle.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's sad. Trillium Circle sounded very promising when it was first announced. I think it was to have a lot of residential included, including above storefronts.

Not to say that Deer Park and Grand Blanc Town Center are doing any better. The last thing people expected for Deer Park was Walton World, and we're not even sure if the Town Center will still be built.

At least Trillium is trying to bring unique restaurants and the like...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Trillium Circle was supposed to have residential. I followed the project more closely at first, since it is only about 1/2 mile from my house. Lately I've gotten quite disinterested in it though, because it is now going to be nothing more than a plain suburban shopping mall that will just add more traffic and yet another traffic light on Holly Road. And of course the speed limit on Holly Road is only 35mph...give me a break!

The Town Center seems to be getting more and more disappointing over time as well. It was supposed to have upscale shops with residences above. I never particularly cared for the plan myself because it was basically a shopping mall in disguise. They have planned for acres and acres of surface parking. Have they never heard of a parking structure? If completed it would look pretty fake anyway...trying to create a downtown out of nothing just doesn't work!

Walton World seems to be the only thing progressing as planned. It was planned to be a Walton World the whole time, but there's nothing quite like screwing over the residents. Sure, go right ahead and tell us we're getting "upscale retail," while secretly making a deal with Walmart. Screw over the residents...apparently they don't matter, do they? I had a feeling that the township supervisor was bad news...it turns out I was right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It figures they would try to put in loads of surface parking for the Town Center. It's funny how people complain about paying for parking in smaller cities' downtowns. If you're going to spend $50 to go out and eat, what's $2-3 for parking going to hurt? It's nothing compared to going to downtown Detroit on a gameday (or probably any other big city for that matter).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The town center is a glorified, open air shopping mall, so it has just as much parking as one. The master plan seems pretty vauge in the area of parking. It calls for more parking lots/garages, since streetside parking is undesirable - apparently people don't know how to parallel park. I find it interesting that they mention garages, because none of the plans I've ever seen for the town center have parking garages. They have a vision, but I don't know that there's the will in the community to execute the plan. City council is sold on the idea of a town center, but it seems like the citizens don't really care. Public reception seems to have been lukewarm, although a large part of it may be due to the uncertainty of the whole plan. If they could get some leases signed maybe it would move forward, but all the companies the city has approached has turned them down.

The original plan tried to create a new urbanist approach to the downtown by providing mixed use buildings. Mixed use development consisting of retail and small office use at street level, and 1-3 floors of residential use above was recommended for both sides of Grand Blanc Road and the West Side of Saginaw Road. Will we ever see that? Who knows....

As for the cost of parking...I agree that anyone who would be eating or shopping at the town center would have more than enough disposable income to pay a few bucks for parking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

does anyone know if heritage park is just the 3 box stores or if there is an actual mall to it? That was the original concept of the site.

Hmm...I'm not really sure. I lost interest when they announced Walmart and Sam's Club as being the anchors. But the fact that they refer to them as anchors makes me think there will be smaller stores on the strip, as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ORD? Is that O'Hare's code? Beginning December 15, there are going to be 2 daily nonstop flights from Bishop to O'Hare, each plane with a capacity of 44 passengers.

Give it a month or two, and the number of flights will more than likely be bumped up to 4 daily. :) ATA had 7 flights per day just before it went bankrupt, and each plane was always full.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might want to specify where Heritage Park is since this thread is for Genesee County.
Heritage Park is a craptastic strip mall development in Grand Blanc Township. I haven't been up that way since August, but I'm sure it doesn't look any better than it did before.

VeeFan, ORD is O'Hare's code.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought the development for Heritage Park had stalled? Or was that the project for downtown Grand Blanc that is questionable now?
Heritage Park has the Walmart & the Sam's Club. The downtown project is stalled...they built the road, and that was it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.