Grand Rapids "Health Hill" Featured in NY Times (Royal Oak: real estate, construction)

[magellan]

Grand Rapids Lays Foundations for a Health Mecca

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In the last decade or so, this city has been the beneficiary of investments in new academic campuses, a civic arena, a convention center, new parks, a transit center and more than 1,500 new units of downtown housing.

Even so, Grand Rapids has never experienced anything near the concentrated magnitude of the medical research, training and patient facility construction now occurring on Health Hill...

...Construction executives here and in other regions say that just a handful of similar medical development projects rival Health Hill in scope and cost

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/re...ewanted=1&_r=2
(Real Estate section)

Some great exposure for Grand Rapids and for Michigan.

[Wabbit]

I knew I'd have to be on my A-game to get that article on here before you.
Again, this helps explain the disconnect between our optimistic view of Michigan and the down and out views of the S.E. (Royal Oak excepted.)
I love walking around this city and seing it sprout up all around me.
And best of all. PEOPLE HERE ARE HAPPY. There is less anger in this city than anywhere I've ever lived (And that's during an economic downcycle). Grand Rapids is walking the walk to an economic recovery, people. Come see for yourself!
P.S
Word is that the 'Master of linguistic arts' Dick Devos is determined to run again and the Republican powers that be are desperately trying to talk him out of it while they scurry to find a better candidate. -Come on Magellan, You can do it!

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Wabbit

I knew I'd have to be on my A-game to get that article on here before you.
Again, this helps explain the disconnect between our optimistic view of Michigan and the down and out views of the S.E. (Royal Oak excepted.)
I love walking around this city and seing it sprout up all around me.
And best of all. PEOPLE HERE ARE HAPPY. There is less anger in this city than anywhere I've ever lived (And that's during an economic downcycle). Grand Rapids is walking the walk to an economic recovery, people. Come see for yourself!
P.S
Word is that the 'Master of linguistic arts' Dick Devos is determined to run again and the Republican powers that be are desperately trying to talk him out of it while they scurry to find a better candidate. -Come on Magellan, You can do it!

Haha! Yeah right. My wife would never go for that.

I too was downtown with my girls the other day visiting Ford's burial site (first time since the big funeral) and then Ah Nab Awen Park, and I couldn't get over how beautiful the skyline looks now from there with the JW Marriott all enclosed and purdy.

When Clinton was in town to speak at the Economic Club Annual Dinner, he walked the same route we did from Ford's burial site, across the ped bridge over to the convention center area, and he too commented on how beautiful the riverfront and downtown GR was.

Clinton visits Ford gravesite - News - MSNBC.com (broken link)

Whether you like Clinton or not, it was a big deal to have him headline the Dinner (where Bono, Colin Powell, and Madeline Albright have been keynote speakers)

But you're right Wabbit. Even 25% bad news/75% good news can make all the difference in an areas' "attitude".

[Wabbit]

I didn't know Clinton was in town.
I wonder why I didn't see any pictures of that?
I'm sorry, but I just can't dislike ol' Bill.
To me he'll always be a lovable rascal.
When I first came here no one even talked
about the river. Now its slowly but surely
turning a real focal point. -And a nice
garnish for skyline pictures too!

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Wabbit

I didn't know Clinton was in town.
I wonder why I didn't see any pictures of that?
I'm sorry, but I just can't dislike ol' Bill.
To me he'll always be a lovable rascal.
When I first came here no one even talked
about the river. Now its slowly but surely
turning a real focal point. -And a nice
garnish for skyline pictures too!

Go here:

WOODTV.com & WOOD TV8 - Grand Rapids news, weather, sports and video - WOOD TV8 Photo Gallery

Then choose "Newsworthy Events", and go back to page 2, and they have pictures of his speech and his walk around downtown.

[Wabbit]

Awesome, thanks.
I love the one where he's got that solemn 'Clintonian' pout thing going on with his lower lip. What a classic.

whoops, (spelling error)

He feels OUR pain. (Though he may feel out pain as well)

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by Wabbit

Awesome, thanks.
I love the one where he's got that solemn 'Clintonian' pout thing going on with his lower lip. What a classic.

whoops, (spelling error)

He feels OUR pain. (Though he may feel out pain as well)

Don't forget that he didn't inhale either. Maybe this is why he is feeling so much of our pain! LOL

I feel the same, Clinton is just a lovable rascal, God love him.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

Don't forget that he didn't inhale either. Maybe this is why he is feeling so much of our pain! LOL

I feel the same, Clinton is just a lovable rascal, God love him.

Yeah, in retrospect, just committing perjury before a grand jury doesn't seem so bad in light of recent presidential/vice presidential chicanery.

Doh, off-topic!

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by magellan

Yeah, in retrospect, just committing perjury before a grand jury doesn't seem so bad in light of recent presidential/vice presidential chicanery.

Doh, off-topic!

Well, it's YOUR thread, so go all over the place if ya want!

Don't EVEN get me started on Dubya and his, at best, misguided attempt at leading the free world.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

Well, it's YOUR thread, so go all over the place if ya want!

Don't EVEN get me started on Dubya and his, at best, misguided attempt at leading the free world.

OK, back to the topic at hand to set the example. As the article mentions, several of the new projects have some big names behind them. Here is an old model of the completed Van Andel Institute. It has had a few changes to it since, but essentially it will look very similar. 400,000 square feet devoted solely to medical research:


(the church isn't part of the development, it is just surrounded on two sides by it)

It was designed by internationally renowned architect Rafael Vinoly, who also designed the Tokyo International Forum:

http://www.leighcourteney.com/tokyo%20forum.jpg

Rafael Viñoly Architects


The new Children's Hospital was designed by international healthcare architect Jonathan Bailey and Associates, who you can see at their website has done hospitals and health science facilities around the globe:

j o n a t h a n b a i l e y

It will be fourteen stories, and the "spire" will soar to over 295' (I believe I read):




And the new MSU Med School will be designed by another powerhouse, Ellenzweig Architecture out of Cambridge, Mass.

ellenzweig

Designs aren't finalized yet.

Back on track I believe.