Tag Archive for: Westside Rising

Long Road Distillers

West side businesses throw block party (GR Business Journal)

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When Mitten Brewing Co. was getting started in 2011, owners Chris Andrus and Max Trierweiler were a bit apprehensive as they attended the West Grand Neighborhood Organization Christmas Party.

They meekly told then-executive director Nola Steketee they were the guys opening the brewery on Leonard Street.

“She gave us a big hug and cried about how happy she was,” Andrus said. “Ever since then, we felt like we belonged and we haven’t forgotten.”

Steketee stepped down earlier this year, and the city’s second largest neighborhood organization is trying to regain its footing under interim executive director Robert Tolbert. So this weekend, several Leonard Street businesses are coming together to throw the inaugural WGNO Block Party, led by the Mitten. All profits will head to WGNO.

There is a suggested donation of $5 for admission.

“The organization needs the help financially,” Andrus said. “This helps give them a fresh start and some operating funds so they can continue the programs they’ve provided the neighborhood.”

The block party will be held noon-8 p.m., Saturday, in the parking lots of the Mitten and Long Road Distillers, along with a portion of Quarry Street north of Leonard, between the two businesses.

Both the distillery and brewery will be open, while Two Scotts Barbecue— from across Leonard Street — will be closed and only serving at the block party.

Andrus said WGNO has supported the brewery countless times, so it’s time to repay that generosity.

“We couldn’t have done it without their support,” he said. “They came to planning meetings on our behalf and spoke up for us; they gave us assistance with the city when we needed it.”

Mercantile Bank, with its headquarters on Leonard Street, is the presenting sponsor, with several other businesses with a west side presence supporting, including 616 Development, Open Systems Technologies, Westside Garage, Ferris Coffee and Nut, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and Rockford Construction.

Music will be performed from 2-8 p.m., by bands such as JOE, AOK, The Legal Immigrants, Shane Tripp, Boot Strap Boys and DJ Vinyl Fetish.

“This is great timing for this party,” Andrus said. “We’ve got three businesses rolling and it’s a great excuse to get together on something, close down the street and have a party that will showcase the hot corner we have going on here.”

– Pat Evans, Grand Rapids Business Journal, August 27, 2015

Read Full Article Here.

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Long Road Distillers

Long Road takes long view with trio of expansion plans (GR Business Journal)

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Distillery gains approval for full kitchen, rooftop deck and expanded production area.

The city’s first distillery has set its sights on some big expansion projects.

Long Road Distillers went in front of the Grand Rapids Planning Commission last week seeking approval for three projects, all of which gained unanimous approval.

The planned expansions include a full kitchen, a rooftop deck and an expanded production area.

Owners Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor have recognized the need for expansion since prior to opening earlier this year but mulled the details for the past sixth months before heading to the city’s planning panel.

Van Strien, who is also a member of the planning commission, recused himself from the meeting.

“We knew the space we have would never be quite sufficient if everything went as we planned,” O’Connor said. “As we continue to grow after having our second still installed, it increased our potential capacity. And to fully optimize our equipment, expanding is necessitated.”

Enlargement of the production space is crucial if Long Road is to max out its capabilities and hit the distribution market it desires. Van Strien said he expects the distillery’s products to begin showing up on store and bar shelves within the next two months.

Current production space is cramped with equipment as well as with full and empty bottles, barrels, grain and fermenting liquid.

An addition would free up some elbowroom, Van Strien said.

Adding on to the back of the building would take up three of the business’s parking spots, but would double the footprint of the current production space with an additional 1,200 square feet.

“We’re hamstrung in how much we can do. It’s tight,” Van Strien said. “(An expansion) would enable us to store both finished and product in process, as well as potentially expand fermentation capabilities so we can fully optimize our equipment.”

Also in the works is a full kitchen. Currently, Long Road utilizes a partial kitchen to serve mostly small dishes. The owners said the kitchen is limited and restricts potential business during lunch and dinner times.

The proposed kitchen would be constructed in the back portion of a building at 539 Leonard St. NW, which also is owned by the distillery’s investment group and currently is occupied by Chicago Style Gyro. The gyro restaurant will stay in the building by consolidating its storage.

The project will add 1,200 square feet of kitchen space with cook-tops, hoods, walk-in coolers, dry storage and a dish-washing area.

A proposed rooftop deck will seat 60 people and have limited hours, O’Connor said. In the proposal, Long Road notes the deck is in line with recent projects by neighbors Mitten Brewing Co. and Two Scotts Barbecue.

Long Road expects its upstairs overflow seating area and event space to be finished by the start of ArtPrize next month and likely will host live music during the annual art competition.

O’Connor said because of the business’s alcohol use, any change must go in front of the planning commission. Instead of getting the projects approved one at a time, they sought to move them all through at once.

Van Strien said the projects will cost “a lot of money,” but the exact amount is an unknown at this point. He also said the projects aren’t imminent, and this is just a proactive move on the company’s part. The expansions will not be concurrent, and the first one won’t start until next spring. O’Connor said that’s because most West Michigan contractors are booked through the end of the year.

“Rather than go back multiple times, we thought we’d get it all done at once so, as funds become available, we can do them,” he said.

– Pat Evans, Grand Rapids Business Journal, August 14, 2015

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Long Road Distillers

Two months after opening, Long Road Distillers seeks to double production space (MiBiz)

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While Long Road Distillers LLC just opened a little more than two months ago, the maker of craft spirits already plans to expand in Grand Rapids’ west side neighborhood.

The company will go before the Grand Rapids Planning Commission on Thursday, Aug. 13 with a special land use request to add 1,200 square feet to double its production space at 537 Leonard St. NW, as well as expand its kitchen.

For the craft distillery, the added production space will help it make the transition into producing enough product to start distributing its spirits, said co-founder Kyle Van Strien.

“This is making sure we’re satisfying the needs we have now and in the near future for production,” he said. “We just continue to grow. We’re going to two shifts (this) week for our production team just to meet demand. We’ve met demand from the front of the house … but as we go to distribution in a month and a half, we need to have enough room.

“With the amount of storage that we have and our production space, it can get tight. We hope to alleviate some of the strain on our production team.”

Demand from Long Road’s pub thus far has “exceeded our expectations,” Van Strien said. While the company expected to use 70,000 to 80,000 pounds of wheat in its first year as part of the distilling process, it used that much in its first three months of production.

“We’ve seen the demand in the front of the house,” he said. “To this point, we’ve been producing to meet demand, not for the long-term.”

The company has added fermenters to help the production crew keep up, and the second shift should also make a difference, Van Strien said.

The company plans to launch distribution with three spirits in the next month and a half.

“We probably could have had the supply to go into distribution this month or last month, but we don’t want to limp into this. We want to run full-steam into this distribution thing,” Van Strien said.

Long Road is also asking the city to allow it to add a rooftop deck to the neighboring building at 539 Leonard St. NW. The affiliated River Bed Investors LLC owns both buildings, according to county records.

Meanwhile, more kitchen space will allow the distillery to grow its food offerings and offer a “cohesive” menu, Van Strien said.

“Our menu is focused and great, but we want to become a place people go for dinner and an appetizer,” he said. “With an expanded kitchen, we can really blow up our menu with a full line of great food.”

As for the theme of the expanded menu, “we’re still coming up with what that might be,” Van Strien added. “We want it to be cohesive and fit with our cocktail program.”

The added kitchen capacity also will allow Long Road to use its soon-to-be-completed upstairs space for events and other special uses, he said. Adding the upstairs and the rooftop deck will expand the capacity to around 260 people, Van Strien said.

Long Road’s current street-level space seats 80 people.

The Grand Rapids-based distillery’s expansion comes during a period of explosive growth for spirits producers. The number of small distillers grew from 92 in 2010 to more than 700 last year, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council.

The Michigan Craft Distillers Association said nearly 40 distilleries were in operation in the state as of last year, enough for the state to rank third in the nation for the number of producers.

– Joe Boomgaard, MiBiz, August 9, 2015

Full Story Here.

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Long Road Distillery: Mixed drinks from local spirits (Fox 17)

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Even though it was early, we had a great time hosting Fox 17 at Jackie Green for “On The Scene with Jackie Green” this week!

Check out the early morning videos here.

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Long Road Distillers

Long Road on Fox 17 Evening News with Christian Frank (Fox 17)

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Long Road Distillers is Grand Rapids 1st Craft Distillery.  They also feature farm fresh food and bottles-to-go.

They are at 537 Leonard NW in Grand Rapids.  They are open Monday thru Thursday from 4:00pm – Midnight, Friday and Saturday from Noon – Midnight, and Sunday from Noon to 9:00pm.

Check out the full story here.

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Long Road Distillers

Shaken, stirred and spirited: Local distilleries on the rise (Rapid Growth Media)

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While Grand Rapids, aka “Beer City, USA,” is the so-called epicenter of the nationwide craft brewery boom, West Michigan has quietly played host to a related trend in artisanal spirits. Independent distilleries have been popping up across The Mitten, spearheaded by folks with a passion for finely wrought booze featuring locally sourced ingredients and other notable elements. These days, Michigan is home to over 40 distilleries and that number is growing.

“I think if we look at places like Washington State and Colorado, you see craft distilling trailing brewing by about 15 years. [Michigan is] in a similar trajectory,” says Kyle Van Strien, co-owner of Long Road Distillers, which opened this spring on the Westside of Grand Rapids. “In West Michigan we have this desire to eat local food and drink local drinks. The craft beer movement is strong and we feel [independent distilleries are] the next step in the movement.”

Van Strien believes that before the craft beer craze, many consumers felt that specialty brews were too flavorful. But “they’ve learned to love it,” he says, citing evolving tastes and a new desire to seek out diverse taste experiences “I think we will see the same [evolution] with craft spirits. I think that…people don’t really know what it is they are drinking. They assume vodka has to burn your throat, that it is odorless and tasteless, while it’s a much more beautiful spirit, depending on what you are using to make that spirit.” Crafted with grain sourced from local farms, Van Strien describes Long Road’s vodka as “soft and sweet with a little bit of a vanilla flavor to it.”

With Long Road Distillery located in the heart of a working class region, many patrons come in for a drink not because they are necessarily connoisseurs of the many nuances of different spirits, but because “they are coming in for the great cocktails,” he says.

One of the early players on the craft distillery scene was Grand Traverse Distillery, based in Traverse City and in operation since 2007. In December 2014, the company opened a tasting room at Grand Rapids Downtown Market, which has enabled them to reach a wider market. According to Van Strien, state law allows for multiple tasting rooms. Some distilleries take advantage of that capability in lieu of, or prior to, full distribution. “Grand Traverse Distillery is one of the distilleries we respect the most,” says Van Strien, because they create all their products in house.

Some distilleries are not capable of producing a full range of liquor on site and circumvent the process through a variety of tactics, which is a topic that has been covered by a number of notable publications, like The Atlantic. “We wanted our equipment on display,” says Van Strien. “If you don’t see that at a place, you want to ask where [the product] is coming from.” According to him, Long Road Distillers is operating the first legal alcohol still in Grand Rapids.

Near the lakeshore, Holland is host to two distinct distilleries. Coppercraft Distillery, launched in 2012, prides itself on a “grain to glass experience.” They feature locally grown herbs and fresh-pressed juices in their “classically inspired cocktails.” Patrons can also enjoy weekly tours of the stills.

New Holland Artisan Spirits hit the taproom in 2008 as an extension of the popular New Holland Brewing company. “Distilling is a continuation of fermentation,” says Fred Bueltmann, vice president and author of the book The Beervangelist’s Guide to the Galaxy: A Philosophy of Food and Drink. “We get to see the fruits of beer making into malt whiskey and other spirits.” Some of their well-known products include Knickerbocker Gin and Clockwork Orange liqueur.

Bier Distillery is another example of brewery-born spirits. Operating out of Cellar Brewing Co. in Sparta since 2013, the micro-distillery recently gained approval to distribute beyond the brewery. Product features include their signature moonshine called JUSTtheSHINE, which is created in a “traditional backwoods style.” Notably, Bier Distillery’s website features detailed information about each spirit, including cheeky historic facts, the distillation process, flavor profiles and even a handful of recipes and food pairings.

Later this year Grand Rapids is set to gain Gray Skies Distillery, aptly named for a Michigan-based company, which specializes in small batch spirits. Located in the former Rapids Spring & Stamping warehouse just outside of downtown, the new distillery is nestled along the small industrial stretch that is also home to several bars. According to their mission statement, “Grand Rapids North Monroe industrial district is a place where things get made. Unfortunately in many of the district’s structures that just isn’t true anymore. Entire stretches of buildings have fallen into disrepair. For at least one location Gray Skies Distillery is changing that.”

True to the passions of any artisanal craftsperson, many new and established distillers across the state cite the desire to create a fine product with superior and local ingredients in mind as a driving force behind their operations. “In the brewery culture and distilling, it’s just people that decided do it, and we’re back to this culture of making things,” says Van Strien of Long Road Distillers. “We are proud to be makers in Michigan where we’ve made cars and furniture for years and years. Now we are back to a maker’s culture.”

By Audria Larsen, June 25, 2015 in Rapid Growth Media

Photo Credit: Adam Bird Photography

Full Article Here

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Long Road Distillers

West Side the new ‘it’ neighborhood in GR? (WOOD TV 8)

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The West Side of Grand Rapids is undergoing a transformation.

For a long time, the saying among West Siders has been “The West Side is the best side,” and now it seems others outside the area are taking notice.

“I’m really, really excited about all the new things that are happening; the new developments that are going on, this is just wonderful,” said Nola Steketee, the executive director of the West Grand Neighborhood Organization.

Thursday, the Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved plans for the latest development: A new brewery along Alpine Avenue called Grey Line Brewing Co.

Steketee said the area from Bridge Street to Leonard Street used to get only three or four businesses per year looking to move into the area. Now, she says, they get three to four per month.

The transformation has been years in the making.

“There was a tad bit of hesitation at first,” Steketee said. “But everybody realizes that we have to shake it off and go to the next level, and the next level would be all the new things that are happening. We have to give this all to the youth; we have to give this all to the next generation that is coming though.”

One of the new businesses is Long Road Distillers, which is going in along Leonard Street.

“For us, it’s really exciting to invest money and our heart and soul into this neighborhood now,” Kyle Van Strien, co-owner of Long Road Distillers, said.

Van Strien and his co-owner have lived on the West Side for the past decade. He said he couldn’t imagine opening the distillery anywhere else.

“Part of it is a lot of investment from outside groups or new business in the neighborhood. Places like Rockford Construction and the Mitten Brewing Company — they are great additions to the west side. But it’s also these business that have been here decades, a hundred years,” he said.

Long Road Distillers is joined by a host of other new businesses: The Mitten Brewing Company across the street opened a few years back; Two Scotts Barbecue hopes to open later this month; over on Bridge Street the fences are up where ground will soon be broken on New Holland Brewing Company; down the road, the old Little Mexico building is being transformed into Harmony Hall; and not too far away on Alpine is the latest project to get approval, Grey Line Brewing.

“This little corner here has seen a ton of investment over the past two years and I think it’s only going to continue,” Van Strein said. “You’ve seen a ton of stuff on Bridge Street, Fulton and coming up Seward and I think really it’s going to continue in all of our business district on the west side.”

The West side is an area steeped in tradition; but also an area Van Strien sees as growing in diversity. Just one of the reasons so many are setting up shop.

“You go into the Mitten on any given weeknight and you don’t feel like you necessarily walked into a pretentious craft brewery. It’s like anybody walked in. It’s not white collar, it’s not blue collar. It’s everybody together enjoying a beer together,” he said. “That’s what we really enjoy about the West Side. Everybody is welcome. You come as you are. You just show up. You are who you are.”

WOOD TV 8 – Full Story

Tom Hillen, March 13, 2015

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Long Road Distillers

West Side booms with new restaurants, breweries (Rapidian)

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Recently, the west side of Grand Rapids has seen major urban development and growth for the restaurant industry. Within the past six months there has been a multitude of announcements regarding new restaurants, breweries and even distilleries staking their claim in West Side real estate.

The vast majority of new developments are paying homage to the grass roots of the neighborhood. All establishments are consciously appreciating the established community and culture found within the west side.

Harmony Hall, created by the owners of Harmony Brewing Company, will be opening in the previous location of Little Mexico Cafe in the Stockbridge Business District. Barry, Jackson and Heather Van Dyke, the three siblings behind the popular Eastown brewpub, are currently in the process of converting the space into their 300-seat German style beer-hall. They are keeping much of the decor from the early 1970s by artist Bill Bowsema while also keeping much of the historic Bavarian style, allowing the space to be an immersion of both cultures.

“We love the feel of the space and it is definitely a part of the building’s history,” says Barry Van Dyke.

The Van Dykes liken the renaissance of the West Side to that of Uptown almost a decade ago. Harmony Hall is expected to open Spring 2015.

While some businesses are merging out to the West Side due to expansion, such as Harmony Hall and New Holland Brewing Company, the area is also welcoming brand new establishments, such a Black Heron Kitchen and Bar, opening at 428 Bridge Street early next year.

Owners Seth and Laura Porter say their restaurant will mainly focus on specialty sausages. They plan for the menu to reflect the neighborhood, with both Polish sausages and Mexican Chorizo among options.

“We want to offer food that celebrates this neighborhood,” says Seth Porter, “but then also provide higher-end items that may not be available anywhere else on Bridge Street.”

The building in which they will reside is owned by City Commissioner Walt Gutowski, also the owner of Swift Printing down the street. Having renovated his business in 2000, he has since been very invested in the renewal of his native West Side neighborhood.

“It is a real passion for me as not only a business owner but also a city commissioner,” Gutowski says, “The Bridge Street corridor is starting to once again resemble the neighborhood from its long ago formative years.”

Much of the large construction and development projects in the West Side are due to the increased presence of Rockford Construction. They recently created a new office headquarters on First Street, and have been involved with many of the new building projects both residential and commercial. It is Rockford Construction’s intention to once again establish Bridge Street as a viable connection to the downtown area of Grand Rapids.

Rockford Construction has purchased the majority of the vacant buildings along Bridge Street, with their plan being one of revitalization. Back in early October Brett VanderKamp, New Holland’s president and Mike VanGessel, Rockford Construction’s CEO revealed the $17 million development plan anchored by a satellite location of New Holland Brewing Co. New Holland is expected to open in late 2015, with a distillery and brewpub on site. The state’s third largest brewery, VanderKamp says they have been looking for the perfect location in Grand Rapids for expansion for a few years now. According to VanderKamp, Rockford’s vision helped them choose to reside in the West Side.

“It was finally the right fit with what we were trying to create,” he says.

Both Rockford Construction and Gutowski have been focusing on the rebirth of Bridge Street, but other areas of the West Side have also been experiencing an uptick in consumer business. Max Trierweiler opened The Mitten Brewing Company in late 2012, which has recently gone under some renovations. They expanded their on-site operations, seating in the dining areas and started to expand their production to a separate facility near the pub. Being the first brewery in the area, Trierweiler said that played a part in their decision to call the West Leonard Corridor home two years ago.

“We saw the area needed a boost,” he says, “We thought we would be able to act as an anchor for this stretch of Leonard Street and make it more walkable for people.”

Neighbors to The Mitten Brewing Co is Long Road Distillers, set to open in the late Winter/early Spring 2015. Co-owners Jon O’Connor and Kyle Van Strien are both residents and advocates for the West Side. As Grand Rapid’s first and only craft distillery, they will soon draw much more traffic to the West Side.

“That’s why we’re here, because everything we’ve done in our spare time for the past 10 years has been for the West Side and in the West Side,” says Van Strien.

“We’ve been preaching the merits of the West Side since we’ve been in town,” says O’Connor.

Mayor Heartwell sees this exponential growth and knows it needs to be monitored, considered carefully and built for the benefit of the community.

“Growth means change. And so if we are a community that wants to grow, and has made some determination that growth is good for us- that is growth of number of people living in Grand Rapids, the number of businesses employing people and operating in Grand Rapids [and] the number of institutions like hospitals and colleges and universities in Grand Rapids. If we want to see that kind of growth, and we recognize it has positive elements. We also need to recognize that it has a negative side. It changes some of the things that maybe we have held dear and important for a long time- traditions and culture… There has been an explosion I would say here on the near West Side. And if you’ve lived here, if you’re a generational family who’s lived here on the West Side, near West Side especially- you’ve seen that explosive growth. You’ve seen the nature of life, the quality of life, change dramatically. And some of that has been for good and some of it has been very difficult,” he says. “This is the push and pull, the give and take, of development.”

The Rapidian – Full Article

Caitlin Hoop, December 16, 2014

 

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Long Road Distillers

New developments breathe life into GR’s west side neighborhood (MiBiz)

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As new developments spring up throughout Grand Rapids’ west side neighborhood, the district is at the center of a concerted effort by a range of business interests looking to revitalize a long-neglected part of the city.

Companies ranging from new breweries and restaurants to upscale retail stores and residential developers have invested tens of millions in this first wave of the west side’s turnaround. Developers say they hope the investment will act as a catalyst for urban renewal in the key Grand Rapids neighborhood.

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed by the area’s existing business owners and neighborhood groups. While most believe the investments will ultimately tip the scales in favor of the area’s renewal, some feel like key community cohorts should have a better voice in which projects move forward.

Starting at the Grand River and stretching west past Stocking Avenue, the Bridge Street corridor is starting to resemble the neighborhood some long-time residents recall from their formative years in the area.

“Bridge Street doesn’t need to be redefined,” said Walt Gutowski, a Grand Rapids city commissioner, business owner and self-appointed “ambassador” of the west side. “It just needs to be restored.”

A native of the neighborhood, Gutowski owns Swift Printing Co. at 404 Bridge Street NW. The restoration of that building in 2000 helped accelerate redevelopment along the corridor, he said.

As more projects come online, Bridge Street is starting to follow a similar pattern to development in the Wealthy Street and Cherry Street corridors in the mid-2000s, sources said.

The west side developments promise to add new selections to the mix of neighborhood businesses, which had waned in recent decades. For example, Black Heron Kitchen and Bar plans to offer Michigan craft beer and wine and upscale sausages when it opens early next year at 428 Bridge Street in a building owned by Gutowski. Meanwhile, Denym LLC, a high-end jeans retailer, opened earlier this year at nearby 443 Bridge Street.

Having grown up in the area, Gutowski recalls how years ago, residents had options for shopping and dining all along the corridor. Bringing back that neighborhood feel has been a long-time goal, Gutowski said, noting his projects and other developers’ plans all play a part in the renewal.

County records show that Gutowski owns about 20 properties along the corridor.

“(The redevelopment) is a real passion for me, as both a city commissioner and business owner,” Gutowski said.

BANKING ON BEER

While Gutowski is predominantly focused on the main Bridge Street artery, other developers are launching projects all over the city’s west side.

In opening The Mitten Brewing Company LLC in November 2012, Max Trierweiler said he was drawn to the area by the amount of traffic that Leonard Street receives. Co-owner Trierweiler and business partner Chris Andrus thought a microbrewery could act as an anchor attraction to help make the stretch of Leonard Street a more walkable corridor where people would come down to eat, drink and shop for an afternoon.

Now Mitten Brewing is expanding its operations with on-site outdoor seating, upstairs dining and a separate production facility kitty-corner from its pub. Soon to join Mitten on the West Leonard corridor is Long Road Distillers LLC, located across the street at 537 Leonard NW. Meanwhile, construction is currently underway for Two Scotts LLC, a new barbecue restaurant at 536 Leonard NW.

“We saw the area needed a pick up,” Trierweiler said of their decision to open a business on the west side two years ago. “It helped that we would be the only brewery in the area.”

He won’t be able to say that for much longer, however, as two new breweries are planned a few blocks south in the Bridge Street corridor, with one already under construction.

In an announcement in early October, Grand Rapids-based Rockford Construction Co. said it would redevelop parcels along Bridge Street NW for a new development anchored by New Holland Brewing Company LLC. The project will include a New Holland taproom, restaurant and brewery, as well as ground-floor retail, office space and 35 apartments, as MiBiz reported last month.

The upscale development will take the place of a blighted building that once housed an adult novelty and lingerie store.

Just to the west of the New Holland development at the corner of Bridge Street and Stocking Avenue, work remains underway for Harmony Hall. The project is breathing new life into the building that formerly housed the Little Mexico restaurant, which closed in March 2013. The new business — a brewpub with a sausage-themed restaurant — is being led by the principals of property management firm Bear Manor Properties LLC, who also own Harmony Brewing Company in the city’s Eastown neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the Fulton Street corridor, another key east-west artery through the west side district, has also seen projects come online in recent years. Anchored in large part by Grand Valley State University’s Pew Campus and the Seidman College of Business along the Grand River, the corridor has seen the recent addition of a Tim Hortons drive-thru restaurant and a satellite Rylee’s Ace Hardware Inc. store on the far west end of the stretch near John Ball Park.

ADDING NEW HOUSING STOCK

Development in the area isn’t only limited to retail or new service-related businesses, either. New housing projects are popping up to meet growing demand in the neighborhood.

For example, Rockford Construction Co. in July opened an 18-unit apartment complex at 600 Douglas NW.

The goal for 600 Douglas was to make 450-square-foot apartments feel more like 700- or 800-square-foot units, said Bruce Thompson, vice president at Rockford Ventures LLC, one of the contractor’s subsidiaries. To accomplish the project’s vision, Rockford worked with Urbaneer LLC to install its line of movable walls in the apartments, which allow tenants to easily change the layout of the space.

Urbaneer, a design firm, is a part of Rockford’s First Street Initiative, in which the contractor aims to partner with smaller firms around the concepts of “building, design and construction,” Thompson said. The partner companies that make up the First Street Initiative are independent businesses that work with Rockford on certain projects, Thompson added.

“Each of them brings something different to the mix,” Thompson said. “It is really starting to have the feel of a campus down here, and that’s a little of what we want with this First Street concept. We want to bring companies that are innovative … and firms that are complementary to us, but we are also able to leverage some of the infrastructure that we have.”

Altogether, there are seven companies involved in the First Street Initiative including Insignia Homes, enCO2, Signature Wall Solutions, Johnson Product Development, Brenda Thompson Interiors, Trovati Studio and Urbaneer.

Perhaps the most visible developer working on the west side after moving its corporate headquarters to the corner of First Street and Seward Avenue last year, Rockford has also been buying up large amounts of neighborhood property through its development arm for its so-called Gateway Project.

Property records show that Kurt Hassberger, Rockford’s president and chairman of the board, is listed on more than a dozen properties in the area that are owned under a variety of related business entities.

The company’s efforts in the neighborhood are no coincidence. Rockford CEO Mike VanGessel, much like Gutowski, is a west side native. Gutowski told MiBiz that the two are old friends and have been talking for more than a decade about how to go about redeveloping the area.

VanGessel was unavailable for comment for this story, according to a Rockford spokesperson.

CONCERNS REMAIN FOR SOME

While most reactions to the developments on the west side have remained positive, certain residential projects have raised concern from neighborhood associations, particularly over the issue of density.

Approved in July by the City Commission, Grand Rapids-based developer Cherry Street Capital LLC has plans to break ground next spring on a $12.9 million project with 63 apartments, commercial space and underground parking at the corner of Lake Michigan Drive and Seward Avenue.

Despite gaining city approval and receiving support by many in the neighborhood, the project was initially called into question by the South West Area Neighbors (SWAN), a west side neighborhood association.

“When (a development) doesn’t comply with our Area Specific Plan, then we have concern,” said Margo Johnson, president of SWAN. “We have a neighborhood that has been desirable and developers need to (understand) the desires of the current neighbors.”

Specifically, Johnson told MiBiz the organization’s concern with Cherry Street Capital’s plans stemmed from the project including too much density for the area it will eventually be built on, something that goes against the city’s plan for the neighborhood.

Despite those concerns, the project is moving forward, according to the developer.

“There was some resistance, but a lot of people spoke for the project, and I think that’s what got it across the line,” said Chad Barton, a partner at Cherry Street Capital.

Speaking broadly about the ongoing redevelopment of the west side, Johnson from SWAN said her organization also expresses concern when developers aren’t perceived as including the thoughts and opinions of existing residents.

In that regard, SWAN isn’t alone.

Bridge Street House of Prayer, a community ministry located at 1055 Bridge Street NW, works with much of the “marginalized” population in the neighborhood, said Andrew Sisson, the community development director at the organization. There is a perception from some of the existing residents in the neighborhood that developers aren’t interested in listening to the broader community, he said.

“Overall, there’s not too much of a negative perception of (new development),” Sisson said. “(For) people who are in this neighborhood currently, if their thoughts, ideas and culture are taken into consideration, if they see their opinions are being implemented, they’re OK with it and they’re excited about it.”

As more development takes shape in the neighborhood, property costs have already started becoming an issue for some business owners.

Fred Mackraz, the co-owner of the recently opened Blue Dog Tavern at 638 Stocking Avenue NW, the site of the former Kopper Top bar and restaurant, said he sees a lot of momentum in the area for positive, urban development. Indeed, the goal behind his new project was to help create a traditional bar and grill for the neighborhood.

But he’s concerned that as development ramps up, there are property owners in the area trying to hold on to their buildings in an attempt to drive up the values.

“Some people have property that is ripe for redevelopment and are hoping they will get prices that are not reasonable,” Mackraz said. “The old businesses that are here should view (new development) as a positive thing.”

MiBiz – Full Article

Nick Manes, November 9, 2014

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Long Road Distillers

5 UPCOMING GRAND RAPIDS BARS WE’RE IRRITATINGLY EXCITED ABOUT (Beer O’Clock GR)

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Grand Rapids has a lot going on these days. The changes from when the Beer O’Clock GR staff came back from the west coast sometimes boggle our tiny minds. New Grand Rapids bars are popping up all over, but there are a select few that we’re really, really excited for, either because of what they offer, or because of what they mean for the city. Below are our top 5.

Difference of opinion? Let us know in the comments, or on the Beer O’Clock GR Facebook page.

1. LONG ROAD DISTILLERS

Long Road is so much more than just the city’s first from-scratch distillery. It’s a shot across the bow of the idea that the city’s east side has to be where the action is. Plus, it couldn’t be owned by two cooler guys than Kyle VanStrien and Jon O’Connor. We had the opportunity to spend some time hanging out with these guys, and they are true blue Grand Rapidians — viewing their venture not just as a profit-maker, but also as another step toward building the west side out (they are both from the area).

They are focused on the process, about growing organically and on being the city’s first true distiller. Based on the care, thought and heart they’ve put into the process of conceiving the distillery itself and it’s place in the neighborhood, we absolutely cannot wait to try their product.

To us, Long Road represents a huge step forward for our city. Learn more about Long Road at their website or their Facebook page.

2. THE BLACK HERON

Owned by Seth and Laura Porter, founders of Michigan Beer Blog, this spot’s description had us immediately: Michigan made ciders and beers (heavy on the ciders), handmade sausages and proper poutine. At 428 W Bridge St., The Black Heron will also be part of a crop of new Grand Rapids bars making the West Side the best side (forgive us).

Learn more about The Black Heron at their website, Facebook page and definitely read Michigan Beer Blog.

3. NEW HOLLAND BREWING GRAND RAPIDS TAPROOM

Only announced officially last week Tuesday, this is huge for Grand Rapids. This spot will be part of Rockford Construction’s massive revitalization of the Bridge street corridor on the West Side. (Noticing a pattern here?) It is a massive development, and will introduce a multi-story taproom with roof deck, destined to become a go-to place for tourists and locals alike. Couple that with New Holland’s name recognition, and you’ve got one more reason Grand Rapids is well on it’s way to becoming the world’s best beer city.

Learn more about the development at MLive.

4. HARMONY HALL

So, Barry, Jackson and Heather Van Dyke, who own what may be our favorite neighborhood joint in the city, the charming and welcoming Harmony Brewing in Eastown, are opening a West Side Polish Hall-influenced bar called Harmony Hall. Color us stoked. Good memories from our misspent early 20s at 5th Street Hall abound, and since the trio are leaving up some of the 1970s Little Mexico wall art (the Hall will occupy LM’s former space), you get a little nostalgia for that GR legend as well. The progress is looking beautiful, and we just can’t wait to see it happen.

Our one hope is that they’ll do a light, eastern European-style lager that we can tip by the liter in honor of the Hall’s heritage. Learn more about Harmony Hall on MLive.

5. THE SHRUNKEN HEAD

You’d be surprised — possibly alarmed — at how often I wish there was a solid tiki bar in town. It was only made worse by this Anthony Bourdain segment featuring San Fransisco’s Tonga Room. That’s why BarFly Ventures (owners of Hopcat, Stella’s, etc.) new spot is so exciting. Let’s just hope that this joint has it all: Fine barbecue, kitschy interior, the works, please.

Learn more about the Shrunken Head on their website or Facebook page.

 

Full Article – Beer O’Clock GR – October 13, 2014

 

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