Grand Rapids residential development pipeline continues to expand

Grand Rapids residential development pipeline continues to expand

GRAND RAPIDS — West Michigan developers in the last week have unveiled plans for hundreds of new housing units spread around the city.

From proposed new skyscrapers in the central business district to infill projects in Heritage Hill to affordable housing on the west side, developers this week ramped up the pipeline of new projects in Grand Rapids.  

Below is a rundown of five proposed projects highlighted in various public documents.

 

1 50 College

The Ada House is scheduled to be a 37,000-square-foot, 24-room "boutique" hotel in downtown Ada. Rendering courtesy AHC+Hospitality

50 College Ave. SE

Orion Construction Company Inc. and its development subsidiary, Orion Real Estate Solutions, plan a mix of 83 one- and two-bedroom apartments at 50 College Ave. SE, the site of the former Social Security Administration building.

Orion Construction Vice President of Business Development John Wheeler told MiBiz that the project hinges on a rezoning request as well as approval from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). The developer is also seeking brownfield tax increment financing to remove the aging building.

If all goes to plan, Wheeler said he hopes to start the project by spring of 2017 after a number of ongoing downtown and nearby developments wrap up.

In addition to 83 apartments, the 50 College Ave. site would include 96 parking spaces and open green space, according to site plans submitted to the HPC. Wheeler did not have a total project cost available.

The city’s HPC has already determined that the large building on the 2.5-acre site is not “contributing” to the historic district, but two carriage houses on the property do contribute and would need to be rehabilitated and made part of the project, according to city documents.

Overall, Wheeler said he’s extremely excited not just for the project but also for the neighborhood engagement process.

“I think (the neighborhood) will embrace it … and I think they’ll help steer the project,” Wheeler said. “They live in the area and they create value.”

 

363 State Street

Several partners were recognized for a new hospitality training program. Experience Grand Rapids won one of two 2020 Governor’s Awards for Innovative Tourism Collaboration for its partnership with Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Public Schools and AHC+Hospitality to establish the first National Academy Foundation Hospitality & Tourism academy in Michigan. The program seeks to impact the local workforce by helping to educate and create interest in hospitality careers for local high school students, especially students of color, according to Experience GR. In its first year, the academy helped 16 ninth-grade students strengthen their skills to potentially join the industry after graduation, said Doug Small, Experience GR president and CEO. “This recognition of the NAF Hospitality & Tourism academy is extremely exciting for our organization and, hopefully, encouraging to our peers that are looking to impact their workforce,” Small said. “When GVSU approached us about the NAF Hospitality & Tourism academy, we were eager to be involved. Workforce development isn’t just important to our community but the entire industry.”

363 State St. SE

An unknown developer plans a mixed-use, infill development at the corner of State Street and Madison Avenue in the Heritage Hill neighborhood.

According to city documents released as part of the agenda for an upcoming Historic Preservation Commission meeting, plans call for a four-story building along the north side of State Street, where Clark’s Food Center currently sits. The building would have three stories along Madison Avenue.

The building would also contain ground-floor retail and internal parking, according to renderings.

The aging convenience and grocery store was put up for sale earlier this year, but no deal has been finalized, according to sources.

Grand Rapids-based architecture firm Lott3Metz Architecture LLC submitted the plans to the HPC on behalf of an undisclosed client, according to Principal Ted Lott, who declined to provide the number of proposed units in the project.

The architects will take place in an advisory meeting with the HPC on July 6.

 

west side housing

Doug Small Courtesy Ford Airport

West Side affordable housing

Nonprofit housing developer Dwelling Place Inc. plans between 50 and 70 units of affordable housing at two different sites on the northwest side of Grand Rapids.

According to plans submitted to the city’s Planning Commission, the Grand Rapids-based firm hopes to work with the Kent County Land Bank to acquire sites around Harrison Park Elementary School and Pine Street Academy with the goal of providing housing geared to residents earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income.

The developers expect a several-months-long period of public engagement before any construction begins, according to the documents.

 

hinman

A drug maker in the area received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to produce and sell the first AB-rated generic version of the ProAir HFA albuterol inhaler. Dublin, Ireland-based Perrigo — which has its North American headquarters in Allegan — said Tuesday the FDA approved its abbreviated new drug application for generic albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol, the first AB-rated generic version of the ProAir HFA inhaler treatment. ProAir HFA is a registered trademark of Teva Respiratory LLC. The brand’s gross sales in the past year were about $1.4 billion, as measured by global clinical research and consulting company IQVIA. The Perrigo generic version will be “immediately” available in limited quantities to patients 4 years of age and older for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm with reversible obstructive airway disease — including asthma — and for the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm. In collaboration with its development and manufacturing partner, Somerset, New Jersey-based Catalent, Perrigo is ramping up production to meet future demand. Sharon Kochan, executive vice president and president, Rx Pharmaceuticals of Perrigo, said achieving FDA approval for this generic took about 10 years. “We … anticipate that we will be in a position to provide a steady supply of this product by the fourth quarter of 2020,” she said.

10 Ionia Ave. NW

First reported last week by MiBiz, Portage-based The Hinman Co. has proposed a 42-story, 418-foot-tall apartment and hotel tower for a wedge-shaped parking lot bounded by Fulton Street, Louis Street and Ionia Avenue.

As proposed, the project would be the tallest building in Grand Rapids, although it must clear a number of local approvals.

Executives from The Hinman Co. have declined to comment publicly on the proposal, but sources with knowledge of the project said that plans call for approximately 200 apartment units and about 130 hotel rooms.

It’s unclear what ground-floor amenities the tower may contain, besides separate lobbies for the hotel and residential components, as listed in the documents the developer submitted to the HPC.

Kris Larson, president and CEO of Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI), said his organization has not yet had any formal involvement in the project. However, Larson told MiBiz he hopes to be part of the planning for street-level features going forward.

“(The ground level) needs to be scaled to create a comfortable pedestrian experience … and feature a set of uses that will be of interest to a wide variety of downtown stakeholders,” Larson said. “We want it to be part of the patchwork of the downtown.”

A public hearing before the HPC on the development is scheduled to take place July 6.

 

Rockford West Side

Perrigo anticipates it will be able to provide a steady supply of the inhaler by fourth quarter 2020. Courtesy Perrigo

Rockford Construction West Side mixed-use project

Grand Rapids-based Rockford Construction Co. Inc. and a variety of partners submitted the full scope of plans for its so-called “superblock” development along Bridge Street between Seward Avenue and Stocking Avenue on the west side.

Plans call for an urban-format Meijer Inc. store, two different apartment buildings — including market-rate and income-restricted options — as well as ground-floor retail and office space.