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Union Square

joeDowntown

By joeDowntown
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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Union Square received $2 million in city and state tax credits to renovate the former Union High school this week. I found these quotes interesting:

Parkland Properties will redevelop the former West Middle School at 615 Turner NW into 130 condominiums and some commercial space. Jon Rooks, who owns the company, said most of the units would be priced from $95,000 to $195,000, making the condos an affordable buy for many who are interested in living near downtown.

The 200,000-square-foot, four-story building that once housed Union High School will be called Union Square and is located in the city

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mrknowitall Unincorporated Area

mrknowitall

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john needs to hurry up and get my place done. i have a feeling that the price @ $150/sf will go up, the units are pretty small and there is alot going on.....rooftop pools and such. it will be like living on the mtv real world.....

oh yea, john said 10yrs free rent to any tenant that will remodel and open a bar/resturant in the auditorum in the building....nice space...

westside!

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rimmer Crossroads

rimmer

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Union Square received $2 million in city and state tax credits to renovate the former Union High school this week. I found these quotes interesting:

So maybe I was wrong about my assessment of the west side? :)

Joe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Westside is about to boom. Pick it up cheap while you still can... this is your last chance...

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rimmer Crossroads

rimmer

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Union Square received $2 million in city and state tax credits to renovate the former Union High school this week. I found these quotes interesting:

So maybe I was wrong about my assessment of the west side? :)

Joe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Like many neighborhood booms in the city, the PP project is a partnership w/a strong neighborhood assoc. PP has done incredible work to ensure that rehab on the westside is affordable... ofcourse this also benefits them. A neighborhood enterprise zone is in place to freeze property taxes... buy a building for 50K, put 30K in, bring the value up to 120K and pay property taxes for the original 50K for the next 12 years.

The neighborhood (West Grand) is also doing incredible work - they're applying for the next round of Cool Cities grants and have a strong chance. Further, they're venturing to build one of the biggest native rain gardens in the midwest to handle rain water run off from the highway. Big moves for a grass roots group.

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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Jonathan Rooks (developer of Union Square) also sold out the Monroe Terrace condominiums in 60 days after it had been languishing with few condo sales for 9 months. I am sure that Union Square will be sold out before it is even completed.

I had also heard about the great incentives for a bar or restaurant. I think he is pretty much giving away the space to anyone who will invest the $$$ for a quality bar/restaurant.

Joe

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mrknowitall Unincorporated Area

mrknowitall

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Does anyone know how to contact Rooks or Parkland? Is there a website? I know someone interested in talking with them about the restaurant....

GRguy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

make sure it has a bar.....it will be convienent to get drunk and take my 'date' upstairs to the roof.....and show her the flower garden

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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I checked out the Union Square website and indeed, it does look cool. I can't wait to see what people do with their lofts. 4th level, Southeast corner would definitely be the spot to have. The rooftop plans look phenomenal. Are they going to include covered parking in this project?

Joe

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snoogit Town

snoogit

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I checked out the Union Square website and indeed, it does look cool. I can't wait to see what people do with their lofts. 4th level, Southeast corner would definitely be the spot to have. The rooftop plans look phenomenal. Are they going to include covered parking in this project?

Joe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Drove by there today and saw a lot of dumpsters, and trucks working on the building. I think this project will help out the rest of the area. The building looks fairly nice, and I would say only minor repairs to the exterior will be made. Its really the interior that needs the most work.

I would imagine the fenced in parking area on the west side of the building would be made into a covered parking lot.

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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i'm shooting for arounf 800sf...seems small but in new york thats a mansion.

open floorplan, small bedroom in the back....

i'm just using it for a small business and a listening room for my new speakers....somewhere to go to hide from all the cameras...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cameras?

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DTDC Crossroads

DTDC

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...I've emailed them but I have not heard back.

-Mike

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you're really interested, better pull up a POTS line and contact them the old fashioned way. They don't seem like big email fans. Got the same "call me" response from the them as well as the guy in charge of the Peck building conversion. Guess they like selling to the 21st century crowd, but still prefer the 20th century communication medium to do it.

I got a reply last weekend on Union Square, several days after I sent the second request with many of the same questions. Brad replied that they have deposits on all but about three units, they will be done in about a year (Feb/Mar), and to call ASAP for a tour.

So much for staying anywhere near downtown and walking to everything. Guess I'll have to change my username from DTDC (downtownDC) to SBDC (suburbDC). Hope I can remember where I left that car of mine. I think it was red...

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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DTDC,

I have heard that they might convert the building on the north side of American seating park into condominiums. If you can't get a space in Union Square you might want to bug Pioneer Construction about when/if they will start the next phase.

Joe

If you're really interested, better pull up a POTS line and contact them the old fashioned way. They don't seem like big email fans. Got the same "call me" response from the them as well as the guy in charge of the Peck building conversion. Guess they like selling to the 21st century crowd, but still prefer the 20th century communication medium to do it. 

I got a reply last weekend on Union Square, several days after I sent the second request with many of the same questions. Brad replied that they have deposits on all but about three units, they will be done in about a year (Feb/Mar), and to call ASAP for a tour.

So much for staying anywhere near downtown and walking to everything. Guess I'll have to change my username from DTDC (downtownDC) to SBDC (suburbDC). Hope I can remember where I left that car of mine. I think it was red...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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PBJ Burg

PBJ

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DTDC,

I have heard that they might convert the building on the north side of American seating park into condominiums. If you can't get a space in Union Square you might want to bug Pioneer Construction about when/if they will start the next phase.

Joe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That was the plan even last year when I was living in AS Park. That was told to me by the then maintenece people and one of the office girls. At one time it looked like Pioneer was doing some work in the upper levels of the building. I can say from working in that facility during my freshmen summer at GVSU they had a TON of unused space in that building. Now that the American Seating offices are moved into the AS Park building, i'm not even sure what they use it for.

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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I received a reply:

We have anywhere form 650-1600+ sq ft. The prices will be between $95K-200K

and some premium units form $250K-350+. We will not be turning the

reservation into binding purchase agreements until the end of this month.

Therefore, I do not know who has chosen what yet. If you are interested in

submitting a reservation, or have further questions, please contact me at

your earliest convenience.

Thanks for your inquiry,

Brad Veneklase

616.98.UNION

[email protected]

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ALW042 Crossroads

ALW042

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I put my deposit down and went and saw the building. Brad seemed very excited about everything and it all seemed like it would be very cool, and also a good investment. Then I talked to a realtor who didn't think that it was a good investment and that some of the other properties Jon Rooks has done have not panned out the way they were talked up. They also mentioned that the maintnance fees could go up dramatically in the future. Has anyone else heard anything like this or have any past experience dealing with Jon Rooks...good or bad?

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designcritic Whistle-Stop

designcritic

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I put my deposit down and went and saw the building. Brad seemed very excited about everything and it all seemed like it would be very cool, and also a good investment. Then I talked to a realtor who didn't think that it was a good investment and that some of the other properties Jon Rooks has done have not panned out the way they were talked up. They also mentioned that the maintnance fees could go up dramatically in the future. Has anyone else heard anything like this or have any past experience dealing with Jon Rooks...good or bad?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I purchased a condo from Jon and the transaction went very well. That doesn't mean they all do but I had a favorable experience. I don't know if a number has been floated about what the monthly dues will be but I could see that going up depending on the amenities that get added (pool, etc). They are nice features but also expensive to maintain.

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designcritic Whistle-Stop

designcritic

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yea with all those pools and free internet....asso. fees can get crazy.

that may be the final answer for me.

regis "$350/mo for asso. fees"

me "what hell no, i'm out"

regis "is that your final answer"

*door slams on my way out*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you were to look into other condos in the city the $350 wouldn't be that unreasonable. There are many other places that have dues much higher than that.

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