A report on WZZM-13 says three Grand Rapids Public Schools could become apartment buildings pending final negotions with an interested Troy, Mich. developer.According to excerpts from the story:Three former Grand Rapids schools may become new apartment buildings. A developer based in Troy, wants to buy Oakdale, Lexington and Eastern Elementary schools and turn them into rental properties. The developer has offered $1.6 million for the three buildings which were listed for a combines $2.1 million. School officials say the offer is in the early stages but it is a valid proposal.Read the complete story here.

The Steelcase-outfitted co-working space, 654 Croswell (East Grand Rapids), was featured in Rapid Growth Media last January. Its managers say one of the biggest lessons learned during its first year of operations is that if you want to create a space where people are interested in working, it has to be dynamically managed. Although "co-working is exploding over the country," Grand Rapids is still adapting to the concept, according to Jeffrey Schutte, a member of the leadership team at Turnstone and at 654 Croswell, citing an increased number of inquiries about the space. Lisa Mead, service delivery leader, identified two insights from their year one experience. "First is to be more flexible in our offering," she says. Mead cites the opportunities to adjust hours and rates on a seasonal and 'pop-up' basis, such as during spring break, when parents' home office routines become disrupted.  The second insight is a bit more complicated. "We don't want to look like corporate America, but we want to still provide the useful gems that make office work effective," Mead states.   As an example, she points to the many service and volunteer opportunities that are traditionally organized at work that can be missed at co-working spaces and home offices. Both Schutte and Mead remain very optimistic about the future of co-working in West Michigan, and rightfully so. In a recent report published by Intuit, 20 demographic, economic and technological trends that will be shaping consumer and business behavior in the next decade were identified. One that was highlighted was the continued growth of "third places," such as co-workiing spaces and rent-by-the hour offices, both part of the bigger picture of the reinvention of the workplace.  Schutte concludes, "I haven't been in a city anywhere in the country where co-working  is not a hot topic." To learn more about 654 Croswell, you can visit their website here. Source: Lisa Mead and Jeffrey Schutte; Turnstone and the 654 Croswell team Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs editor.

A dilapidated eyesore on Grand Rapids' most visible corner got a new lease on life in December when commercial developer Locus Development purchased it with plans to revitalize the building as the gateway to the city's Avenue for the Arts.

Locus purchased the two-story building at 2 East Fulton St., on the corner of Fulton and Division Avenue, the central intersection where the city is divided into its northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest sections. Locus purchased it for an undisclosed amount from Mercantile Bank, who acquired the property for $650,000 through a Sheriff sale, says John Green, Locus co-owner.

"Our plan is, over the next 12 months, to work through the building evaluation, architectural drawings and project costing and pursue all applicable incentives available for that property," Green says.

Those incentives could come from state and federal historic tax credits, Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority programs and TIF credits that could include brownfield redevelopment monies, Green says.

Green wouldn't pinpoint a specific potential tenant or final vision for the renovation, but noted his desire to use the building for an arts-centric purpose.

"I, ideally, would love to see some type of arts-related organization on the main floor," Green says. "The lower level ceilings are 16 to 18 feet in some areas and could be quite a spectacular gallery space if done right. The second floor could be a great commercial space for offices for any company that wants to be in the heart of the city.

"I think (the building) will stand as a symbol for the Avenue for the Arts," he adds. "It's at the gateway where our core business district joins with the arts, which is a critical part of what we have going in Grand Rapids."

Construction could begin in early 2012 with completion before ArtPrize 2012.

Source: John Green, Locus Development

Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

Differentiation from existing travel services is one reason why one company decides to focus on the more adventurous of travelers. According to excerpts from the story in MLive: Unusual trips are the niche for their travel company, Blue Monkey Adventure, which they began developing out of Oard's Alger Heights home last year. They recently started advertising the first three adventure trips. You can read the entire article here.

A Grand Rapids Press article announces that SiTE:LAB will transform a dilapidated downtown Grand Rapids building with its April site-specific, one-night art installation by Kendall College of Art and Design students. According to excerpts from the story:Paint is peeling. Graffiti covers the peeling paint. The cement bones of the old Junior Achievement Building are the only things that really remain at 2 E. Fulton St., and Paul Amenta is salivating. The Kendall College of Art and Design professor and founder of SiTE:LAB – a group of local artists and art enthusiasts who create one-night, site-specific art installations – has secured the 25,000-square-foot abandoned building as the next SiTE:LAB location on April 15. SiTE:LAB will take place in conjunction with "Art.Downtown," which is a citywide studio/gallery/shop hop featuring hundreds of all-local artists at multiple downtown locations.Read the complete story here.