Development News

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

"Thirty-Eight," an innovative new $16 million mixed-use project, aims to bring 43 more LEED-certified residences to Grand Rapids' downtown. Now that construction of the long-anticipated structure at 38 Commerce is above grade, developer Locus Development says it's rising quickly.

"The foundations are in place and two weeks ago they poured the second floor of the building," says Andy Winkel, a partner in Locus Development with John Green. "Each week and a half we'll add another floor and continue to see the building going vertical. We have photos on the web site"

Although it will be another year before the building's completed, several of the units are sold or leased.

"Two of the eight residential condos are sold, and a handful of the 35 apartments are spoken for," Winkel says. "The residents represent a pretty broad range of people, but one thing that's consistent is everyone is pretty excited about being downtown. They like the energy in the neighborhood and they like having attached parking right next to their apartment or condo."

That parking is a $10 million public ramp the City of Grand Rapids plans to purchase and operate once it's constructed.

The residences range from cozy to spacious, with apartments as small as 590 square feet and two-story penthouse condos up to 2,720 square feet.

The mixed-use aspect includes commercial and retail spaces, with a proposed main-level restaurant and a 150-seat rooftop bar on the eighth floor. The bar is accessible via elevator from the restaurant or the lobby. Winkel hopes the restaurant owner will incorporate the bar into the restaurant plan, but if not, the design enables the bar to be operated separately.

"The thing that's drawing attention is the rooftop deck and bar area," Winkel says. "It will be the first one downtown that's up eight stories and the views will be great."

Source: Andy Winkel, Locus Development

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

Photo:

Construction underway at 38 Commerce -Heartside

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

After more than two years of planning and construction, Kent County Public Works and Granger Electric of Byron Center recently cut the ribbon on a new biomass electrical plant at the South Kent Landfill, 300 100^th St. SW, Byron Center. The 3.2 megawatt plant converts landfill gas to electricity that can power some 2,000 typical homes.

"The plant takes the landfill gas, which is about 50 percent methane, and fuels two 1.6 megawatt internal combustion engines which turn electrical generators to produce electricity," says Joel Zylstra, COO of Granger's Energy Division who constructed and operates the plant.

"We're making money and we're destroying carbon," says Doug Wood, director, Kent County Public Works. "Granger sells the electricity to Consumers Energy and we get a percentage of the sales. We'll also sell the carbon credits, so that will give us two revenue streams."

The credits will be available for purchase after the county is approved for The Climate Registry, probably sometime in July.

The landfill contains 24 interconnected wells that pull the gas out of the landfill and direct it to the biomass conversion plant. The plant compresses the gas, filters it and removes the moisture to make a clean burning fuel to power the electric generators.

"Overall, these projects typically cost about $1.5 million per megawatt. The payback depends on how quickly we can grow the plant," Zylstra says. "As long as waste continues to flow into the landfill, more and more gas will be produced and we'll probably add another engine in three to five years."

About 150 acres of the 352-acre landfill site is actual landfill. It's currently at 44 percent capacity, containing some 3.5 million tons of waste. At the current disposal rate, the landfill will be at capacity in 2029.

Source: Douglas G. Wood, Kent County Board of Public Works; Joel Zylstra, Granger Electric

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

Photos:

Kent County, Granger renewable energy plant at South Kent Landfil

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

A varied menu of redevelopment projects in downtown Muskegon has a tasteful new addition that will soon draw some 350 students to the core city year-round. Baker College's Culinary Institute of Michigan will open on the corner of Third and Western in time for September classes, and institute leaders expect a record number of students who will take culinary classes and operate all aspects of the school's restaurant, Courses, and bakery/coffee shop, The Sweet Spot.

"We're about completed with the third floor administrative and classroom area and are just waiting for the office equipment and furniture delivery," says Chef John Cappellucci, culinary department dean. "On the second floor where the teaching labs are, we had most of the large cooking equipment delivered and installed last week. The Sweet Spot and restaurant will be the last areas to come online because of trying to keep them clean during construction."

Courses and The Sweet Spot will be open to the public six days a week. The restaurant will serve just lunch or dinner at first, Cappellucci says. Faculty and incoming students will make that decision.

"Students will learn as much about the dining room as they will about the kitchen," he says. "We want it to be a student-staffed, student-run environment. We have a Class C liquor license, so they'll be learning a bit about bar management. We're really trying to educate the whole person so they have some other skills to build a career."

The institute offers associate degrees in culinary arts and in food and beverage management, a bachelor's in food and beverage management and a one-year certificate in baking and pastry. With the move to a year-round schedule, bachelor's degree students will be able to shave about six months off the normal four-year time frame.

The building is expected to receive LEED certification.

Source: Chef John Cappellucci, Culinary Institute of Michigan

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

A new Grand Rapids church will have a distinctively urban look, feel and worship style in the hope of attracting people from the hip hop culture. The Edge Urban Fellowship, the 12^th church plant by Kentwood Community Church, received authorization this month from the Grand Rapids Planning Commission to hold services in a former photography studio at 2252 S. Division – a 14,000-square-foot building that's been vacant for about a year.

"We are the first hip hop church in Michigan," says Troy Evans, pastor. "We're taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making it relevant to the hip hop culture using the music, the style, the decorations conducive to the worship style of people in the hip hop culture. If you like rock music or southern gospel you have a place to go, so what about the hip hop culture? Now they'll have a place to go and not have to change the way they dress or they way they look."

Interior renovation plans include a hallway that will look like an alley complete with graffiti.

The congregation can create graffiti on removable panels in the sanctuary during the preaching as a way to visualize the message.

"We're going to show the youth how to take their (artistic) talents and offer them up to God," Evans says.

Another departure from traditional worship services is that the worship "sessions," a term based on hip hop recording sessions, will be on Saturday evenings instead of Sunday mornings.

Evans, former pastor of Christ Like Outreach and a former gang member, travels nationwide conducting gang prevention and intervention workshops. He also trains law enforcement in gang prevention and will be conducting training at the church, he says.

Work begins in June; the first worship session will be September 26.

Source: Troy Evans, The Edge Urban Fellowship

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

Photo:

Edge Urban Fellowship, the 12^th church future home -S Division

So far, May has been a big month for Saugatuck Brewing Company: the 4-year-old company opened its latest addition, Bier Hall, and began serving wine under its own label.

Bier Hall is a major entertainment complex, says Saugatuck Brewing Co. President and Brew Master Barry Johnson. The complex seats 220 people as a banquet hall, and 360 for concerts. The hall itself is 4,000 square feet, and features an 18-foot by 36-foot stage, German beer hall décor and a patio that seats 90. Johnson describes the atmosphere as “warm and cozy.”

The hall has a dance floor, but can be set up for weddings or concerts. The hall has music booked through July, and wedding bookings have begun.

“We expect to be fully booked with events next year,” Johnson says.

At 2948 Blue Star Highway, Bier Hall is located next to the Saugatuck Brewing Company and its non-smoking pub, Lucky Stone Pub, in what was previously a Hansen Machine industrial building. Johnson purchased a portion of that building, and renovated it into Bier Hall.

For Johnson, the decision to expand was easy.

“With Saugatuck being a destination town, and with the success we were having, we had to make our move,” he says. “We’ve got well over $1 million into this place,” Johnson says of the brewery, pub and Bier Hall. “Michigan is a great beer state. It’s in the top five in the nation in microbreweries, which means residents really support their local breweries."

On May 1, the Saugatuck Brewing Company began serving its own private label wine. The company has a Michigan Small Winemaker License for producing hard cider and Johnson decided to take full advantage of the license. He works with local winemaker Fenn Valley Vineyards & Wine Cellar to bring in wine under the private label.

Source: Barry Johnson, Saugatuck Brewing Company

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Lansing-based freelance writer Deborah Richmond visited Grand Rapids regularly over the past few years, and seeing the growth and vibrancy of downtown inspired her to open a satellite office in the heart of the city.

Tekkbuzz, 49 Monroe Center, focuses on web site development for small businesses and startups, business to customer and business to business communications, and social media marketing.

"For companies who don't have a web presence yet, I create the graphics, write the content and get the site on the Internet," Richmond says. "I also keep the site up to date, because you can't just put up a site and leave it, you need to update the content regularly."

Richmond was self-employed for 18 years as a court reporter. When demand for those skills waned, she headed up the communications and web design for an insurance firm. But the shift from the autonomy of self employment to the politics of corporate culture left her unfulfilled, so she shifted gears again and launched Tekkbuzz.

"Business owners have been told they need to be in social media, but they don't have a clue what that means or how to do it," Richmond says. "I come into a company and explain to them about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, and then I help them get set up. As we move forward, there are different business strategies that develop, and, as those come up, I help them get started."

Richmond expected to spend equal time between Lansing and Grand Rapids, but in the month since launching the Grand Rapids location, she's already spending most of her time here.

"Grand Rapids has grown so much I could see immediately that there would be more opportunities to network than there are in Lansing," she says. "There's a whole lot going on here."

Source: Deborah Richmond, Tekkbuzz

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

On May 14, Grand Rapids planning commissioners tabled until September two requests that would have opened the door for developers to pursue the possible construction of five multi-family units in the Belknap Lookout neighborhood.

Concept Design Group submitted the two requests: an exception to a requirement for a completed Area Specific Plan (ASP) before developer Artesian Group moves ahead with a rezoning request, and another request for an exception to the minimum lot size of five acres.

The proposed new units would replace one single-family and four multi-family homes at 522, 536, 617, 723 and 731 Livingston.

Artesian Group and a steering committee began the ASP process in early 2008. Stephen Fry, owner of Concept Design Group, a consultant during six months of the visioning process, said the ASP is far enough along to show that the multi-family units are feasible.

"The project's consistent with the Master Plan and can move forward without an ASP," Fry told commissioners, referencing six planning charrettes that drew hundreds of neighbors.

Andy Guy, spokesperson for the steering committee and former editor of Rapid Growth, says the aim now is to complete the ASP by the September deadline.

"We're going to spend the summer pumping the neighborhood for all its ideas," Guy says. "There's a lot of mutual interest to indentify to get a plan that the neighborhood's going to support."

The steering committee recently hired Nederveld and Lott3Metz as consultants to review the information already gathered and complete the ASP.

"We really anticipate being able to use a lot of that information," says Mark Miller, a Nederveld architect and senior planner. "We expect to be able to use or to at least reevaluate it to make sure it's still what the neighborhood's goals are."

Some $23,000 pledged by various community organizations and individuals, including $5,000 pledged previously by the Grand Rapids Planning Department, will fund the planning process through the summer.

Source: Stephen Fry, Concept Design Group; Andy Guy, Neighbors of Belknap Lookout Steering Committee; Mark Miller, Nederveld

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Leaders of the Grand Rapids University Club hope to attract new members, including a younger, family-oriented crowd, with a $300,000 renovation of its dining and athletic facilities and a new executive chef.

The U Club, 111 Lyon, recently announced the addition of Executive Chef Laurel Deruda, former chef and general manager of the Women's City Club of Grand Rapids, to its staff. Deruda plans to bring fresh, locally grown food to the menu, and will soon serve it in the updated, private dining room.

Beginning next month, crews will revamp the main dining area on the tenth floor. A moveable wall will expand the space to accommodate large wedding receptions and events. A redesigned entry completed in February opens and brightens the space. New artwork and a new L-shaped bar give the space a more contemporary feel.

"The purpose (of the changes) is to provide both an elegant dining experience for members and provide a venue for members to meet and discuss business issues in a private club atmosphere," says Larry Oberst, president. "The Grand Rapids has become more vibrant and the club has modeled those changes to become more diverse in its membership."

That membership, which began as men only, includes women business leaders and families.

The U Club also leases the basement level for its athletic club and another, more casual dining area. Both underwent renovation late last year and now sport new colors and furniture, flat screen televisions and several spinning cycles and other workout equipment.

"We're looking to see what our members would like us to bring in," says Oberst. "We expanded our fitness classes to appeal to different interests, and we expanded a golf league at Thousand Oaks and there's a lot of participation."

Source: Larry Oberst, University Club and BDO Seidman; Clare Wade, Clare Wade Communications

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Substantial changes to the site plans for a new $4 million Rylee's Ace Hardware store could end up creating a more customer-friendly store than first proposed. And now that the kinks are out, construction will break ground for sometime in June.

The previous site plan situated the hardware store at the rear of the former Army Armory site at 1234 Michigan Street, Grand Rapids, just a block from Rylee's current store. Plans included a separate building at the front of the property in order to comply with zoning code requiring new commercial construction to have a shallow setback from the sidewalk.

But after dropping plans for a back entrance off Fuller Avenue, designers combined the hardware and retail spaces in one 33,000-square-foot building, moved it up to the Michigan Street sidewalk and located the 100-space parking lot behind.

"We think this fits the new zoning requirements better than the first site plan," says owner Lori Terpstra.

The Ace Fix-It Shop, which is across the street from the current store located at 1121 Michigan, will be part of the new store, putting all services under one roof.

In addition, the new store will have an outdoor garden center offering plants, flowers and patio furniture, and an expanded specialty housewares department that includes a demonstration kitchen.

"We plan to hold events for the neighborhood," Terpstra says. "Kids could come for a birthday party and make and decorate cupcakes, or we might have a canning expert demonstrate how to can. We've talked to several chefs and we could hold events to teach how to make a great pie."

The leasable space offers 1,200 to 3,300 of retail area and can accommodate from one to three tenants.

Source: Lori Terpstra, Rylee's Ace Hardware

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

A Holland-based company that started up last winter offers energy audits to West Michigan homes.

Nearly a year in the making, Dwelltech Solutions was started by Brian Bosgraaff, owner of Cottage Home, which constructs LEED certified custom homes along Lake Michigan. Bosgraaff brought two employees on board to get the new endeavor on its feet.

“(Dwelltech Solutions) is a home performance auditor. We do home energy audits, and we also do contracting to improve the home,” says Dwelltech building professional analyst Tim Bastiaanse. “In an audit, we do a room-by-room assessment, and we discuss any concerns the homeowner has, whether it’s high energy bills or a drafty room.”

The audit checklist includes the roof and attic insulation, possible mold, windows, doors, appliances and more. They use an infrared camera to check walls, and can detect heat and cold, as well as water leakage.

Bastiaanse says that anyone who owns a home could use an energy audit, but Dwelltech focuses on older lakeshore homes that get beaten up by the elements.

“We don’t exclude anyone, but we see a lot of energy hogs along Lake Michigan,” he says.

Dwelltech Solutions' headquarters, 26 W. Sixth St., was previously a warehouse for Cottage Home. Bosgraaff transformed a 2,200-square-foot area of the building into an office and warehouse. Bastiaanse says the company located in Holland because of the proximity to its parent company and the central location in its coverage area – north to Muskegon, east to Grand Rapids and south to the Benton Harbor area.

Dwelltech employs two building professional analysts. Both were in the construction industry for more than 18 years before joining Dwelltech.

The firm is Building Performance Institute certified. According to Bastiaanse, there are currently three BPI certified companies in Michigan.

Source: Tim Bastiaanse, Dwelltech Solutions building professional analyst

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

The Creston Public Art Project, a community outdoor art initiative, recently announced receipt of a $15,000 grant that moves the project closer to its goal of creating a contemporary art arena in the Creston business corridor. The grant, from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), funds the first year of a three-year project that launched in March with a call for Creston artists to submit their ideas for murals.

The business corridor runs north along Plainfield from Leonard to Dean. Members of the Creston Neighborhood Association and Creston Business Association (CNA) worked with property owners along the corridor to select two locations for murals: the north wall of Jimmy's Redneck Chicken and Ribs and a bricked-in doorway of the United Methodist Church.

"We're really trying to do something that will cause people to come up here and look at the art, to linger and to bring the arts into a contemporary arena on the street," says Tommy Allen, a CNA board member and project leader. Allen also writes the G-Sync column for Rapid Growth.

"We're looking at how can we increase visibility of the neighborhood and increase business for the businesses in the corridor."

So far, nine artists have entered the competition, and there's still time to submit ideas. The artist must live in Creston and have established a portfolio of work.

"I think this project will promote investment in the Creston corridor," says Tom Pfister, LISC program officer. "We've seen that happen in the Heartside district, and South Division is now known as the Avenue for the Arts. Art is an invitation to stop, to visit, to shop – visitors get a perception of the street activity and they want to explore what the corridor has to offer."

Since 2003, the CNA has invested over $100,000 to revitalize the business district which currently has a one-third vacancy rate.

Source: Tommy Allen, Deborah Eid, Creston Neighborhood Association; Tom Pfister, LISC

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Tommy Allen is lifestyle editor for Rapid Growth's signature event column, G-sync.

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

The developers of Grand Rapids' Renatus on the Hill aim to create a luxurious enclave of residences for urban condo dwellers. The developers recently opened a 1,000-square-foot condo model appointed in a quasi-New York minimalist style to allow prospective residents a first-hand look at some of the high-end finishes available.

The model is the first of a dozen condominiums slated for the former Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 253 Prospect NE, a gothic structure built in 1933. Renatus is Latin for rebirth, a concept developer Kevin Moore, a partner in the development group Renatus LLC, hopes signifies a rebirth of downtown living in Grand Rapids.

"We want this to be a catalytic property for Heritage Hill to keep professional folks living downtown," Moore says. "We're just 300 steps from Spectrum Health's Meijer Heart Center and we want to bring Grand Rapids into that cosmopolitan situation with other cities, like Toronto, for instance, that have dynamic downtowns."

Topping the list of high-end features in the model are split-plank travertine floor-to-ceiling fireplace, enclosed showers with European frameless glass doors and a wall of custom cabinets in the living area that cleverly disguise a pull-down guest bed.

None of the proposed condos will have the same floor plan; some will be one level, some two, some three. Sizes range from 845 square feet to a unit whose 5,000 square feet include the 70-foot-high bell tower.

Parisian balconies will be cut into the building, visible only from back, Moore says. Parking options include underground and above ground on the south side of the building where the entrances will be.

Mary Baumbach of Century FloorSpace designed the model's interior.

Mark Schaafsma Design Build will handle the buildout of the entire project. Schaafsma is a partner in the development.

Source: Kevin Moore, Renatus on the Hill

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Encouraged by Uptown's recent victory as Grand Rapids' first Corridor Improvement District (CID), supporters of Madison Square's bid for CID designation say the district could be next in line. Grand Rapids City Commissioners recently passed a resolution accepting the proposal for the CID and on May 12 will hold a public hearing.

In the past five years, Madison Square has received a $100,000 Cool Cities grant, seen new buildings constructed and existing buildings renovated, watched promised redevelopments fizzle and has struggled to attract and keep new neighborhood businesses.

Now the business district at the intersection of Madison and Hall is on the cusp of establishing the means to infuse the business district with the largest influx of funding in its history.

"The community is looking for a vibrant commercial district to support revitalizing the neighborhood and the CID is one way to get there," says Kimberly Van Dyk, executive director of Neighborhood Ventures. "It's the chicken and the egg thing. We need to grow the demand, and we'll grow it if we can get the CID and transit improvements."

Neighborhood Ventures, LISC, Lighthouse Communities and other organizations are catalysts in the development of the CID proposal and in drumming up support from business owners, property owners and the surrounding Southtown community.

Months of planning, a door-to-door survey, a walking tour of the area and community input resulted in a wish list of improvements that includes attracting a bank, a pharmacy and a sit-down restaurant; streetscape upgrades to beautify the area; and buses that run every 15 minutes instead of the current 30-minute schedule.

"One thing that's really amazing," Van Dyk says, "is that the community sent over 200 letters of support (for the CID) to the city commission, plus email and phone calls."

Source: Kimberly Van Dyk, Neighborhood Ventures

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

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

It's been four years, but it appears Michigan's only senior residential community in a Renaissance Zone is nearly ready to break ground. The proposed $48.5 million Beacon Hill at Eastgate development has 94 of the 97 purchase agreements needed to break ground at 1919 Boston SE, Grand Rapids – the former site of Metro Health.

New plans are a pared down version of the original, but still include 114 one- and two-bedroom apartments designed for continuum care living and a host of amenities.

Many of the amenities will be located in The Commons, a central building connected to the apartments. Residents can work out in the indoor pool and recreation facility, dine in the bistro with its in-house bakery and relax in the full service salon. A chapel and an auditorium provide worship and gathering spaces.

"The original financing structure was set for a September 29, 2009 closing and then the economy got set on its ear," says Jeff Huegli, president and CEO. "Since then, we've attracted two banks -- Huntington Bank has a $33.5 million participation, and BBT from Raleigh-Durham is in at $15 million. As far as I know, we're the only development in the country to attract banks to a senior living project."

An existing Renaissance Zone was conveyed from Metro Health to Beacon Hill and extended through 2017, making this development the only senior project in Michigan to offer a ren zone's nearly tax-free living.

"We have 94 apartments presold and expect to have three more sales within the month," Huegli says. "This is the main critical path in terms of a closing timeline. We'll break ground the day after we close and construction will wrap up in November 2010."

Source: Jeff Huegli, Beacon Hill at Eastgate

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

Soccer at Hope College just gained some major prestige. With a lead donation of $3 million from alumni The David and Carol Van Andel Foundation, a $5.3 million stadium is now in the works.

Crews broke ground last Monday at the current soccer field on Fairbanks Avenue, Holland.

"It's a prominent and exciting location," says David Bolt, project architect with GMB Architects & Engineers. "The college sees soccer as such a developing sport that they want to foster its growth at Hope."

Seating capacity at the new stadium – named Van Andel Soccer Stadium – will grow from a 400-person bleacher setup to accommodate 1,400 fans, and will include stadium-style seating.

Construction involves the redevelopment of nearly five acres and includes a training center, restrooms, locker rooms and team areas, concessions and a press box. The field surface will be state-of-the-art artificial turf made specifically for soccer.

"The fiber used and the construction of the fibers is what makes it unique," says Tim Gerrits, GMB landscape architect. The "grass" fibers stand up and make it ideal for rolling a soccer ball.

One of the prominent features of Van Andel Soccer Stadium will be lighting for night games. Hope College spokesman Tom Renner said the school anticipates night games to be a popular draw.

“The lead donor approached the school with the idea of making a donation for a soccer stadium about a year ago,” Renner says. "We spent the rest of the year raising funds for the balance and we're nearly there."

Construction should wrap up in October. Soccer season begins in September. Hope's soccer teams could get to play a few games on their new field before the season is over.

Source: David Bolt, GMB Architects & Engineers; Tim Gerrits, GMB Architects & Engineers; Tom Renner, Hope College

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