Phoenix Building is LEED Gold

Bazzani Associates and Eastown Phoenix, LLC are proud to announce the property at 1500 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI has achieved LEED-Gold certification!

This Mixed-Use, Urban Infill project replaced a two-story building which was destroyed by a natural gas explosion and fire.  The new building is constructed using insulated concrete forms with steel, bar joist and concrete floor systems – especially appropriate for a site with this history!  Construction operations were challenging as the building covered 95% of the available land in Eastown’s active commercial district.

The first floor commercial tenants are All City Kicks, a hip shoe and clothing store, and PT-360 who are excellent Physical Therapists focused on athletes.   The second floor has three, two-bedroom, two-bath apartments with energy efficient appliances including washer and dryers in each unit.  All tenants will experience 40% lower utility costs than comparable properties.

We are grateful to all who helped us achieve LEED Gold certification and bring this project to fruition during difficult economic times.

The Eyes Have It

Eyeliner defines the shape of the eye and the same is true for window frames.  Like a woman’s eyeliner (and many rock stars), the dark line defines the space.  The contrast makes it pop.  The excited responses from neighbors regarding the dark window frames at the Kingsley Building are a good example.  Glass will be installed in the first week of November and you will be able to see deep into the building.  Sharp storefronts draw attention and that’s a good thing for our retailers.

If you have been driving by the Kingsley Building you may have noticed that our historical exterior renovation is almost complete.  We are grabbing every good day we can and working against Mother Nature’s good weather deadline.  You may have also noticed the sidewalk torn up.  We are changing the sidewalk height so that each entry area is ADA accessible.  Having a walkable neighborhood means we also need to have an accessible neighborhood.

Our first tenants include Allegro Coaching on Robinson Rd. and Icapsa Books on Lake Drive.  We are also in negotiations with a few other retailers and a restaurant.  Look for the first businesses to open at the first of the year.

It’s About Time for Single-Family Housing Inspections!

As published in the Grand Rapids Press on October 8, 2011.

As landlord, investor, and property developer in Grand Rapids for more than thirty years, I am pleased to see a proposal for single-family rental inspections in Grand Rapids.  This policy will support the work of many residents and organizations that have restored the neighborhoods of our city.  I strongly feel that these are the right policies at the right time.

Certifying single-family rental units is smart idea for the following reasons:

First, quality housing is not only good for tenants, but good for the neighborhood.  The argument that this policy will make housing less affordable, put landlords out of business, and cause more foreclosure is not data-based.  Quality housing lowers vacancy rates and enhances the stability of neighborhoods.  The proposed inspection fee averages to $5.50 a month.  If this fee is unaffordable to any landlord they are in the wrong business.  If a property requires extensive work to bring it into compliance, then this policy is fulfilling its goal.

Second, it is clear to me that certifying single-family rental units will create equity in the market.  Why should my multi-unit properties be subject to inspection and not the single-family rental next door?  Everyone should adhere to the same standards.  Kentwood and Wyoming already have similar ordinances.  We need to end the special exemptions for single-family rental units in Grand Rapids in order to protect our citizens from unscrupulous landlords that take advantage of this loophole.

Lastly, these policies support the preservation and improvement of our neighborhoods.  Quality housing is an essential part of a neighborhood’s success.  This policy has been needed for decades, but due to the dramatic increase in single-family rental units in the last three years, this ordinance will support neighborhoods that have seen foreclosures threaten their stability.  A strong housing stock maintains property values, improves quality of life, and makes our neighborhoods attractive to young professionals – which then support the City of Grand Rapids.

The paradox of the Rental Property Owners Association’s (ROPA) argument opposing the ordinance is that they repeatedly state that there are good landlords maintaining their properties (I would consider myself one), but the main reason not to enact these policies is the inspections are too costly or it will cost them too much to bring it up to code.  That does not make sense.

Some rental property owners have advised me to invest in single-family rentals so that I can stay “under the radar” of the inspections department.  This is counter to those who wish to maintain a quality housing stock in Grand Rapids.  A basic standard for rental housing that protects the health and safety of our citizens is essential for a vibrant and thriving community.

City staff, local agencies and charitable organizations have worked diligently to produce new ordinances that reflect our current reality and they deserve to be commended.  For the RPOA to call these concerned citizens a “special interest group” is laughable!

The City Commission needs to enact this ordinance ASAP in order to keep Grand Rapids on its path to sustainability.

Time Well Spent

Many people have been asking regarding the Kingsley Building “when will it be done?” Not to be coy but as the title suggests, it takes time. We have been grinding, repairing, molding, replacing, pouring concrete, moving utilities and so much more.
Since we are doing an historical exterior restoration, we are following higher standards and that means more time. Our crews have been working steadily on both the exterior restoration and when the weather is not cooperating on interior work. In the end it will be time well spent.

Around mid-October the new glazing and doorways will begin to be installed. This will bring us much closer to our finished look. We have come a long way in just five short months. Once the building is buttoned up we will finish completion of our first tenant suites.

Get It While It’s Hot

Bazzani Associates is proud to announce we have signed our second tenant for the Kingsley Building project. Our first tenant is a great new bookstore and they will be located on the Lake Drive side of the building. Our newest addition is a fabulous personal trainer who will be working out in a Robinson Rd. suite. We are very excited to add these businesses to the Eastown mix in this mixed-use building.

We are bringing more and more interested businesses through every week to see this fabulous space. Our first tenants will be open for business around the first of the year. We can’t wait.

Recycling for Dollars

Today, Local First and the City of Grand Rapids launched MyGRCityPoints.com.  This is the first public/private partnership created solely to promote single-stream recycling in our City.  Reward points are issued to residents as an incentive to recycle.  These points can be redeemed at over 60 local businesses that have signed up to redeem the points.

What is of particular interest to me is the entire points program was created in Grand Rapids.  Local First worked with the City to assure the program was created by local businesses.  The software was designed at Atomic Object on Wealthy Street.  The Image Shoppe on Diamond along with Clark Communications handled the promotion of the program.  Local First community businesses will redeem the points at convenient locations all over town.

To begin earning your points, log on to mygrcitypoints.com and create your account.  Take the number off of your single-stream recycling cart and include your address.  You will begin earning points every time you take your bin to the curb on your designated recycling pickup day.

Now you can make a positive impact on the environment through increased recycling, earn points to exchange for goods and services and enhance your community businesses.  A triple bottom line win – win – win!

Treasure Hunting in Eastown

Opening a historical building can sometimes make you feel like Indiana Jones on an archeological treasure hunt.  Historical restoration work is lot like exploring distant lands.  You have a general direction you are going, you have a plan and you aren’t sure what you will find until you get there.

After months of careful preliminary exploration, site surveys, planning and more planning we have begun our expedition of the Kingsley Building.  Our journey will begin on the Southeast corner of the building at Lake Drive and Genessee.

Our plan calls for us to follow a Westerly route along Lake Drive, and we will complete our journey on the North side/Robinson Rd. elevation.

From our initial project announcement it seems that most people are now aware that a five-story building exists in Eastown at the corner of Lake Dr. and Robinson Rd.  The mists of time that have obscured this Eastown treasure should clear out in the next few months as the original building facade is once again exposed.

We have decided to shoot both video and stills as we go along with our exploration. We will post them from time to time to give our friends a view of what happens behind the scenes.  It should make for an interesting show.

Hidden Treasure in Eastown

I have been out and about with several groups over the past few weeks telling them about a new Bazzani Associates project and I get these blank stares when I mention the project location.  Apparently it’s much easier to hide a 5-story building than I thought.  How can the only 5-story building located for 84 years in a neighborhood not be seen?  Well an Illusionist will tell you the best place to hide something is in plain sight.   Apparently so!

Bazzani Associates have been hired by the owner group to re-develop and lease the retail units on the first floor of 1415 Lake Dr., at the corner of Robinson Rd.

Erected in 1927, the Kingsley Building is the former headquarters of Zondervan Corp. and has been used for paper and document storage for the past 15 plus years.

Zondervan Corp. enclosed the first floor elevation in 1954 when they purchased the property from the original owners, Grand Rapids Storage Co.  So, for the better part of two generations the general public has not seen the first floor exterior of this art deco gem.  For almost 60 years the Kingsley Building has just been a 5-story blond colored wall that thousands of cars would pass daily.  It blended into the background.  Seen but not seen.   In a few short months, this building will be rediscovered.

Over the next months Bazzani Associates will carefully open and restore the first floor.  More than 14,000 SF of new retail space will be available in Eastown.  People will be able to see original features like the plate glaze terra cotta tile, large display windows, the original transom windows over the doors, 16-foot ceilings and many more unique features.   We are very excited about bringing this building back to its original, historical look.   Stay posted for more updates as we proceed forward.

Land Banks Rock: a new tool for reinvesting in our community

The Kent County Land Bank has the potential to be a fabulous new tool for redeveloping vacant properties in Kent County.  As a green urban developer, having chronically vacant properties in neighborhoods impede our revitalization efforts.  They lower property values, invite crime, and can quickly become an eye sore. I strongly encourage everyone to attend the Kent County Land Bank forum on March 23. This innovative idea could be a boon for our redevelopment efforts.  Initially, it was hard for me to be enthusiastic about Land Banks.  After some prodding from a friend, I did some preliminary research regarding this topic.  Now, I am excited!

Over the last 10 years we could have used this redevelopment tool to enhance the success of the revitalization of Uptown.  Today, this tool can help other upcoming Grand Rapids neighborhoods and Kent County communities manage their blighted properties and hold key locations for future redevelopment.  We would like to see other neighborhoods become as vital and successful as Uptown has over the last 5 years.  By having the Kent County Land Bank as a community re-development partner, we can succeed in redeveloping our communities over the long term.

Land banks have been gaining popularity nationwide for their positive impact on reducing blight and reusing vacant properties to help neighborhood revitalization amidst the foreclosure crisis.  Instead of selling foreclosed properties at auction, the County can put them into the land bank and maintain them until they are transferred to developers to be rehabbed and sold.  The land bank provides numerous incentives for developers such as:  title clearance; forgiving back taxes and liens; holding properties tax free during development; providing access to Brownfield tax credits even for properties that are not contaminated; option for Tax Increment Financing (TIF); and ability to assemble properties for large scale development.

The Land Bank could also work as an economic gardening tool.  We could use ours to help grow local entrepreneurs from within our communities.  Second-stage enterprises could use this tool to expand their capacity resulting in increased local employment.  In this way, the Land Bank could be utilized as a socially responsible vehicle to include the revitalization of people as well as properties.

We need this tool to stop the erosion of many neighborhoods caused by the foreclosure crisis.  The land bank could transform Grand Rapids’ neighborhoods by fighting blight and reusing properties for various community needs (i.e. more green space, build density, integrate public transit, etc.).  Many cities hit hard by foreclosures have already adopted this tool.  We can benefit from the experiences and successes of communities that have had operating land banks for a number of years.  These include Cleveland, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Baltimore as well as Lansing, Flint, Muskegon, Kalamazoo and Detroit.

The Ingham County Land Bank has been successful in reclaiming underutilized properties and historic resources.  They have successfully partnered with for-profit and non-profit developers, real estate professionals and local entrepreneurs to identify new uses and occupants for vacant properties.  We would do well to follow their lead.

The Kent County Land Bank Authority Board (KCLBA) began meeting in June of 2010 and has been working to create founding documents.  The KCLBA has begun to reach out to the public for their engagement.  This upcoming event is the first step to involve others in the task of strategically selecting the properties for the land bank.

The March 23 forum will be held from 3:30 pm- 5:00pm at the Dominican Center (2025 E. Fulton) to educate the public on the specific tools land banks provide and how they can positively affect economic and community development in neighborhoods and communities.  The keynote speaker, Eric Shertzing, will share his insights derived from his involvement with the Ingham County Land Bank.  We’ll all gain a better understanding of this newly created authority and learn how land banks can partner with community development efforts to reuse vacant residential and commercial properties to spur economic and community development.  Kent County Treasurer Ken Parrish will explain the status and next steps for our land bank and how to get involved.  I urge other developers, as well as community leaders, elected officials, city/township planners, nonprofits involved in neighborhood issues, and interested residents to attend.

This new dynamic tool in Kent County provides a great opportunity for strategic development through vacant property reclamation.  For urban developers this event is not to be missed!