LEGO is opening its second Michigan store at Woodland Mall...
Coming to Woodland Mall: Official LEGO Store
https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-cou...al-lego-store/

As an AFOL (Adult Fan of Lego) I am excited by this news. There has been some concern expressed by others that Lego is moving into town just to squash their competition (in the form of Bricks & Minifigs - a third-party chain Lego retailer located just a mile down the road). I frequent their Kalamazoo location and they are great. Personally, I think there's plenty of room for both. Bricks & Minifigs serves a slightly different market, with options like bulk bins, buy / sell / trade, and rare used / retired items, in addition to selling current, new sets. I guess it's true that their new set inventory sales might take a hit, but I think both stores will thrive. I'm a bit jealous that a Lego store was not announced for The Crossroads Mall in Kalamazoo, but I guess the market just might not be large enough.

Wayland -

The next time you are traveling on US-131 near Wayland, look east and you'll see the state's newest high-rise topped out. I was actually driving by the day of the topping-out ceremony, on May 2 -

From LinkedIn -

Drone Footage: link (hint: turn the volume up for some snappin' public domain music, to improve your experience!)

Source: LinkedIn | Domenico Consiglio, PMP

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ed789...wm3ef13b&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nuukv...oz1fn8xb&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Gun Lake Casino

Wayland -

A quick little time lapse of Gun Lake Casino -

• Video Link

Muskegon -

I was in Muskegon yesterday and managed to snap a few photos around downtown.

Adelaide Pointe (I couldn't get closer without drawing suspicion from construction crews) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pmsu3...myksqxdk&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rc01n...gujqnalu&raw=1

Muskegon Art Museum Addition -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/b6di8...shd4awfz&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oka0v...ud83ze88&raw=1

Delta Hotel (painting of the brick was actively in progress right before I took these pictures) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qfx3m...v3q35xea&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qfx3m...v3q35xea&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ih92t...qu679lnw&raw=1

The Leonard (signage is up for the ground-floor restaurant - Puerta Vallarta, but it is a ways away from opening) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/aiw7w...poa7wojc&raw=1

Lake View Lofts (no sign of anything for Phase 2 yet - still just an empty lot) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hha8n...0151l4yb&raw=1

Benton Harbor -

Muskegon -

Moving forward is usually better than moving backwards...

(rest of the article is paywalled)

This property is probably the largest-remaining visible remnant of Muskegon's heavily-industrial past. It's conversion could be very transformative for the city.

Allegan -

(all image credit for these pictures goes to Above Allegan on Facebook)

The roundabout to end all roundabouts is getting close (there's also a nice 360 aerial view at the source link below) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ecbj9...2rsuecmm&raw=1
Image Credit: Facebook | Above Allegan

The new elementary school is also taking shape -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9p1wj...cc3qvhyu&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mg1ap...nke4d6qp&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Above Allegan

Wayland -

I'm liking these recent progress shots of the massive Gun Lake Casino Phase 5 expansion. The tallest building between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo (by a good margin) continues to impress -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xxls2...8i1g03hu&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sinrp...07w5zqr1&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/egsuo...ksirnn6g&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2ln6l...eaeunqxf&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vx9oi...1gpto99r&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bmwvn...3lav94l0&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mj8wi...fzjhuyi4&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wfijc...iwbm68nz&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Lyn Hewitt

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1xiqm...rvgl6vtz&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s6zxs...aga6ugwn&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Lyn Hewitt

Wayland Township -

The 32,000 SF Aqua Dome atrium is fully-enclosed at GLC. So now, more interior work can progress as the weather starts to turn colder -



https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ataxa-8Ptf_di5p-...024&height=768

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ataxa-8Ptf_di5p9...024&height=768
Source: LinkedIn | Eric Tironi

141 apartments, retail space coming to downtown Hudsonville’s Terra Station
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/LOZ...280&quality=90
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rap...a-station.html

^ Wow! Way to go, Hudsonville!

Muskegon -

Not much to see yet, but demolition / remediation work has definitely started on the old Shaw-Walker factory. Photos from Oct. 8, by Jon Koenig -






Source: Facebook | Jon Koenig

Microsoft buys 316 acres in Michigan for potential data center
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/techno...an-data-center

Great to see this finally coming to fruition! It seems like they've been talking about this for a really long time.

Yes, seemingly for decades - at least since the early 2000's I think. I guess the Muskegon market finally got hot enough to push this one into reality!

Sticking with Muskegon, (this news is over a month old now, but) the historic Hackley Administration Building - built in the 1890's - will be repurposed as a 45-room boutique hotel, named Hackley Castle Inn and Suites -

The $11.5 million project is scheduled to wrap up in fall 2025 -


Source: Second Wave Media | Courtesy of WheelFish Group

Report: Ford Airport eyes on-site hotel
https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-cou...on-site-hotel/

Demolition of parking ramp to make way for massive development in Gaslight Village
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rap...t-village.html

White Pigeon -

Preface to say I know this forum wasn't crafted with developments like this in mind. But, it isn't every day / decade that a project like this comes along for a village of ~ 1,700 in West Michigan. I've had this one on the backburner to share, for the slow time of year, and I think it is worth sharing, due to the relative scale -

A new 6-building / 48-unit apartment complex is under construction in the Village of White Pigeon (home of the oldest surviving U.S. Land office in the state). Dubbed "Native Flats" (interesting choice?), it is being developed by WITT Properties (Craig Wittenberg, based in Centerville, MI), on a 5.72-acre lot at the edge of town (corner of N Elkhart St. and W Vermont Ave). The development was approved 4-2 by the St. Joseph County Commission in August. All 48 units will be single-story, with 2-bedrooms, and they will be priced at $120% of the median local income and below. The goal is to have occupancy in spring of this year.

I couldn't find any renderings, but the two photos below were taken just a weeks apart, in late October and early November. They show how quickly it is progressing, perhaps largely due to the pole-barn type construction methodology, where larger wood posts are used for the exterior structure instead of typical wood studs. The posts are set in the ground prior to pouring the floor slabs, reducing the amount of time it takes to get the roofs constructed and the units enclosed -

Late October, 2024 -


Source: Facebook | Craig Wittenberg

Early November, 2024 -


Source: Facebook | Craig Wittenberg

West Michigan might not be on the radar much nationally but arguably it's one of the foremost up and coming regions in the country, at the least it's the foremost up and coming under the radar region. The GR metro is stepping up from mid-sized status into that of a small "large sized" city giving West MI something its been lacking which is a flagship city that can compete on the national stage. Kalamazoo has made nothing short of a remarkable turnaround while Muskegon's revival keeps picking up steam I'm very excited to see where the city is in 5 years.

West Michigan has always had tremendous potential as one of the most attractive coastal areas in the country. The small size of its main cities as well having to break out of post industrial stagnation or pull off a full on recovery has held the region back from being more than just a vacation hub. There's still a ways to go but the shape of a potential future is taking shape and it looks promising. I'll be excited to what happens if the national and international HSR connections are filled out from Detroit if the planned northern and west MI connections to GR and TC come to fruition. That would be a game changer for Michigan's West Coast.