Hinman Company proposes 42-story tower in downtown Grand Rapids

Hinman Company proposes 42-story tower in downtown Grand Rapids
The Hinman Co. has proposed a 42-story tower for the wedge-shaped parcel at the center of this map.

GRAND RAPIDS — A wedge-shaped parking lot in the middle of downtown Grand Rapids could be transformed into the site of the tallest building in Grand Rapids and one of the tallest in the state.

According to documents filed with the city, Portage-based The Hinman Co. plans a 42-story, 418-foot-tall hotel and apartment tower at 10 Ionia Ave. NW. Currently, a small, wedge-shaped surface parking lot occupies the location that borders of Fulton Street, Louis Street and Ionia Avenue.

Plans call for a lobby, approximately 10 floors of hotel space, an amenity floor, and apartments on the above remaining floors.

An entity registered to Hinman Co. President and CEO Roger Hinman owns the property.

Additionally, a Hinman-controlled entity owns a parking ramp across Louis Street that will be used for parking for the project, according to city officials. Site plans show that a pedestrian bridge over Louis Street will connect the tower and the parking structure. It’s unclear from the city documents whether the parking structure would be upgraded as part of the development process.

Executives at Hinman Company did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.

10Ionia rendering
Rendering of the proposed tower at 10 Ionia Ave. in Grand Rapids.

The plans still require approval from the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission, which holds its next meeting on July 6.

Because the building falls just within a historic preservation district, commissioners will be able to offer comments and recommendations on architectural aspects of the design, including the proposed height.

At 418 feet tall, the building would be 12 feet higher than River House Condominiums, currently the city’s tallest building.

Historic Preservation Commission members have taken issue with the height of buildings previously proposed within the city’s historic districts.

As MiBiz reported in February 2015, members on the commission voiced concern with the proposed 12 Weston tower, a 12-story Class A office and commercial building once planned for downtown’s Heartside neighborhood.

The commission eventually approved the project, but developers later said they planned to indefinitely delayed it because of a lack of interest from potential tenants, as MiBiz previously reported.

City officials told MiBiz that they expect the commission will closely scrutinize the proposed Hinman Tower as well. The project would dwarf other buildings in the surrounding area, the tallest of which are in the 15-story range.

Other project details about the number of apartments and hotel rooms were not included in the documents filed with the Historic Preservation Committee because the body does not specifically deal with the use of proposed buildings, just their design.

The documents did not list an architecture firm for the project.