Eastown Investing Guide
Deborah Johnson Wood |
Thursday, August 17, 2006
An ancient Native American foot trail. Bustling streetcar lines. And a push for economic and environmental sustainability. There’s only one place in the city where all these factors have led to the birth of a thriving business community: Eastown.
Native Americans, Eastown’s first residents, had a foot trail that connected two of the area’s main water sources: Reeds Lake and the Grand River. In the 1830s, European settlers used the trail so much it became a road. That road eventually became Lake Drive.
The Europeans settled the land, and their environmentally sensitive farming methods established patterns for sustainable land use and renewable energy—a precursor of today’s economic and environmental sustainability practices.
By the 1860s, Reeds Lake was a major vacation and weekend spot for downtown dwellers. But getting to Reeds Lake was a hassle; hooking up the horse and buggy, an hour’s ride (one way) with the kids fighting in the back seat, keeping the food and beer cold…all for a three-mile trip. The solution? Quick, easy, affordable streetcars.
The Grand Rapids/Reeds Lake Railway Company already operated lines downtown. The next step was to run a streetcar between downtown and Reeds Lake, through the center of what would become Eastown. That step changed the landscape.
The streetcar lines ended at the “five corners”—where Lake Drive, Wealthy Street, and Norwood meet—and passengers had to disembark to switch lines. Those passengers were hungry and thirsty, with money to spend and time to kill until their streetcar arrived. Local entrepreneurs jumped on the opportunity. Where before there had been only farmland and a few houses, there quickly rose new restaurants, grocery stores, haberdasheries, newspaper stands, and medical offices. Even after the automobile became the transportation of choice and the streetcar lines were dismantled, businesses continued to locate in the hub of Eastown commerce.
Today’s entreprenuers are thinking up new ways to do business and generate ideas to achieve the triple bottom line: economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.
“The Eastown Business Association is looking at Eastown as a ‘corner of sustainability,’” said Jim Witte, an EBA board member and co-owner of The W Group, a graphics design firm. “With Aquinas College’s sustainability program, and environment-conscious businesses like Clothing Matters and Mixed Greens, we’re making Eastown a neighborhood that helps shape a lifestyle around being responsible stewards.”
A Popular, Vibrant Location
The EBA is one of the first business associations in the Grand Rapids area. Its member businesses are representative of the diversity that defines Eastown: art galleries, rare book stores, a blues club, specialty restaurants, an Irish pub, non-profit organizations, attorneys, realtors, yoga studios, and others. While the neighborhood’s boundaries are Fulton, Plymouth, Franklin, and Fuller, with several businesses along the boundary streets, the nucleus of the business district emanates from the five corners hub like spokes from a wheel.
“One of the unique things about Eastown,” Witte said, “is that when you say ‘Eastown’ people know where it is. Another unique thing is that the business district is not as heavily owner-occupied as other business districts; the buildings are owned by people outside of Eastown. We’re early in the process, but we want to have a business owner and building owner symposium to bring everyone together to say ‘here’s what we’re facing,’ so we can develop a collaboration and get every storefront filled. In addition, we’re doing a study to find out what people are looking for, so we can revitalize and polish up Eastown.”
Tim Ball owns the Fred Bouma Company, a custom architectural metalwork business. Ball needed a place to house his business. He started out renting the building at 1444 Lake Drive. He ended up owning it.
“I bought it in 1997,” Ball said. “I’m creating an energy-efficient building. I’m pursuing [the renovation] to demonstrate that you can take an old building and create a usable, energy-efficient building without destroying it. When I’m finished, the building will be the equivalent of LEED certified, whether I pursue the certification or not.”
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is awarded by the US Green Building Council when a project meets their strict criteria.
Ball heats the building with state-of-the-art energy-efficient pellet stoves that burn pellets made from wood, corn, or wheat—all renewable resources—and uses soy-based biodiesel to operate the water heaters and provide radiant heat.
Two retail stores will occupy the front of the building. One store will be a hearth shop, owned by Ball, offering environment-friendly products, including the only EPA approved pellet stove on the market, and a line of energy- and water-efficient washers and energy-efficient dryers.
The other retail space is occupied. Mixed Greens is a non-profit organization that works with public schools to improve the health and academics of children by teaching them about whole foods. The children grow fruits and vegetables in organic gardens, and then cook and eat what they’ve grown.
“Eastown was a natural fit for us because our programs value sustainability,” said Lisa Rose Starner, executive director and founder. “There’s a good blend of business and residential, and there are very engaged citizens in the neighborhood, and that produces a vibrant neighborhood feel.”
A Plan to Promote Business
The Eastown Business Association, the Eastown Community Association, and theCity of Grand Rapids are working together to update Eastown’s parking meters, study traffic flows, and get new signage to identify parking lots. Recent road improvements and new traffic lights on Lake Drive have eased traffic congestion. On-street parking in front of Brandywine Restaurant was improved, and trees and flowers were planted. Both ends of the business district have new wayfinding kiosks that list the businesses and their locations. Last spring volunteers painted all the lampposts.
Renaissance Zones provide tax incentives to residents, businesses, and developers to entice them to locate in or improve an area struggling to get on its economic feet. While some neighborhoods have large areas designated as Ren Zones, Eastown is in such good shape, both physically and economically, only the northeast corner of Wealthy and Fuller has been awarded Ren Zone status.
A massive brick structure called the East Building, was erected in 1906 on the corner of Wealthy and Norwood as a barn to store and repair streetcars. After the demise of the streetcar lines, the building became the home of a bowling alley. Now it houses Mulligan’s Pub, Wolfgang’s Restaurant, The Hookah Lounge, City Knitting, and many other businesses.
If there’s one constant in all of Eastown’s history, it’s the tenacity of its residents. “As the economy changes,” said Tim Ball, “I see that, as much as there’s a disgruntled attitude, there’s a kind of awakening that’s happening. Part of that awakening is an individual’s willingness to be responsible for themselves. People are not just running to suburbia to fill an immediate want. They’re sticking around, looking to fill their needs.”
For more information about Eastown visit the:
- Moving Guide
- Visiting Guide
Directions to Eastown
From the North:
Take US-131 South toward Grand Rapids and merge onto I-196 East via Exit 86A on the left toward Lansing. Take the Fuller Ave exit, Exit 79. Turn right onto Fuller Ave NE and then turn left onto Lake Dr SE. Arrive in Eastown.
From the East:
Take I-96 West toward Grand Rapids and keep left to take I-196 West toward Downtown Grand Rapids/Holland. Take Exit 79 for Fuller Ave and turn left onto Fuller Ave NE. Turn left onto Lake Dr SE and arrive in Eastown.
From the South:
Take US-131 North toward Grand Rapids and merge onto I-196 East via Exit 86A toward Lansing. Take the Fuller Ave exit, Exit 79. Turn right onto Fuller Ave NE and then turn left onto Lake Dr SE. Arrive in Eastown.
From the West:
Take I-196 East toward Grand Rapids. Take the Fuller Ave exit, Exit 79. Turn right onto Fuller Ave NE and then turn left onto Lake Dr SE. Arrive in Eastown.
Take I-96 East toward Grand Rapids and merge onto US-131 South via Exit 31A towards Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo. Merge onto I-196 East via Exit 86A on the left toward Lansing. Take the Fuller Ave exit, Exit 79. Turn right onto Fuller Ave NE and then turn left onto Lake Dr SE. Arrive in Eastown.