WEST MICHIGAN | General Developments

[deja vu]

Grand Haven -

An article on the successes of Robinson Landing -

Innovative approach to affordable housing in Michigan proves successful
Shandra Martinez | The Lakeshore West Michigan
October 31, 2022

Allegan -

A nature preserve that was decades in the making is open -

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy unveils new Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve in Allegan
Rosemary Parker | Second Wave Southwest Michigan
November 3, 2022

[DetroitMan]

The Gun Lake Tribe is planning to develop 2.75 miles of frontage along the east side of U.S. 131 between Exit 61 and 133rd Ave. The vision for the land includes retail, health care, housing and manufacturing.
Gun Lake Tribe kicks off planning to develop 2.75-mile stretch of U.S. 131 frontage

The tribe for years has been acquiring property north of the casino on the east side of U.S. 131 in Allegan County to secure it for possible future development. Monica King, CEO of Gun Lake Investments, the tribe’s non-gaming investment arm, said the tribe has secured about a 2.75-mile stretch of highway frontage spanning approximately 1,200 acres.

Now Gun Lake Investments is launching a six-month planning phase to prioritize various uses and where they will be located.“The planning phase will really be about figuring out what are our constraints and opportunities, and what we can target first,” King told MiBiz. “This is really a 25-year-plus project and will be such a huge project. We really do need to make sure we get everyone involved. … Twelve-hundred acres is so significant and it will be its own ecosystem. We do have a couple of projects (in the development) that we want to fast track and that we hope to break ground on next year.”

Parts of the development could complement the tribe’s growing casino operations, including a new 15-story hotel, but the new project will not involve gaming, King said. Conceptually, the tribe hopes to use the development to help draw more families to the area, she added.

“We really want to make that corridor a destination,” said King, noting it was too early in the process to provide cost estimates for the project.

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-esta...s-131-frontage

[DetroitMan]

‘Unprecedented’ $10M cannabis hospitality project planned in Muskegon

The $10 million Fields Cannary project would be located just east of U.S. 31 at 420 S. Harvey St. in Muskegon. The nearly 4-acre property contains an existing 11,000-square-foot Sons of Norway lodge, which would be renovated into the dispensary, restaurant and bar, and cannabis consumption lounge. A 17,000-square-foot processing center and greenhouse facility would be added to the site.

Project developers plan to hire about 45 people when Fields Cannary is completed in late summer or fall of 2023. Construction is set to begin this year by Grow America Builders LLC, an Illinois-based construction firm specializing in cannabis projects.

https://mibiz.com/sections/real-esta...ed-in-muskegon

[deja vu]

Marshall -

Owners of the iconic Schuler’s Restaurant & Pub have plans to renovate the 2nd & 3rd floors into 7 apartment units, 4 of which would be reserved for low-to-moderate-income residents. The former hotel rooms on these upper floors have functioned as storage space for half a century, since the hotel business ceased in the 1970s. I would love to tour these floors before they renovate them -

Schuler’s expands its hospitality portfolio
Dianna Stampfler | Second Wave Media
October 27, 2022

The Schuler name is synonymous with hospitality, at least in southern Michigan. Located in Marshall, in the heart of Calhoun County, the iconic Schuler’s Restaurant & Pub (115 S. Eagle Street) has been welcoming hungry and thirsty visitors since first opening the doors in 1909. Recognized as one of the longest-operating restaurants in the state, Schuler’s remains dedicated to maintaining its roots while branching out in new and exciting ways...

Source: Second Wave Media | Driven Design Studio

[deja vu]

Holland (Township) -

Here's a small one - the local Habitat for Humanity has broken ground on a 5-townhouse development at 12761 Felch Street. Called Haven Townhomes, the project is geared specifically toward individuals with disabilities to help them secure stable housing -

Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on ADA-accessible, affordable townhomes
Cassandra Lybrink | The Holland Sentinel
October 31, 2022

Source: The Holland Sentinel | Lakeshore Habitat

[deja vu]

Zeeland -

As Gentex continues its takeover of Zeeland, the company has announced a partnership with The Outdoor Discovery Center to bring a new, affordable child care facility to the area (subsidized for its 1st & 2nd shift employees). Groundbreaking is slated for next year for the "Gentex Discovery Preschool" -

Gentex, ODC partner to bring child care to employees
Andrea Goodell | The Lakeshore
November 30, 2022

Source: The Lakeshore | Courtesy

[deja vu]

Muskegon -

Muskegon Public Schools' new Charles Hackley Middle School, from three weeks ago. This new school is being built on the site of the demolished Hackley Hospital -












Source: LinkedIn | Logan Flowers (TowerPinkster)

[DetroitMan]

Muskegon-

“The Shaw Walker property is an important part of Muskegon’s history, and it represents today the largest adaptive reuse opportunity that we are aware of in West Michigan,” Parkland Properties President Jon Rooks said. “We are looking forward to working with the city of Muskegon, county of Muskegon and the state of Michigan to find a way to preserve and repurpose this important piece of history.”

In February, the city told the former property owner, Brooklyn, New York-based P&G Holdings, to “fix” or “remove” the undeveloped portion of the buildings, according to WZZM 13.

The project will restore the existing buildings and repurpose them into up to 550 condominiums and apartments, as well as offices, retail space and more.

Half of the project will be privately owned condominiums with the other half as market rate apartments.

https://grbj.com/news/real-estate/de...egon-property/

[deja vu]

^ The city and various developers have been promising things for that site for years. Hopefully this finally gets it moving.

Norton Shores -

In nearby Norton Shores, the proposed Eastowne Centre would bring 144 apartment units across 6 buildings to the growing city. Nothing too exciting here; right about par for Norton Shores (vanilla architecture with a subtle attempt at some northern-ish, lakeshorey-type flair). As an aside, why are people still naming developments this way? There have been similarly named developments since at least the end of WW2, and usually with the faux "European" 're' at the end, to class it up Seriously? Do better.

A few other housing developments are mentioned in the article too, including a $10.5 million condo development -

Norton Shores works to increase housing options
Shanika P. Carter | The Lakeshore
November 27, 2022

Source: The Lakeshore | SVB - Reckley Architects

[DetroitMan]

I agree, The Shaw-Walker Building has had some sort of redevelopment plans for the last 20 years. I hope this time it can actually happen.

[DetroitMan]

Muskegon Lake development projects focus of upcoming public forum

The city of Muskegon is hosting the forum from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at city hall.

Attendees will be able to learn about the latest plans for the developments and provide feedback.

Adelaide Pointe is an ambitious project estimated at $250 million involving a marina with more than 200 slips, hundreds of condominiums, boat storage and retail.The location is a former industrial site near the end of West Western Avenue.

It also will include three acres of public access recreational areas on the two peninsulas forming the marina boat basin. Those are expected to include bike paths, grilling stations, fish cleaning stations and locations from which to fish. The adjacent Hartshorn Village project started three years ago by DeHaan Homes and Smith Equities. But the project stalled after two homes were constructed and Hartshorn Village has been purchased by Ryan Leestma, the developer behind the Adelaide Pointe project.

Originally, plans were for 55 detached homes at Hartshorn Village, but Leestma is proposing reducing that to 20.

Hartshorn Village also is the planned location for a “dry marina” operation that would involve indoor storage of boats and on-demand placement of them in the water via the city’s Hartshorn launch ramp.

https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/...lic-forum.html

[deja vu]

Three Rivers -

The 95-year-old Three Rivers Hospital complex was demolished in November - December of last year. It was situated atop a small hill in the center of popular Scidmore Park, abandoned since 1987. Numerous prior attempts to redevelop it, and later, demolish it, all failed due to feasibility & estimated cost. The facility was comprised of a beautiful original building, with several "modern" wings added-on in the middle of the last century. The actual demolition was estimated to cost $1.3 million. There are no clear plans on what may eventually take its place (beyond a great sledding hill).

It had lots of history wrapped up in it, but unfortunately, it was left to the elements for far too long, and it became notorious as a place to break into and explore, tag, and conduct other more illicit activities. Combined with an adjacent abandoned miniature zoo, the complex served as a curious backdrop for decades to all sorts of events and festivals in the public park -

Old Three Rivers hospital falls to demolition crews
Jef Rietsma | Special to the Sturgis Journal
November 17, 2022

Vintage postcard showing the front of the older portion of the facility, c. 1942 -


Source: ebay

Historic photo of the front (date unknown) -


Source: WBCK | Ruin Road / Youtube

Someone's urbex photos (date unknown), showing just how far into decay the hospital had fallen, after decades of abandonment -












Source: Facebook | Matthew Kingma

Shortly before demolition, in 2022. You can see the perimeter fence, and the abandoned animal enclosures from the former zoo, in the third photo, below -






Source: Facebook | Becca Yeske

Demolition progress as of mid-December, 2022 -


Source: Facebook | Clayton Lyczynski II

Scidmore Park, with the hospital no-longer - January 24, 2023 -


Source: Facebook | Andrea Whitney

[deja vu]

Egleston Township (east of Muskegon) -

Some more good high-tech manufacturing news for the region -

Rolar Products expands operations in Muskegon County
Shandra Martinez | The Lakeshore
February 12, 2023

The facility is located here.

[deja vu]

I was in Three Rivers last weekend (escaping the power outages in Kalamazoo). I took a walk past the cleared site of the old hospital. The only thing left is this hole in the ground, which they are working to backfill, to reconstruct the hill that the building was set into -

[deja vu]

Marshall -

This one is a few months old now. I admittedly overlooked it when I initially saw the story, but it is actually a pretty decent-sized investment. The city has begun a campaign to raise funds to convert a 1.6 acre parcel of land into a new community space called "Eaton Park" (having lived in Pennsylvania for several years, Eat'n Park has a slightly different meaning there...)

The park would be located immediately south of the city's athletic fields complex, at the intersection of Hanover and Fountain Streets. Currently, there is an old parking there lot that once served the now-demolished Eaton Corp. building where the athletic fields were built to the north. The phased development includes plans for 8 pickleball courts, a splash pad, a new pavilion, an upgraded ADA-accessible playground, restroom facilities, and 39 parking spaces. The $3 million project is expected to begin sometime this year -

Pickleball courts part of Marshall’s Recreation Plan
Dianna Stampfler | Rural Innovation Exchange
November 10, 2022

Source: Second Wave Media | City of Marshall

[deja vu]

Cassopolis -

The Village of Cassopolis has been making some intentional moves towards becoming a more inviting place to live and work. This article is a few months old now, but it highlights some of the recent changes that the once run-down county seat for Cass County has been making -

Cassopolis: A village reimagined
Greg Tasker | Rural Innovation Exchange
December 22, 2022

Some of the changes mentioned include:

• New LED street lighting, with built-in speakers and WiFi
• New pavers and streetscape elements
• New beachfront with food trucks, amphitheater, and other park amenities
• New accessible fishing pier, boardwalk, and boat docks
• New playground and skate park
• New high-tech industrial park
• New public art & sculptures

The changes didn't happen overnight, and the article helps explain the various steps involved, including some local government restructuring and leveraging of grants. All of the work has helped attract new businesses, including a coffee shop, theater, several bars and restaurants, etc. The iconic county courthouse, built in 1899, also stands poised for renovation. A lot of these changes are already visible in Street View. Maybe stop by this small Village and take a look, if you are ever near it -

The new beach -


Beachfront walkway, once an abandoned road -


The 1899 courthouse -


Downtown streetscape -


New skate park, under construction -


New docks on Stone Lake -

Source: Bryan Esler | Second Wave Media

[DetroitMan]

Whitehall-
$8.5M apartment, restaurant building planned in downtown Whitehall

An $8.5 million mixed-use apartment complex with a restaurant is planned for an “amazing” location in downtown Whitehall.

The four-story complex is planned for the Colby Street hill at the corner of Lake Street overlooking White Lake, the city’s marina and Goodrich Park.

The 25 apartments will each have a balcony as well as a water view, said Chris Veneklasen, CEO of Veneklasen Construction and Veneklasen Development. His two firms are working on the project that has several other investors with ties to the White Lake area, Veneklasen told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. He has a cottage on White Lake.

“Everyone has an emotional tie to the area,” Veneklasen said of the investment group. “Everyone wants to see the area prosper.”The site at 201 W. Colby Street and 115 Lake Street is the former location of the Pinheads bowling alley, which had been torn down five years before the investment group, 115 Lake St. LLC, purchased the property in 2021.

“It represents a great opportunity,” Veneklasen said. “It’s an amazing spot.”

https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/...whitehall.html

[DetroitMan]

I hope Muskegon is able to pull off this redevleopment

Old rail line sale should help develop huge site on Muskegon Lake

After six years of effort, the city of Muskegon now is the owner of a rail line that will be removed to spur development of the largest undeveloped tract of vacant land on Muskegon Lake.

The city on Tuesday, March 28, closed on the purchase of two miles of CSX rail line stretching along Muskegon Lake from the corner of Shoreline Drive and West Western Avenue west nearly to the Cottage Grove Launch Ramp on Lakeshore Drive. The city used $1.7 million in American Rescue Act Plan funding to purchase the abandoned rail line. It was motivated to make the purchase so that the Windward Pointe property, through which the rail line runs, could proceed with development.

The former long-time site of a paper mill that was served by the rail line, Windward Pointe is in the hands of a local investment group called Pure Muskegon that is seeking developers for the 120-acre property.

But the prospect that the railroad could essentially store rail cars on the property had made finding a developer extremely difficult, city officials said earlier.

https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/...egon-lake.html

[deja vu]

^ That Whitehall proposal looks pretty nice!

I found this Youtube channel which, among other things, has been documenting Ford's Blue Oval Battery Park megasite in Marshall, MI. So far it's still just dirt, but this will be an interesting one to refer back to over time. Here's the latest aerial drone footage installment -

• Video Link

[deja vu]

Has this been posted on here yet? There is a construction camera for the Gun Lake Casino Phase 5 Expansion (the 15-story / 192-ft. hotel tower + pool / entertainment complex currently u/c in Wayland) -

https://app.oxblue.com/cameras/f9ff1...sino/glcphase5

Here's a good action shot from a few days ago -