By: Deborah Johnson Wood
For the first time in the 22-year history of the University of Michigan/Urban Land Use Institute Real Estate Forum, the event takes place outside southeast Michigan—far outside…at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids.
“There are tremendous real estate successes in the Grand Rapids area and much to be learned there,” says Tom Wackerman, chairman of the UM/ULI Real Estate Forum, in a prepared statement. “From regional cooperation, to leadership in sustainable development, to the downtown building boom, the area provides many lessons in real estate best practices at a time when few cities come close to the number of new and renovated buildings under development in Grand Rapids.”
The forum, WEST SIDE STORY: Grand Rapids, Grand Vision, Grand Region, features a keynote address outlining the struggles and triumphs with Portland, Ore.’s development-oriented streetcar and light rail systems, and presentations by developers of five difficult West Michigan projects: Hopson Flats & Founders Brewery, Clearwater, Mid Towne Village, Michigan Street Development and Harbor 31.
Key events are the panel discussions on the revitalization of the Medical Mile, and a narrated walking tour of select sites around the central city, including the JW Marriott, the H.H. Cutler Building (Cooley Law School) and Dwelling Place. On Wednesday evening, Oct. 15, a pub crawl begins at The B.O.B. and takes participants to pubs with significant real estate or renovation history.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, 16 roundtable sessions include discussions on Brownfield redevelopment, linking urban land use to the knowledge economy, downtown housing, using mixed-use to build a strong urban core, and green buildings as investment property.
The day includes narrated bus tours of sites across the city, including the David D. Hunting YMCA, Israels, American Seating Park, Medical Mile, River House, Uptown and Cathedral Square.
Source: UM/ULI Real Estate Forum
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.