Development News

As part of a series, Rapid Growth is speaking with nominees of several "best of" categories of the 20th Annual Neighborhood Business Awards, a partnership between Neighborhood Ventures and the Neighborhood Business Alliance that honors businesses across the city that have added to the quality of life in their locales.

Best Promotion: Avenue for the Arts, Jenn Schaub/Dwelling Place
Avenue for the Arts branding and events has been one catalyst among many that have changed Grand Rapids' South Division Avenue from abandoned storefronts and littered sidewalks to a business district that has made a name for itself in the regional arts world.

By 2005, the blocks between Fulton and Wealthy had seen significant development. The artists and galleries wanted to differentiate the business district from the surrounding Heartside area. Avenue for (not of) the Arts was born.

As of 2009, Avenue for the Arts events have drawn thousands of people to browse galleries, shop, dine, dance and celebrate the arts.

"Over the course of a year we have seven annual events," says Jenn Schaub of Dwelling Place, the nonprofit organization that considers itself the steward of those events. Schaub helps organize and promote Avenue for the Arts.

"We have three annual events in the fall, winter and spring and four Avenue for the Arts Markets in the summer," she says. During the arts markets, vendors set up booths along the sidewalks, businesses extend their hours and offer special promotions, local and regional artists sell their wares and there's a variety of live entertainment options.

Perhaps the largest impact has been on the retail and dining establishments in the area.

"[During events] we have anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people come through," Schaub says, "and on a regular shopping day our businesses don't pull in anywhere near that many. These are the times when a lot of people get their first re-introduction to South Division, and we hear 'I had no idea it was so different now.'"

Other nominees are:    
•    ArtPeers, 1130 Wealthy SE
•    Cottage Bar Chili Cook Off, 18 LaGrave Ave SE
•    The Meanwhile Bar, 1005 Wealthy St SE
•    Modern Hardware Grill Off, 1500 Kalamazoo SE

Rapid Growth is proud to sponsor the People's Choice award in each category of the Neighborhood Business Awards.

The awards ceremony on November 5 is from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre. The public is invited.

Source: Jenn Schaub, Dwelling Place/Avenue for the Arts

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

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After working for almost seven years at Express Employment Professionals in Grand Rapids, Amy Pierce made the decision to open a franchise in Holland.

"I had some clients in the Holland area who were always saying, 'Come help us, come help us,'" Pierce says. Opportunities presented themselves and Pierce made her move; she opened at 162 E. Eighth St. on Sept. 14. "I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and now I am," she says.

Express Employment Professionals, an international company, is a human resources firm that helps companies fill positions in administration and manufacturing. Clients include businesses and employment seekers.

Pierce looked at more than 30 locations before settling on the current space.

"I love the vibe in downtown Holland," she says. Before moving in, the office needed renovations.

"We did a build-out on the building to open it up. It was previously a mortgage company, and the changes made it feel warmer," Pierce says. "It doesn't have a temporary service feel to it. We're here to help people find permanent employment."

Pierce estimates her investment in the business is close to $100,000; she spent most of it on local suppliers and services. She also invests in her clients through educational events and programs. For job seekers, she offers resume writing skills and tips on marketing themselves. For businesses, she offers events on social media, time management and timely topics like the H1N1 flu virus.

Pierce says Express Employment Professionals in Holland is unique because it's locally owned, but has the backing of an international company. Though she moved from the Grand Rapids branch, she hired two new employees to work alongside her in Holland.

"We have a large name, but my name is on the door and I have investment in the community," she says.

Source: Amy Pierce, Express Employment Professionals, Holland

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

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It's just under an acre in size, but a tiny spot of hillside greenery near Grand Rapids' Medical Mile is where many people find respite from the concrete, traffic and noise of the surrounding neighborhood. And now elements within the park will honor cancer survivors.

Crescent Park, nestled against the south side of Van Andel Institute (VAI) at Bostwick and Crescent streets, is a city park recently adopted by a nonprofit group called The Friends of Crescent Park and renovated in conjunction with the VAI's current expansion. The VAI established the nonprofit to raise the funds needed to renovate the park and pay for ongoing maintenance.

Cancer research is VAI's primary research focus. The new Crescent Park is dedicated to cancer survivors and features concrete pavers, stone slabs and granite benches purchased by donors and engraved with the names of cancer survivors.

New plantings have revitalized the hillside and include "close to 3,000 new shrubs, ground cover and other plants," says Bill Culhane, VAI spokesperson. "We planted about 35 new trees and added 20 new benches and six new picnic tables. And we added general lighting and accent lighting in the park, where before there was only lighting from nearby street lights."

A central feature is a new circular plaza atop the hillside, overlooking downtown. Flowering walls cascade in steps down the hill below the plaza. When in bloom, the walls will create a living waterfall effect says Culhane.

"The park was donated to the city with the caveat that it always be a park," says Culhane. "It will be used by the VAI scientists and visitors, and historically, it's been heavily used by Spectrum Health staff and by visitors who have loved ones in the hospital, and by GRCC students."
 
The park will open in spring 2010.

Source: Bill Culhane, Van Andel Institute and Culhane & Fahrenkrug Consulting

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Photograph by Jeff Dykhouse
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Back in 1998 when Grand Rapids' transit system The Rapid set its Mobile Metro 2020 master plan in motion, ridership was 2.9 million trips annually. Today, ridership is 9.3 million trips annually and the initial plan has been implemented 11 years early.

It's time for a new plan and the task force for Mobile Metro 2030 is in place. The Rapid will hold a series of community workshops to get input on what riders and non-riders would like to see in a public transit system in the next five years, 10 to 15 years and 20 years. The first workshop was this week in Wyoming; future workshops will be in Kentwood, East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville and Walker.

"The purpose is to hear input from the community," says Jennifer Kalczuk, The Rapid spokesperson. "We'll do a short presentation, cover existing transit services so people know what it looks like now and talk about what a transit master plan is. If you can't make the meeting in your area, you can go to any of them."

The master plan will look at budget and funding aspects, Kalczuk says. Part of that process is for the task force to conduct peer comparisons with other regions that are similar in size to Grand Rapids, with transit systems similar in size and scope to The Rapid, and to examine how those communities fund their transit systems.

Other factors include an operational analysis and developing a fleet management plan.

Anyone unable to attend a meeting can submit ideas here or at the Project Hotline 616-774-1298.

Source: Jennifer Kalczuk, The Rapid

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

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As part of a series, Rapid Growth is speaking with nominees of several "best of" categories of the 20th Annual Neighborhood Business Awards, a partnership between Neighborhood Ventures and the Neighborhood Business Alliance that honors businesses across the city that have added to the quality of life in their locales.

2009 Green Award: Clothing Matters, 141 Diamond SE
According to Clothing Matters' founder and owner Marta Swain, this Grand Rapids eco-friendly apparel depot is unlike anything offered across the nation. Customers travel annually from San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. because they can't find sustainable clothing that is responsibly made and offered in the wide variety carried by Clothing Matters.

"They save up their apparel dollars to shop here because they don't have these options," Swain says. "What we've been offering Grand Rapids is way beyond what these cosmopolitan towns have been offering."

The store began in 1998 as Hemp Goods in Eastown, changed to Clothing Matters in 2005 and moved to 141 Diamond two years ago.

Swain carries 33 lines of men's and women's clothing and accessories that are people- and planet-friendly. Swain says the items are responsibly manufactured, high quality goods made from blends of bamboo, soy, organic cotton, hemp and even recycled plastic bottles. Much of the clothing performs throughout the seasons because it is temperature versatile, can be dressed up or down, and holds its shape in a suitcase.

Before starting the store, Swain, 51, spent 20 years teaching businesses how to be more sustainable. That was before "sustainable" was an overused word. But then, and now, she says people didn't think about clothing as part of the sustainable equation.

"In 1994 I learned that cotton was the most heavily treated crop in the world with carcinogenic pesticides and one of the most water intensive crops," she says. "I thought, 'somebody ought to do something' and didn't think it would be me. I researched to see what people were doing as alternatives and discovered the hemp fiber's ten thousand years as food, fuel and fiber around the world. That was a most amazing discovery for me."  

Other nominees are:    

• Brookstone Capital for 101 S. Division
• Fulton Street Farmers Market, 1145 E. Fulton St
• The Green Life Market, 944 East Fulton St
• San Chez - A Tapas Bistro, 38 W Fulton St

Best Nonprofit Project: Oasis of Hope, 522 Leonard NW
For the past two years, an all-volunteer medical clinic on Grand Rapids' West Side has provided health care to uninsured and low-income residents at no cost for services or medication.

Oasis of Hope draws on a pool of about 100 volunteers to operate the clinic, providing urgent care, wellness exams, immunizations, and helps patients manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Volunteers include physicians, physicians' assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical assistants and administrative workers.

"My wife was teaching physician's assistants at Western Michigan University's College of Health and Human Services and she had a strong desire to leave academia and get back into clinical medicine in some way where she could serve the underserved," says Dan Grinwis, board of directors' vice president. His wife, Barbara Grinwis, is the executive director and a physician's assistant.

"We joined a small church in the neighborhood and we saw the need in the area and decided to establish Oasis of Hope here," Dan Grinwis says. "We located it here because of the great need here, the people we see have little access to quality healthcare, and the area is designated by the federal government as medically underserved"

Since opening in spring of 2007, Grinwis says Oasis of Hope has offered free medical services on more than 4,000 occasions.

Oasis of Hope is a faith-based organization, but has no affiliations with any church, hospital or government agency.

The clinic has four exam rooms, a laboratory and an education area where patients can attend classes on nutrition, smoking cessation and health care.

Other nominees are:

• Bethany Christian Services, 45 Coldbrook NW
• Cathedral Square of Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, 360 S Division Ave
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation, 185 Oakes Street SW
• GRPS for Houseman Field, Diamond & Fountain
• Boys and Girls Club - Steil Center, Lincoln Park
• West Grand Neighborhood Organization, 415 Leonard NW
• Western Michigan University, 200 Ionia Ave SW

Rapid Growth is proud to sponsor the People's Choice award in each category of the Neighborhood Business Awards. Click here to cast your online vote for your favorites.

The awards ceremony on November 5 is from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre. The public is invited.

Source: Marta Swain, Clothing Matters; Dan Grinwis, Oasis of Hope

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.






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When executives of Lambert, Edwards & Associates agreed to co-host an ArtPrize venue at 47 Commerce in downtown Grand Rapids, they had no idea it was about to be the firm's next home.

After logging corporate growth each of the past 10 years, the company now has 25 employees at its headquarters in the National City Bank building. After several office expansions that split office between two floors, the firm was ready for something different.

"We were looking for space for a while, ArtPrize was announced and one of our clients, Adtegrity, is moving into 38 Commerce across the street," says Jeff Lambert, president. "We partnered with Adtegrity and Pioneer Construction to lease the venue for ArtPrize, and then it got on our list of places we'd be interested in moving to."

Although Cornerstone Architects has just begun preliminary design work for the 10,000-square-foot space, Lambert hopes to incorporate covered on-site parking and a roof deck for employees and clients.

The interior will incorporate a mix of enclosed offices and collaborative workspaces. The firm will pursue LEED certification. Lambert expects the building to include a shower, bike rack for employees, alternative power sources and possibly a green roof.

Renovation will run about $500,000. Pioneer Construction will handle the construction.

"We wanted more of a presence for our team, to present a company culture of professional cool," Lambert says. "We're excited to be investing in downtown Grand Rapids and think this will be a great platform for us to continue to grow."

Source: Jeff Lambert, Lambert, Edwards & Associates

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.



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A hip new space where entrepreneurs and other business leaders can gather to collaborate or work independently will open in downtown Grand Rapids on Tuesday, November 3.

The Factory, at 38 W. Fulton on the third floor above San Chez Bistro, is an idea developed by Elevator Up's Aaron Schaap and Mac Fowler. It's an open office concept that allows individual businesses and entrepreneurs to work in a "co-working, nomadic work style," Fowler says, by leasing office space by the month or day.

"Aaron owns Elevator Up and he opened the doors to whoever wanted to come in and work there," Fowler says. "I approached him because I wanted to do this in Grand Rapids, and we looked around and decided to open up the space."

He and Schaap partnered with Turnstone Furniture, which will furnish the space and use it as a living lab of sorts, Fowler says.

"They’re starting to design furniture geared toward 50-person offices, so they’ll bring in furniture to have people test it out, to help them figure out how to design furniture for a co-working space," he says.

The 2,000-square-foot space is outfitted with a mixture of high-top tables, individual desks with chairs, sofas and club chairs, white boards and dedicated wireless. Users can configure the conference room as a classroom or as a traditional boardroom.

"A couple of big tables will seat four to six people and there are a couple of banks of desks that are on wheels," Fowler says. "They can be grouped together or pulled apart so someone can work independently. It's just meant to be flexible."

Leases are $200 a month for unlimited use, or $25 a day drop-in rate.

An open house will be Tuesday, November 3 at 6 p.m.

Source: Mac Fowler, The Factory

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.



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A new cinema has come to Grand Rapids, but it's only for the residents of the Plaza Towers Apartments. But the private cinema with leather recliners instead of theater seats, tiered risers, hook ups for game consoles and free DVD "rental" isn't the only thing that's changed in the high-rise building at 201 W. Fulton.

Upgrades to the lobby transformed it into a Euro-style entry that includes Italian tile flooring and complementary self-serve espresso for residents. In November, the elevators will sport new television monitors that will feature postings for events and happenings downtown, community announcements, and television news and sports shows.

"On the main level we upgraded a conference room to be a café/work room for residents," says
Grace Johnson, residential coordinator. It's equipped with wireless Internet access and a media screen.

"Off that room we created a patio area that looks onto Monroe Avenue," she adds. "We often have community parties that spill out into that area. There will be seating for that or residents can go downstairs and sit outside and watch people go by."

The second floor pool and fitness center were renovated to resemble a Mediterranean spa. Besides adding new workout equipment, the new amenities include a sauna in the women's locker room and a steam room in the men's.
 
"As residents move out, we'll be upgrading the vacated units," Johnson says. "Some can be customized for an extra cost, for example, a new tenant can request hardwood floors. And they'll all have Euro cabinets with granite countertops in the kitchen and bath."

Source: Grace Johnson, Lena Stob, Eenhoorn LLC

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.



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Grand Rapids’ vibrant downtown and growing college-age population lured a Grosse Pointe couple to move here and open one of the area’s newest eateries: One Stop Coney Shop, 154 E. Fulton.

 Leslie and her husband, Brian DeGalan, plan to open the 24-seat, self-serve restaurant on October 27 in a former salsa dance studio in the Peacock Building.

“The hot dogs are special,” promises Leslie DeGalan, “because they’re Koegel (hot dogs) from Flint and they’ll be grilled, not boiled.  They’ll have that snap when you bite into them.”

The menu will feature authentic Detroit coney dogs, Chicago-style dogs and one dubbed “Rapid Style” topped with chili, chili relish, mustard, ketchup and onions. Another specialty will be freshly made Belgian-style “frites” -- fries that are fresh cut and twice fried to make them extra crispy. Chili, cheese and a variety of sauces will be available for extra toppings. A Greek salad and chicken pita sandwich will also be available.

Leslie once worked in retail and Brian in computer sales, but when the recession hit the Detroit area especially hard, the opportunity to be part of a growing Grand Rapids downtown became even more appealing. The couple’s two daughters will work at the restaurant along with three part-time employees.
    
One Stop Coney Shop is set up for Wi-Fi wireless Internet service. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.  It will be closed Mondays. For more information, contact the restaurant at 233-9700 or check its website at www.onestopconeyshop.com.

Source: Leslie DeGalan of One Stop Coney Shop

Sharon Hanks is the innovation and jobs news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

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For people who like to travel efficiently and have their belongings conveniently at hand, Peninsula Trading Travel Gear is paradise.

The new shop at 972 Cherry SE, in the former Blue Avenue location, carries something for every type of travel: business, adventure, independent or family.

"I'm not an outdoor store, I'm not a luggage shop, I fall in the middle of both of those where I'm a specialty store catering to a travel customer," says Betsy Borden, owner. "My product is all about making you more comfortable when traveling, about durability, comfort and convenience."

Borden, 52, spent several years as a manufacturer's rep, selling luggage and travel gear to retail stores. Now she's taken the lines she used to rep and brought them together under one roof: Merrell Apparel, Exofficio, Tilley Hats, Eagle Creek Travel Gear and luggage.

The clothing is lightweight with security pockets for wallets and passports, sun protection fabric. Exofficio features insect protection for adventure travel so wearers don't have to apply DEET to their skin.

"Everything in my store is everything but the trip," Borden says. "It's all about being smarter when we travel. There's a huge dialogue going on here about where they're going, where they want to go – they love to talk about the great escape."

Borden uses vintage travel items as store displays and décor: suitcases, globes, license plates, a kayak for the adventure travel. Her counter is crafted from an old gate and a narrow bathroom door. She drew on her experience creating visual displays for Gantos and Rogers Department Store to create an atmosphere that's fun and inviting.

The grand opening is October 24, 10 to 5.

Source: Betsy Borden, Peninsula Trading Travel Gear

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.


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Eenhoorn LLC will soon relocate its national headquarters from Cascade Township to the Plaza Towers building, bringing 22 more workers to the heart of the city daily.

The national property management and real estate investment company purchased Plaza Towers in 2001. Now it's nearing the completion of a high-end renovation of 8,500 square feet of office space on the main level at 231 Fulton Street, Grand Rapids – nearly double its current digs.

"We're poising ourselves to grow and positioning ourselves to be prepared for that growth," says Lena Stob, project manager. "We are poised to expand our portfolio and need to have the space to employ more people to help manage the properties."

Outstanding features in the lobby are a custom-made cherry wood floating ceiling and large, bright paintings by local artist Reb Roberts.

Some of the other local products include the furniture throughout the space from Herman Miller, Steelcase and Nucraft. Dooge Veneers created the eucalyptus veneer tables in the reception area and nearby conference room.

A glass and steel spiral staircase connects the main lobby to the Skywalk.

Work areas include the executive suite, an open office area with the original concrete ceiling and concrete pillars, and a separate area with nine private offices. The private offices have 9-foot-high glass barn doors that  maximize access to the daylight coming through nearby windows.

Warm colors throughout the main office give way to a cool palette of white, gray and green in the kitchen/break area where employees can relax.

Eenhoorn will relocate in December.

Jeffrey Parker Architects handled the interior design. Anthony Beckman of Grand Rapids was the general contractor.

Source: Lena Stob, Eenhoorn LLC

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.
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West Siders will soon have a new take-out restaurant in Edison Plaza from which to pick up their favorite Chinese cuisine.

Fu Garden is expected to open November 13 in the building once occupied by Curves West fitness center at 2030 Lake Michigan Drive NW.  The word “fu” means graceful in Mandarin Chinese, according to mechanical engineer Luann Sun of MJW Consulting, LLC, who also has served as a consultant and Chinese interpreter for the restaurant owner, Jian-Wei Huang.

Sun said Huang, a native of Fu Jian province in mainland China, has been a cook at other local Chinese restaurants for the past 10 years. “I think he’s like many Chinese immigrants who have come here with a dream to own their own restaurant,” she says.   

Sun said Huang was drawn to the location because it’s close to downtown and the restaurant is visible to motorists and pedestrians passing by. “Lake Michigan Drive is quite a busy street,” she said, noting that the high visibility should attract more customers.
 
The 1,300-square-foot restaurant has a seating capacity of 10. It will employ three others besides Huang.

Fu Garden will be open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. 

Source: Luann Sun of MJW Consulting

Sharon Hanks is the innovation and jobs news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

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As part of a series, Rapid Growth is speaking with nominees of several "best of" categories of the 20th Annual Neighborhood Business Awards, a partnership between Neighborhood Ventures and the Neighborhood Business Alliance that honors businesses across the city that have added to the quality of life in their locales.
 
Best Business Exterior: Ball Park Floral and Gifts, 8 Valley SE
At 105 years, Ball Park Floral is one of Grand Rapids' most enduring businesses. And the neat and tidy, always-in-good-repair exterior of the store at Fulton and Valley shows the care that goes into this family-owned business.
 
Recent renovations to the showroom included removing several interior walls, which doubled the space. A walk-in cooler allows customers to choose individual flowers for bouquets or arrangements, or they can select ready-made arrangements to go.
 
"Our designers are always on hand so customers can have something made while they wait," says General Manager Heidi Poll. "And we have a large selection of silk arrangements with seasonal colors and flowers."
 
Other offerings include green plants, tropicals, such as orchids and ginger, balloons for all occasions and a wide selection of gifts.
 
Ball Park Floral designs flowers for weddings, sympathy, and corporate events and delivers within the Greater Grand Rapids area. The store also provides a wire service for ordering flowers and plants to be delivered outside the city.
 
"Earlier today we wired orders to Texas and to California and Ohio," Poll says.
 
The business employs 17 full- and part-time staff.
 
Other nominees are:            
Adobe In and Out, 617 W Fulton St
Café Aromas, 880 Grandville Ave SW
DeVries Companies for Bridge Street Depot, 528 Bridge
Eastown Business Association/Janette Tazzia
Gillespie Funeral Services, 1865 Eastern SE
The Green Well Gastro Pub, 924 Cherry SE
Sundaes in the Heights, 2404 Eastern
Wealthy Street Bakery, 608 Wealthy SE
 
Best New Business: Blu House Properties, 1426 Wealthy SE
Despite the struggling real estate market, one-year-old Blu House Properties has sold 21 properties to out-of-state investors so far this year. And while Ryan Ogle says his firm doesn't really have a niche market and sells all types of residential and commercial properties, one has to wonder.
 
Ogle, 29, is the owner of the company and a licensed Realtor. He got into the real estate game at age 20 after painting a number of Heritage Hill houses.
 
"I did about 30 Heritage Hill houses, and one day I said: Why paint houses when you can sell them? I think it was just a natural progression," Ogle says.
 
Blu House Properties brings in out-of-state investors and shows them around town to see what the city's like and to view available properties.
 
"We brought in a guy from Japan and groups of people from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kentucky and Chicago, all investor groups," Ogle says. "They purchase real estate here for investment. A lot of times, they're bank owned properties. We rehab the houses for them, then our property management company (Blu House Property Management) manages them. If we can get them to invest in these homes that are sitting empty it helps out the neighborhoods."
 
Chris Thompson is a partner with Ogle in Blu House Property Management, which operates out of the same location as Blu House Properties.
 
Other nominees are:
Beauty House, 950 Wealthy SE
Commute Bicycle Shop, 120 S. Division
Unlocal Clothing Co., 62 S. Division
Wing Heaven, 1808 Monroe NW
Wired Espresso Bar, 1503 Plainfield NE
 
Rapid Growth is proud to sponsor the People's Choice award in each category of the Neighborhood Business Awards. Click here to cast your online vote for your favorites.
 
The awards ceremony on November 5 is from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre. The public is invited.
 
Source: Heidi Poll, Ball Park Floral and Gifts; Ryan Ogle, Blu House Properties

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.


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West Michigan painter Cynthia Hagedorn is opening a studio that will serve as a hub of artistic activities and events in downtown Holland.

At the corner of River Avenue and Eighth Street, above Reader's World, a cozy second-floor space became available a few months ago when the Holland Downtown Development Authority and Principal Shopping District (PSD) relocated to West Ninth Street.

"I had worked with the PSD to coordinate events in downtown Holland, so I'd been in that office a lot," Hagedorn says. Once it was empty, she decided the space would be perfect for her studio.? ?"I feel like (opening the studio) is the next step I have to take in my life," she says.

"Once I decided to go for it, obstacles just fell by the wayside and I was able to move forward."

The Cynthia Hagedorn Studio will be a base for events Hagedorn facilitates under her organization Square Peg Events, LLC. Hagedorn will use her background in art anthropology to teach drop-in art workshops for kids on Egyptian art, American Gothic, cartoons drawing, cultural creations and famous artists.
 
She'll also host private bookings for girls' nights out, book clubs, date nights or other small groups.

Under Square Peg Events, Hagedorn organizes art-enhanced programs in Holland and offers tours of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is developing a series of themed walking tours through downtown Holland that include Boys and Beer, Chicks and Chocolate, The Martini March and Art of Food Making.

Hagedorn decked out the 300-square-foot studio using bright, bold colors. Large windows overlook the downtown. She will use the studio to paint her own artwork when she isn't hosting events.
 
An open house is scheduled today from 2 to 8 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.

Source: Cynthia Hagedorn, The Cynthia Hagedorn Studio

Related Articles: New location makes downtown Holland's economic leaders more accessible to the community

 
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com
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As part of a series, Rapid Growth is speaking with nominees of several "best of" categories of the 20th Annual Neighborhood Business Awards, a partnership between Neighborhood Ventures and the Neighborhood Business Alliance that honors businesses across the city that have added to the quality of life in their locales.

Best Exterior Renovation: Red Jet Café
After renovating what was once a bank-turned-library into a trendy neighborhood eatery called the Red Jet Café, owners The Gilmore Collection made its move to repurpose an adjacent sidewalk area into an urban dining patio. This summer marked the restaurant's first year with the addition, which coincided with the acquisition of a liquor license, extended dinner hours and the addition of appetizers to the menu.

The café sits on a point of land where Plainfield NE and Coit intersect. The patio seats 45 along the Coit Avenue (northwest) side of the restaurant. Bordered by businesses along a shaded brick street, the patio creates a big city outdoor dining experience in one of Grand Rapids' growing neighborhood business districts.

"The patio and liquor license increased our summer business by 30 to 35 percent," says Rick Sauber, general manager. "It was amazing."

Plans are to add Plexiglas panels to enclose the space for four-season dining. Mushroom heaters keep the area warm, but those will give way eventually to more permanent radiant heat.

Other nominees are:
•    AllStar Wireless, 1000 Michigan NE
•    Louie's Bar & Rocket Lounge, 608 Bridge St. NW
•    Talk A Lot Wireless - MetroPCS, 800 Franklin SE

Best Interior Renovation: Brann's Steakhouse & Grille
A West Side staple has once again completely revamped its interior, taking on a new theme and a new name. The new Brann's Sizzling Steaks & Sports Grill, 401 Leonard NW, still features a bar area (now a sports lounge) and dining room, but sports a contemporary interior complete with 50 televisions: flat screen, projection, hi-def translucent (viewable from two sides) and private TVs in the dining booths.

"We've had the previous interior for about 12 years and my dad and another partner went and checked out other concepts in other states," says Johnny Brann, Jr., a partner in the business. "They brought home some good ideas."

The $250,000 renovation includes raising ceilings, new flooring, restrooms and serving stations, and redesigning a private banquet area so it's now part of the sports lounge. Custom partitions return the space to a private dining room for parties and events.
With all the changes, the establishment's regulars will recognize something left over from the old Brann's.

"We kept a sports themed mannequin on each floor because people did not want to see those go," says Brann.

Other nominees are:
•    Bombay Cuisine/Queens Pub, 1420 Lake Drive SE
•    Fat Boy Burgers, 2450 Plainfield Avenue NE
•    Clear Water Place/Saint Mary's Home Care, 1430 Monroe NW
•    Clique Lanes, 533 Stocking NW
•    From the Heart Yoga, 714 Wealthy SE
•    Higher Ground Rock Climbing Center, 820 Monroe NW
•    Lott3Metz Architects and Highland Group, 645 Cherry SE
•    John Widdicomb Trade Center/ Spectrum Health, 665 Seward NW

Rapid Growth is proud to sponsor the People's Choice award in each category of the Neighborhood Business Awards. Click here to cast your online vote for your favorites.

The awards ceremony on November 5 is from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre. The public is invited. Mark your calendar to check Rapid Growth on Friday, November 6 for a list of the winners.
 
Source: Rick Sauber, Red Jet Café; Johnny Brann, Jr., Brann's Sizzling Steaks & Sports Grill

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.
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