Development News

Jack Buchanan says one reason the Monroe North business district has vacant buildings not under development is the lack of parking for employees who would work in those buildings.

He's hoping to allay that problem through a public/private partnership with the City of Grand Rapids to develop a 28,000-square-foot surface lot next to the Imperial Metals building.

Buchanan, his brother Rob Buchanan and Greg Lankfer propose a $10 million rehab of the 42,000-square-foot industrial building as commercial condominiums in Phase 1 of the project. The proposed Phase 2 completes the renovation with a 12,500- to 15,000-square-foot glass addition.  

"We'll be able to park everyone and hope to create additional parking to allow nearby buildings to undergo renovation," Buchanan says. "[Those owners] don't control any potential for parking so it's killed their opportunity to sell or redevelop their properties."

The "U" shaped building fronts along Ionia, Newberry and Ottawa NW and will have a 10,400-square-foot central courtyard. Glass garage doors on select offices will allow those businesses to access the courtyard through contemporary re-creations of industrial loading dock doors.

The complex lies within the city's SmartZone, but Buchanan expects to attract a limited number of high-tech startups despite offering 10 percent historic tax credits and a 12-year freeze on property taxes through the Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act.

"We haven't seen much trickle-down from the (Michigan Street) hill," he says. "That was the original idea (when the SmartZone was established in 2001) but it hasn't happened. We can certainly have space for high-tech business, but I'm not sure there's a market."

The project breaks ground late this month. Lott3Metz is the architect. Pioneer Construction is the construction manager. Buchanan expects the project to receive LEED certification.

Source: Jack Buchanan, Blue Bridge Ventures

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


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Holland's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Principal Shopping District (PSD) offices tripled their footprint after a recent move to new digs. The switch from a small second-floor space to a ground floor location makes the two organizations accessible to everyone and increases their visibility in the community.

The new 2,100-square-foot headquarters at 44 W. Ninth St. includes five private offices and a conference room. Holland DDA Director Patricia Fitzpatrick says the move is a major improvement in accessibility and professional appearance.

"The office is handicap accessible and designed with the goal of providing better service to both the members of the downtown district and the public as a whole," she says. "It doesn't occupy a storefront, leaving [the storefronts] open for retailers, and there is plenty of parking."

The Holland DDA oversees downtown planning policies, infrastructure, amenities and the public parking system. The PSD promotes downtown businesses through organized marketing efforts, business advocacy and recruitment and retention. Both the DDA and PSD are funded through property assessments within the downtown district.

The DDA operated from its previous 730-square-foot office for more than 20 years. The inception of the Principal Shopping District initiative five years ago brought more personnel to the tiny space. The search for new offices began about six months ago and ended with the $30,000 renovation of the former Home Fabrics store.

The two groups employ five full-time and five part-time employees. There are no immediate plans to add personnel, but Fitzpatrick says the new offices will allow for future growth when needed.

Source: Patricia Fitzpatrick, Holland Downtown Development Authority; Kara Barney, Principal Shopping District

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


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Chicago's Revolution Investment Partners LLC has completed Phase 1 of converting a former Heritage Hill apartment building in Grand Rapids into Avenue 23 Condominiums.

The two-story building at 23 College SE offers 20 condos of 550 square feet each. Each features one bedroom, one bath and either a private balcony or a private patio.

"Our plan is to convert the apartments to condos as people buy them," says Michael Leestma, one of Revolution's three partners.

To date, eight units are completed and occupied. Buyers of the remaining 12 units, of which two are models, will choose their colors and finishes; Revolution will complete the buildout.

Of the two models, one features standard finishes and the other showcases the upgrade options, such as stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

"We tried to make the standard model very affordable for someone to live in a downtown area condo, but not have to break the bank," Leestma says.

Prices start at $70,000. The most expensive unit runs just over $100,000 after factoring in all the upgrades including washer and dryer hookups.

Revolution's target market is the first time homebuyer who wants to live within walking distance of downtown's nightlife and entertainment or close to downtown jobs and colleges.

"So far, the buyers are primarily young professionals," Leestma says. "Some of them have developed a vegetable garden in the back yard."

Leestma grew up in Alger Heights. Business partner, Michelle Mulder, is also from the Grand Rapids area. Both reside in Chicago now, but return to often to visit family.

"We saw the potential [for development] and kind of got our foot in the water," Leestma says. "This was designed to be the first of many projects in the area. We have a couple of other projects in mind, but nothing started yet."

Source: Michael Leestma, Revolution Investment Partners LLC; Steve Volkers, Keller Williams Realty

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


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An enterprising new caterer in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids aims to deliver as many corporate and group lunches as is humanly possible, and then some.

Andrew Grassmick, 27, recently opened Andrew's on Cherry, 909 Cherry SE. With a $50 minimum order and a day's notice, patrons select from a menu featuring Grassmick's own sandwich and salad creations and a variety of freshly baked cookies, brewed tea and other beverages.

"A lot of my business is pharmaceutical and medical reps who bring in lunches for doctors and their offices," Grassmick says. "I like to deliver 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time. I'll also do individual orders or lunch for four or five if customers want to pick them up."

Grassmick is happy to pack sack lunches for groups, but unless that's specified the sandwiches arrive cut in half and arranged on platters so diners can choose what they'd like, and salads come in large serving bowls.

Grassmick is a Texas native who moved to Grand Rapids four years ago. His culinary skills are self-taught, he says, adding that he's always been interested in food and cooking. Most recently, Grassmick was the catering manager at Urban Mill, where he created several of the sandwiches on the menu.

"I'm still playing with Andrew's on Cherry's menu," he says. "I've gotten the best feedback on my pesto turkey cooler wrap which has onions, parmesan cheese, pesto aioli with lemon zest, roma tomatoes, cracked pepper and leaf lettuce on a tomato basil wrap. For some sandwiches I use a crème brulée torch lightly on the meat to bring out the flavor."

Andrew's delivers in the Greater Grand Rapids area for a small fee. Uptown-area deliveries are free.

Source: Andrew Grassmick, Andrew's on Cherry

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


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Residential realtor Julie Grevengoed recently left a real estate agency in the suburbs to launch her own agency in the city of Grand Rapids; two weeks ago her family followed, moving to a home just a five-minute walk from her office. And Grevengoed, whose niche market is second time homebuyers with children, can now share her experience with clients looking to move up.
 
Grevengoed's new JGR Real Estate shares the new location at 975 Cherry SE with United Properties of West Michigan to keep overhead low for both firms. The companies renovated the 1,100-square-foot space above Pristine Glass Company, adding two private offices, two cubicles, a reception area and a conference room.

"My husband and I thought anyone who had kids had to live in the suburbs, so we went out to Forest Hills," Grevengoed says. "When I moved to my new office it made sense to be close to work, so we moved into a house near Mangiamo that we've been rehabbing for a couple of years. My kids are four and two and they've met all the little kids in the neighborhood already."

A second realtor, Dawn Longcore, joined Grevengoed's agency. Grevengoed aims to recruit other realtors over time.

"It seems like a bad time (to start a real estate business) because only about 20 percent of brokers are profitable, but maybe that's an opportunity, too," she says. "What can we do differently that could make us profitable where others aren't?"

United Properties' owner, Russ Vanden Toorn acts as the agency's broker until Grevengoed gets her license in a few weeks.  

"Property management, residential real estate and commercial real estate are all the same broker's license. It all goes hand-in-hand," Grevengoed says. "Hopefully all Russ's tenants will become buyers, and as the market gets better landlords will want to sell some of their properties."

Source: Julie Grevengoed, JGR Real Estate

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


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The building sits vacant now, but what was once the Watson-Higgins Milling Co. and eventually became a head and cylinder rebuilding shop in Grand Rapids is slated for renovation. When the work is complete, the developers expect to pursue LEED Platinum certification, the U.S. Green Building Council's highest designation.

Chris Muller of retail real estate firm, M Retail Solutions, and Keith Winn of Catalyst Partners, a consortium of sustainable design professionals, bought the building at 502 Second St. to create new offices for both businesses. Winn, a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council and vice chair of the LEED Steering Committee, leads the efforts to develop and introduce new cost-effective energy efficient construction techniques to the renovation.

"We've had a real long road for energy modeling involving lighting and HVAC systems, roof structure and even wind power," Muller says. "There's been collaboration between the mechanical and electrical engineers to make sure (the construction) is the most cost effective it can be, as well as LEED."
 
Preliminary plans include a brownfield cleanup, a possible geo-thermal heating system and the proposed development of a cistern and rain garden system to keep storm water onsite. Wind power and solar energy could be part of the equation as the project evolves.

When complete, a 1,200-square-foot handicap accessible meeting area will bring the two-story building to 3,900 square feet.

"The building has really cool brickwork on the inside and outside that we'll try to expose," Muller says. "The M Retail space will have terra cotta firebrick on the walls and part of the ceiling, and free standing industrial crane leftover from a previous life."

Muller estimates the renovation will come in around $500,000 when completed this fall.

Catalyst Partners is handling the energy modeling and LEED administration. Wolverine Construction did the architectural design and will head up construction.

Source: Chris Muller, M Retail Solutions

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-based Eastown Fiction went live with its first online issue on July 1, offering a new outlet for fiction writers seeking publication. The primary goal is to publish the best new fiction from West Michigan writers. Even so, the site accepts submissions from outside the region.

Mark Derks, 25, and Adam Nannini, 26 -- both fiction writers – created Eastown Fiction to fill a publishing void.

"Mark and I have been in writers groups for a long time and edited each others' work," Nannini says. "We did a lot of looking around and felt Grand Rapids wasn't represented in the publishing game, especially in online publishing."

So they pulled in Andrew Scott, 28, a software developer, to build the back end. Nannini, a web designer at Atomic Object, designed the site.

Authors submit their original fiction online – from short-short fiction to novellas – and Nannini and Derks evaluate it for publication worthiness. An author's only payment is the satisfaction of having a work published and there is no submission fee. Presently, the site generates no income, and Nannini, Derks and Scott provide their services simply because they're passionate about publishing the work.

"We thought about accepting everything submitted, just as long as it's coherent," Nannini says, "but we decided we want to have high standards so it's an accomplishment to get in. Mark and I individually read each story and make notes, we have a standard we apply and then we discuss which stories we like and which we'll turn down."

"We want to publish the best stories we can get our hands on," adds Derks, "and for people to come to Eastown Fiction to get the best stories they've read in a while."

Photographers can get in on the act by submitting their original photographs for consideration as cover art for upcoming issues.

Source: Adam Nannini and Mark Derks, Eastown Fiction

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Her short-short story Tow Truck was published in the July issue of Eastown Fiction.


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Armed with a new name and a new book, Sarah Kallio and Stacey Krastins think they have hit on a successful recipe for business with their unique meal creation system.

Kallio and Krastins, two Grand Haven moms with engineering degrees and a love of home entertaining, are scheduled to release their second book this week, The Stocked Kitchen. Formerly called The Stocked Host, The Stocked Kitchen details a system that speeds up grocery shopping and meal preparation. The book releases this week online and at four West Michigan retailers.

Krastins says the concept saves time, money and food waste, and trips to the grocery store. The idea starts with a standardized grocery list that helps users stock their kitchens with foods that can be used in hundreds of recipes.

"It's definitely not just a recipe book," Krastins says. The book comes with a grocery pad and list of items that go into over 300 recipes. It also includes tips for storing foods and organizing the kitchen. "We felt strongly about using items that people already have and will use."

Krastins notes that meals are healthier because they don't use processed foods.

For the past year, Krastins and Kallio developed the business full time, targeting the local market. Each lost her job for economic reasons, and that's when, Krastins says, they "decided to jump in with both feet."

"We would like to take our idea and book to the masses," Krastins says. "Go national with the book and possibly license this idea to other companies."

Source: Stacey Krastins, The Stocked Kitchen

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


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A grassroots initiative to bring the rapids back to the Grand River and establish a whitewater kayaking and canoeing park from Riverside Park through downtown Grand Rapids is moving ahead, carried by a current of community support.

Grand Rapids White Water is the brainchild of Chip Richards, who invited other board members, including Chris Muller. Muller returned to Grand Rapids after five years in Washington D.C. He missed the thrill of whitewater kayaking on the Potomac, which was easily accessible because of "park and play" areas.

"After work, I'd go home and get my boat and within an hour I'd be paddling some great whitewater," he says. "But on the Grand it's really too dangerous to go over the Fourth Street dam (also known as the Sixth Street dam) by Fish Ladder Park, so you can't go from Riverside Park and end up down by Grand Valley (State University)."

Between Leonard and Fulton streets the rapids drop 18 feet – 13 of that is at the dam – but the dam and the deep backwater cover the rapids.

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The former St. James Catholic Church convent is on its way to becoming Bridge Street Place, Grand Rapids' first permanent transitional housing for singles escaping domestic violence.

Dwelling Place purchased the property at 761 Bridge in July after leasing it for 15 years as transitional housing for single women. The building's 21 single rooms with shared baths, a common kitchen and a shared living room will soon be 16 one-bedroom apartments.

"This is a new program that has not been done in Grand Rapids before," says Jarrett DeWyse, director of housing development. "The YWCA is the premier support agency for domestic violence victims and has accommodations for women with children, but there is a great need in our community for housing for single domestic violence survivors."

The apartments are categorized as permanent housing because there is no time limit for how long someone can live there – tenants only need to make their lease payments and meet certain lease criteria.

Rent runs $583 per month, but through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's rental assistance program tenants pay only 30 percent of their income.

Optional support services will be available to tenants, including counseling, job skills training, employment services, transportation and English as a second language classes.

The building will have secure card key access and 24-hour surveillance. DeWyse says tenants feel safer knowing only certain people can get in the building.

"We're working with a budget of $3.2 million (for the renovation)," DeWyse says. "We're using low income housing tax credits administered through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and the sale of those tax credits pays for about 50 percent of the development."

J. LaPorte & Associates P.C., is the architect. Rockford Construction is the construction manager.

Source: Jarrett DeWyse, Dwelling Place

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 business in Holland will not only benefit those looking for careers in the beauty industry, but will help residents in need of affordable salon services.

Tulip City Beauty College, the fourth location of Moored Associates Beauty Schools, headquartered in Zeeland, opened in 50 years, will start its first classes later this month in a renovated 13,000-square-foot section of the Federal Square Business Park, 500 E. 8th St., Holland.

"We were able to design the building how we wanted it," says Ken Moored, director of enrollment at the college. Moored is the son of owner James Moored. "It's like a salon experience. We'll have everything from highlights and perms to clipper cuts and manicures at very, very reasonable prices. It's good for the students and it's good for the public."

The $1 million renovation creates a campus with a salon services for the public where students receive hands-on, supervised experience, classrooms and a student lounge, says Moored.

The school will work with a number of groups in Holland to market the school and salon. Students will be ready to serve patrons when the salon opens to the public this winter.

Moored notes that the school will have 80 to 100 students at any given time participating in the 1,500-hour program. About 90 percent of its graduates find employment in the field. According to Moored, the average salary of a cosmetologist is $40,000.

The college hired five employees for its Holland campus and plans to add five more jobs within a year.

Source: Ken Moored, Moored Associates Beauty Schools

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


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A 20-acre site along Muskegon's downtown waterfront is midway to becoming a conference center and resort under the guidance of longtime developer Jon Rooks of Parkland Properties.

The complex at 750 Terrace Point that houses Rafferty's Dockside Restaurant, The Shoreline Inn and Terrace Point Marina dropped back into Rooks' lap when a prospective buyer defaulted on the purchase. A deed in lieu foreclosure allowed Rooks to keep the inn and marina open, salvaging 21 jobs.

Proposed plans for Rafferty's Dockside Restaurant, now closed, could convert the existing space into a combination restaurant and conference center that could accommodate 365 people and offer catering services.

The 140-room Shoreline Inn has an indoor and an outdoor pool and three meeting rooms for groups of 16 to 70. Renovations include a rebuilt outdoor pool, a new convenience store, new phone system, wireless Internet access throughout the building and a proposed game room.

"The hotel was built in 2002 and is in fantastic shape. Our first step was to get a new general manager and new sales director," Rooks says.

"We've also put new piling in the marina, new dock boxes, and fixed the cable, the water lines and the power problems. This is my sixth marina renovation and I have owned a hotel, so all of this I've done before."

Completed renovations in the marina's clubhouse include an overhaul of the shower rooms, a kitchen remodel and the addition of a new laundry room and pool table.

Parkland Properties hopes to strike a deal with a restaurateur who would like to open a new eatery and catering business adjacent to the conference center. The remaining renovations on the complex will be completed in the next month.

Source: Jon Rooks, Parkland Properties

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


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Lake Effect Gallery employee Karen Boersema isn't sure how to account for this summer's sudden boom in business, but she says it's likely the result of the gallery's new, more visible location in downtown Holland.

The gallery moved across Eighth Street in the spring to 16 W. Eighth St. Although it's not far from its old home, the change seems to have made a big difference. The previous location didn't have a storefront along Eighth Street, and it was a quarter of the size of the new store.

"We are extremely busy," Boersema says. "We've had a really good summer and spring. The traffic is three times as busy this year. It's amazing."

The new space is 2,700 square feet plus has a 2,000-square-foot, second floor studio for teaching art classes. The storefront had been vacant for five years. GDK Construction in Holland renovated the original wood floors, tin ceiling and brick walls.

Lake Effect Gallery owner and artist Carrie Rodgers-O'Neil is dedicated to offering local art of all kinds. Rodgers-O'Neil features her own paintings at the gallery, as well as the works of 20 artists, including graphic artist John Leben, oil painter Karen Michmerhuizen and Antoinette Houtman, who paints water gardens and koi.

Besides paintings, the gallery has prints, pottery, glass jewelry, hand-blown glass and music created by local artists. Framing and matting materials for the store come from Grand Rapids manufacturers.

Since the move, new possibilities have opened up for the gallery. On Thursday evenings and weekends, resident artist Beth Charles of Holland paints acrylics in the front window where passersby can watch.

In August, Paul Zwart, owner of Holland-based Reflections Fine Art Gallery, will close his store and move in to Lake Effect Gallery. From there he will continue to operate his Internet business representing American artists.

Source: Carrie Rodgers-O’Neil and Karen Boersema, Lake Effect Gallery; Kara Barney, Downtown Holland Principal Shopping District

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.
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It only took four hours on a Saturday for 35 volunteers to give an estimated $3,100 of pro bono labor to North Park Elementary School and move it a step closer to having an outdoor classroom.

Friends of Grand Rapids Parks (FOGRP) and young professionals from BL2END worked alongside members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to clean up the school's playground – property that's also a city park.

"Two of our faculty, Jennifer Schpiro-Hall and Dave Huyser, want to create an outdoor teaching facility for all the students," says PTA President Matthew Patulski. "They've been working on a master plan with an architectural firm to do tree planting and connect with organizations throughout the city to make it happen."

Part of the outdoor teaching plan includes a 3,000-square-foot flower garden created by third graders. Volunteers constructed a new brick pathway through the garden so students have a path to the flagpole.  

"The school is looking at a more sustainable landscape with native plants, so we weeded beds and moved plants," says FOGRP Executive Director Steve Faber. "Long term, they're looking at sustainable forestry to teach students about growing pine and oak trees, so Saturday they cast that vision to a larger group and identified where that might happen."

Volunteers replaced fencing and prepared the playground's asphalt surfaces for sealant. Those surfaces will be stenciled with hopscotch and four-square games and a U.S. map, and the basketball court will be relined. Students raised $4,000 through a penny drive and other means to help allay costs.

"Twenty-five percent of our city parkland is in the hands of Grand Rapids Public Schools, so a quarter of our work is in the school system," Faber says. "It's a great way for parents and teachers to come together and see what they want to do with these green spaces."

Source: Steve Faber, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks; Matthew Patulski, North Park Schools PTA

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



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The Grand Rapids Planning Commission recently approved an Area Specific Plan (ASP) for the Monroe North business district that business leaders hope will help spur development of high-tech businesses.

Part of the district lies within the Grand Rapids SmartZone established in 2001. It is one of 15 clusters in the state designed to spur development of life sciences, high tech and advanced manufacturing ventures and jobs.

Although the ASP guides development for the entire Monroe North business district – bounded by Michigan on the south, Division on the east, Leonard on the north and the Grand River on the west – the SmartZone lies only in the area south of Coldbrook.

The ASP study reports that Monroe North's proximity to the Medical Mile and the city's track record for successful private/public partnerships are significant assets to attracting high tech ventures, especially if pedestrian and transit access is improved.

"Not as many life sciences incubators are being developed as we'd hoped," says Jim Zawacki, Sr., owner of Grand Rapids Spring & Stamping and a member of the ASP steering committee. "We're in the SmartZone and thought this would be perfect, but people who own the buildings aren't necessarily interested in creating incubators."

But there's also hope that will change.

"It will take one or two good developments to set the area on fire, just like when the Brass Works renovation started," says Howard Hanson of Parkland Properties and a steering committee member. "People thought that venture was crazy, but development really took hold after that.

"The city has money earmarked to make improvements in the infrastructure," Hanson adds. "Ottawa has a lot of potholes and tired buildings, but if they do the infrastructure repairs they certainly will make it more desirable for developers."

Bonus height incentives are in place to help develop the district, says Suzanne Schulz, planning department director. For instance, the Grand River Overlay Zone allows developers to build taller buildings in exchange for landscaped public access to and along the river.

Source: Jim Zawacki, Grand Rapids Spring & Stamping; Howard Hanson, Parkland Properties; Suzanne Schulz, City of Grand Rapids

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


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