West Michigan In The News

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Getting rid of the congestion that occurs in the northwest corner of the Van Andel Arena concourse during heavily attended events isn’t just an issue of convenience or aesthetics for the Convention and Arena Authority — it's also about revenue.  Quite a bit of revenue. The food and merchandise stands in that corner collect up to 25 percent of an event’s ancillary income, and having it clogged during a sold-out concert or game could discourage some customers from making a purchase.  Ancillary income to the arena during the last fiscal year fell just short of reaching $1.6 million. "This is a customer-service issue. A lot of revenue comes from that corner and it is a bottleneck right now," said Lew Chamberlin, CAA member and chairman of the Operations Committee. To alleviate the problem that pops up about 60 times a year, the CAA is taking a serious look at expanding the corner. It is focusing on two options that Rossetti & Associates, the arena’s original designer, provided from a circulation study done by the architectural firm.  One option would cost $425,100 and would enlarge the corner by 1,940 square feet, while the other would cost $875,000 and extend it by 3,100 square feet. 

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This creative Christian college is known for its dance, theater, art, music, and visiting writers programs. Indie rocker Sufjan Stevens is an alum.
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A notoriously raucous dance club that closed in 2008 will be replaced with a restaurant and bar that places more emphasis on food than events like its predecessor's "Wasted Weekends."  Steve Brechting, owner of Hub's Inn at 1645 Leonard St. NW and Chef Brech Catering, has leased the former Margarita Grill, 25 Ottawa Ave. SW. He plans to transform it into 25 Kitchen & Bar.  "We're going for a concept that's different from anything else downtown," Brechting said. Small plates, wood-fired pizzas, wrap sandwiches -- all with "a different twist" -- will be on the menu, he said. An open kitchen will allow customers to interact with chefs -- Brechting will be the executive chef -- and see food being prepared. Brechting said he plans to offer occasional live music but no dance floor.

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Eighth Street shopkeepers are praising Holland’s 12-week Street Performer Series, which ended Thursday evening, for livening the street and boosting business.
"It’s a lot busier than last year on Thursdays. We are very, very, very busy," said Elizabeth Kearby, who has worked at Quizno’s for more than two years. Customers often use coupons or choose budget-friendly special orders, she said, but dine on the cafe tables outside the shop for a better view of the performers.
"Sometimes when we close, customers are still out there," she said, grinning. "We have to shoo them away, but they are very nice about it."
Quite a compliment, considering the event was not initially intended as a shopping drive, said Mimi Fritz, Downtown Principal Shopping District marketing and promotions coordinator.
Sherry White, operations manager at JP’s Coffee House, called the Series "inspired." She said Thursdays are her visiting grandchildren’s favorite time to visit Eighth Street and JPs biggest weeknight, saleswise.

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A proposed 10,000-square-foot counseling center on the Wedgwood Christian Services campus, 3300 36th St., is in the final review process, and Planning Commission members said they like what they see. A redesign of the area eliminates some of the roads within the complex to make more of a pedestrian plaza, said project engineer Doug Stalsonberg, of Exxel Engineering Inc.  Stolsonberg said Wedgewood representatives are eager to get the 40-plus people who work in a leased building on the north side of 36th Street working on the actual campus. 

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Business and government leaders in three West Michigan communities had the same idea: to bring together local experts and figure out how to turn around the local housing slump. By working together to increase home sales, the groups aim to lead the region's economy out of the recession.

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Through the summer, three groups of community leaders and business people in West Michigan came to the same conclusion: In these hard times, it takes a village to sell a house. For months, people have been waiting for federal stimulus programs to kick in and ignite the sluggish economy, especially the housing market, suffocating under foreclosures and plunging prices.
While sales are showing signs of life -- six straight months of year-over-year increases -- the impatience of waiting for a full recovery spurred local groups to take up the cause: 
• In Holland, where area home sales sank 12 percent from 2006 to 2008, the Chamber of Commerce began brainstorming on a possible local stimulus package for housing.
• In Grand Haven, where area sales fell 21 percent in the same period, the mayor called in lenders and real estate agents to hear concerns. The group will take those to legislators and editorial boards at another meeting this week.
 • In Grand Rapids, where area sales fell 18 percent, the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors created a task force to form "strategic relations" to benefit the housing market. That the efforts were made independently and none of the groups was aware of the other reveals a communal desire emerging to work together for economic benefit.

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A new Grand Haven deli already has "regulars" who stop by to select from international foods that add to the variety in the area. The global origins of the foods extend to include the store's wide array of beers, wines and liquors.

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The new Mediterranean Grapes Grains & Deli is a bustling place. Customers, who say they already consider themselves regulars in the short time since it opened in mid-July, carry out such goods as imported beer, fresh falafels and picnic fare groceries.  Although the shop is primarily a store for adult beverages, to leave it at that would be a great understatement. It is more like walking into a European market, with meticulously stacked shelves that resonate with a collage of color and texture.  In addition to a vast selection of beers, wines and liquors from around the world, the store offers international goods found nowhere else in the area. There are nuts, cheeses, dried fruits, lentils, rices and Mediterranean candies like Turkish Delight. Products are from the countries of Jordan, Greece, Turkey and Italy, among others.  They include tinned luncheon meats and Moroccan sardines, canned goods like chick peas, lupine, broad and fava beans and babghanoush.  There are Canadian cookies, Italian oils and jars of chili olives. One can even find good old-fashioned Dutch rusk.  A highlight of the store is its deli, which offers both American and Middle Eastern specialties.

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After taking into account reputation, service quality and other factors, a national brand value index places a Grand Rapids credit union number nine -- the only Michigan credit union to make the top 10.

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Bancography has named its top credit union brands for 2009 in its Bancography Brand Value Index.  In calculating brand value, Bancography quantifies the proportion of each institution's long-term value based on factors including reputation, service quality, image and market awareness. The brand value index identifies institutions that produce financial results beyond what their capital base, market conditions and competitive environments would predict. Bancography's Brand Value Index quantitatively ranks the brand strength of all U.S. credit unions, banks and thrifts. The index ranks financial institutions brands by the premium they add to each institution's underlying tangible value.

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Generating new conversations about art and entertainment is the primary goal of ArtPrize. With over 100 venues and thousands of artists, art is definitely a topic of conversation.

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As Rick DeVos’ ArtPrize draws ever nearer, more companies are finding ways to become involved. For instance, Steelcase plans to have its Coalesce seating stations set up at critical points throughout the city to encourage people to sit down and chat about what they are seeing. The Rapid will run transit routes at specific times, and Varnum is looking at ways to take advantage of its lofty Bridgewater Place headquarters that promise the best city and river views.

Artists and art lovers will descend upon the city Sept. 23-Oct. 10 from locations around the region, nation and world. Art experts will tour and blog about the exhibits and deliver talks to the public. And art will be scattered everywhere, from The BOB to the river to the old Federal Building and beyond.  Needless to say, there are many entrepreneurial opportunities available to collect some U.S. government “art” — you know, the kind with portraits of dead U.S. presidents printed on a field of green.

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Paying Michigan residents cash for their energy-sapping old appliances keeps them out of landfills and could postpone the need to build new power plants.

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Your old fridge could bring you some cold, hard cash.  DTE Energy has launched a Cash For Clunker appliances program. DTE will pay customers $50 to recycle old refrigerators as part of a new program to make households more energy-efficient.  

Replace your old refrigerator or freezer with a high efficiency unit and DTE you could save up to $150 on your energy bill each year -- and keep harmful materials out of landfills.

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A Grand Haven icon was rededicated this week in the midst of a $150,000 rehabilitation project.

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Standing near the boardwalk Saturday, Grand Haven Mayor Roger Bergman said the day would go down as a momentous day in the city's long history. "Few will remember exactly what happened on Aug. 15, 2009," he said. "But for literally tens of thousands, it marks the continued commitment by this community to maintain this treasured asset we call the boardwalk."

Bergman made the opening remarks during an hour-long ceremony at Escanaba Park to rededicate the 25-year-old boardwalk in the midst of an approximately $150,000 rehabilitation project. City Manager Pat McGinnis said retired social studies teacher Ken Formsma, who was the chairman of a fundraising committee that helped get the boardwalk built in 1984, approached city officials about a year ago with the idea of launching another fundraising drive to fund its rehabilitation.

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Kent County and Grand Rapids economic development leaders are busy establishing "recovery zones" that will receive some $133 million in federal stimulus dollars. The money will be available to private developers at lower interest rates than conventional loans.

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Grand Rapids and Kent County economic development officials are gearing up to funnel more than $133 million worth of federal stimulus money into various projects over the next 18 months.

The money will come in the form of bonds that can be issued in "recovery zones" by Michigan counties and cities with populations of more than 100,000.

"It's going to be a pretty strong local stimulus program," said Rick Chapla, vice president of business development for The Right Place economic development program. Chapla is going to help county officials as they decide where to place $91.4 million worth of bonds.

The effort begins today when they take up a proposal to create a countywide "recovery zone." Grand Rapids probably will take similar steps later this month when the City Commission is asked to create a citywide "recovery zone" to place nearly $25 million worth of bonds for private projects and $16.7 million for public projects. The bonds will be attractive to private developers because they offer lower interest rates than conventional financing, bonding attorney Richard Wendt told the city Economic Development Corp.'s board Wednesday. The rules for lending to private developers also have been relaxed, Wendt said.

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Seats are filling fast for Grand Rapids' first training program to prepare would-be firefighters for the state exam. The program allows students to receive training without leaving the region.

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Max Doering has always wanted to be a firefighter. Now he's glad he will be able to get the training he needs without having to travel out of the area. This fall, Doering will learn how to use ladders and practice putting on breathing equipment and handling hoses as part of the Grand Rapids Fire Department's first student Fire Academy. The new program -- which prepares would-be firefighters for the rigors of the state exam -- comes after the Michigan Firefighters Training Council approved the city department as a regional training center. 

Until now, only volunteer firefighters or those employed by the department could be trained on site. Others had to travel to Kalamazoo, Lansing or other locales for training. As of early this week, 16 of 20 spots in the class were reserved. "They really have a good program," said Doering, 23, of Cascade Township, who recently attended the department's open house. He had been accepted to the Lansing Community College program, but found the Grand Rapids academy was a better deal.

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With a promise to help the local economy with Hollywood dollars, local film producers say a new feature film will be produced in West Michigan. More than 1,000 wannabe stars showed up last week for a chance to be in the movie.

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TicTock Studios and Dustin Lance Black have a lot of work ahead of them. Saturday afternoon, a line of people of 1,000-plus wrapped around the building where TicTock held an open casting call for the film "What's Wrong with Virginia?" to be shot in West Michigan in September. Would-be and wannabe actors were filling out paperwork and getting their picture taken for roughly 25 speaking roles, as well as extras.

The movie will be directed by Black and features Ed Harris, star of "Apollo 13" and many other films, and Jennifer Connelly, who won an Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind." The turnout was a pleasant surprise for Black, who won an Oscar earlier this year for writing the screenplay for "Milk," and is making his directorial debut with "Virginia."

The Academy Awarded-nominated "Milk" starred Sean Penn as a gay activist Harvey Milk. "I would describe this as exceptional," Black said.

"We did the same thing in San Francisco for 'Milk,' and we got hundreds. This being a small town, we expected dozens, and now were at 1,000. "It's everything we hoped it would be. There are people here of every age, shape and size."

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After closing to the public because of liability issues, a Boy Scout camp noted for its varied terrain and wild game is open to the public again. A local nonprofit agreed to extend insurance coverage to all recreational users.

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When Bryan Myers learned Owasippe Scout Reservation was open for public use again, he was more than ready to roll.  The avid mountain biker hit the trails for the brief two weeks in early June the Boy Scouts reservation was open to the public before scout camping resumed. He'll be back out there this weekend, when the reservation reopens to the public.

"For me, for local mountain bikers, it's just a haven -- it's a paradise," said Myers, of Whitehall.

Owasippe is reopening for public use by hikers, mountain bikers, skiers and fishing enthusiasts thanks to a local group's agreement to carry liability insurance. The Chicago Area Council of Boy Scouts, which owns the reservation, closed the nearly 5,000 acres to the public more than a year ago, citing liability concerns. But the council continued to seek ways to get the property reopened for public use, and found a way through Endurance Adventure, a local nonprofit group that uses Owasippe for its adventure racing program for middle-school boys.

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