By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The horse stable and hay loft of the century-old Anheuser-Busch ice house on Grandville Avenue and Oakes Street are still in place, but they aren’t recognizable after a $6 million renovation that could earn the building LEED certification.The building — actually three connected buildings — is the new office and meeting space of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. And after nearly a year of construction, it’s open for business.
“We’ve hosted so many meetings in just the three weeks we’ve been here, and that was a primary purpose of purchasing this building,” says Diana Sieger, foundation president. “Another key issue is that we project we will save about $650,000 over a 10-year period after factoring in the $1.1 million new market tax credit, the cost of owning versus the cost of leasing, and the energy efficiency of the building.”
The east, south and west walls of the building were insulated on the interior to reduce heating and cooling costs. Crews replaced all of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems with efficient systems, sunlight heats and illuminates the space, and a possible rooftop wind turbine is under consideration, pending the results of a recent wind study.
“It’s a very welcoming but work-oriented space,” Sieger says. “We loved our space in the Waters Building and were there for 30 years, but it was so cramped. Now we can stay more focused on task.”
The foundation invested $800,000 in the rehab, and to-date have raised all but $300,000 of the $5.7 million needed for the building purchase and renovation.
“We see this as an anchor development south of the [Van Andel] Arena,” Sieger adds. “With Custer down the street, all the businesses opening on Grandville south of the S-curve, and the ballet’s new theatre, it’s really a growing area.”
Source: Diana Sieger, Grand Rapids Community Foundation
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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