Furniture City - The Remaking of Grand Rapids, MI

LMich · #1 Posted **May 10, 2009, 4:11 AM**

Some photos of Grand Rapid's Medical Mile (also called Health/Pill Hill) construction, and other parts by Flickr member JohnE777:

Skyline

Another by Creed400

Creed400

ue · #2 Posted **May 10, 2009, 4:34 AM**

Wow it looks like a pretty decent city with a booming economy from what I see. Surprised there weren't any historic buildings in these shots here, Michigan is known for it's abundant history.

LMich · #3 Posted **May 10, 2009, 5:25 AM**

It's funny, because Grand Rapids is one of Michigan's more historically intact cities. Most of the historic architecture is much shorter, though:

Heartside

Eridony

Eridony

Monroe Center

Eridony

cmu chem professor

Now, for some random shots...

Rosa Parks Circle

scherbis

ajpaschka

Vic Sultana

ue · #4 Posted **May 10, 2009, 6:51 AM**

That is some beautiful historic architecture. Alberta should be jealous and in anger at the fact that we tore down much of our historic buildings in the downtowns (and area).

LMich · #5 Posted **May 11, 2009, 10:06 AM**

Not the clearest shot, but another showing the historic skyline behind the modern, glass skyline:

Eridony

Random freeway shots of US 131 that skirts the western and southern edges of downtown Grand Rapids.

sparky05

Eridony

Billy Jack O'Toole

e.det

I-196

Eridony

Patrick J. Garrett

llamaorama · #6 Posted **May 19, 2009, 3:02 AM**

This is the first time I have seen pictures, damn,Grand Rapids is totally different from I how I imagined it.

Population-wise, how is the metro area doing? growing or shrinking?

LMich · #7 Posted **May 19, 2009, 4:47 AM**

Growing.

yerfdog · #8 Posted **May 19, 2009, 6:09 AM**

Always impressed by Grand Rapids' skyline, and wow, it seems to be really growing.

ShadowMaster · #9 Posted **May 27, 2009, 7:32 PM**

Very interesting. I never seen Grand Rapids like this before. A question, Grand Rapids is the city which is receiving the most development at the moment in Michigan ?

Rizzo · #10 Posted **May 28, 2009, 6:37 AM**

I definitely think so as far as NEW major projects. Ann Arbor follows closely in second with the University building boom wrapping up.

Renovations may tip the scales more evenly since Detroit did complete some major high profile renovations.

LMich · #11 Posted **May 28, 2009, 6:47 AM**

Also worth note is that the vast majority of Grand Rapid's major projects, this decade, have been financed by two or three uber-wealthy local families. GR is quite lucky to have the Devos and Van Andels. Without these two, GR's development would be much more the pace of something like a Lansing or Kalamazoo, to be honest.