The Rise of the Cycling City
Bikes and cars in Grand Rapids, sharing the roads in harmony? Some people have that dream. Come find out what it's all about June 29.
East Hills
With seven distinct neighborhoods, three thriving business strips, and three of the city's five historic districts, East Hills is Grand Rapids' undisputed Center of the Universe. Located just east of the central city, East Hills offers a wide selection of eateries, boutique shops, and art galleries. Although the flavor and character of the district is perhaps best experienced by simply strolling neighborhood sidewalks and welcoming chance conservations. Defined by kindness and courage, East Hills is celebrated for its unique mix of racial diversity, artistic creativity, and blazing civic spirit. And whether it's the Corinthian columns of the historic DA Blodgett building or the red brick pavers lining Wealthy Street, the neighborhood also is maintaining clear connections to rich its past amidst a flurry of modern development.
The Brass Owl takes a fresh approach to vintage clothing on Grand Rapids’ Wealthy St.
Amy VanZoeren says she's always thought about owning a vintage clothing shop. When she had the opportunity to get the inventory from the former Coat of Many Colors vintage shop, she decided the time had come. VanZoeren opened The Brass Owl (1127 Wealthy St. SE) about three weeks ago, offering both vintage and contemporary men's and women's clothing, shoes and accessories. "The vintage clothing I have dates from the 1990s back," VanZoeren says. "We have suits and sport jackets for men from the '70s and '80s. I get a lot of people who are looking for costumes for '70s- and '80s-themed parties."VanZoeren says the storefront sat vacant for quite a while before she decided to lease the 900-square-foot space for the shop. She describes the store as having a "warm and cozy feel," which attracts a lot of foot traffic from nearby Uncle Cheetah's Soup Shop and Wealthy Theatre across the street. And while VanZoeren hopes to put some of the store's profits in her pocket, she is working to hatch an idea for a possible scholarship fund for neighborhood kids using some of the store's earnings. "I live right around the corner, so the neighborhood is very important to me," she says. "I'm very committed to being part of the lives of my neighbors. I had this idea that I could make a difference by putting profits into scholarships for art and music for the kids. I'm still trying to figure out the best avenue, but my vision is to make an investment back into my community."Besides clothing, the store offers handmade jewelry by local artists including Rose Beerhorst's button bracelets and Lisa Portenga's The Empty Nest Kitsch Jewelry. Store hours are Weds. and Thurs. 12 to 5, and Fri. and Sat. 12 to 7. Source: Amy VanZoeren, The Brass OwlWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
There’s a new “Grove” being planted on Cherry Street
A first-for-the-area restaurant concept is being added to the ever growing menu of dining options in the East Hills and Cherry Street area. The owners of The Green Well and Bistro Bella Vita, Essence Restaurant Group, are unveiling Grove, their third offering in Grand Rapids. The building at 919 Cherry Street formerly housed Corez Wine Bar, which Essence purchased nine months ago.Grove, set to open in August of 2011, will use many of the core concepts of their other restaurants, using "earth-to-table" principles of natural ingredients sourced from local, family-owned and sustainable farms, with additional focus at Grove on sustainable seafood. A new concept called prefixe menus will change daily, offering three course meals paired with complimentary wine. Essence partner and executive chef Patrick Wise will lead the culinary team at Grove. "We will offer dishes that are innovative with a hint of classic encompassing four elements of cuisine: Local, Exploration, Classics and Conscientiousness," Wise says. "We will guide our guests through a unique culinary journey with each visit."Wise also intends to use the new space as a "test kitchen" for all of their restaurants. "He will assist his chef teams in driving the culinary excellence and the creative edge that Essence guests have to come to expect and enjoy," explains James Berg, managing partner of Essence Restaurant Group.Essence plans to add 35 new associates with the addition of Grove, with several from Bistro Bella Vita and The Green Well moving over to help launch the business. You can follow their renovation progress as they get ready to open in August on their Facebook Page and on Twitter. Source: Patrick Wise, Grove and James Berg, Essence Restaurant Group Writer: Jeff Hill
Grand Rapids tech firm to add office space, add 30 employees on and off site
Grand Rapids-based Atomic Object is so busy, the company plans to invest about $1M to expand its office space and bring on some 30 employees over the next five years. Four of those new employees are already on the payroll, with a fifth to come aboard shortly. The company makes its home in an intensely creative and ever-evolving collaborative workspace on the second floor of 941 Wealthy St. SE. The company uses the first level as a teamwork space and meeting room. But about half of that space, some 375-square-feet plus a 120-square-foot former post office vault, will become "cozy workspace," says co-founder Carl Erickson."I am loathe to chopping it up into desk space," Erickson says. "We're very conscious of preserving our culture because it's critical to the success of the company. If we have to move down to the first floor, we'll do that, but will rotate everyone through the space so they don't become separated individuals who don't talk to each other anymore."Erickson says Atomic Object prefers to stay in Michigan and develop the talent pool here by hiring locally as well as attracting talent from outside the region. "We've done that twice this month," Erickson says. "We just hired a software developer with a degree from UCLA and another person who just relocated from Illinois to work for us." Erickson expects that most of the 30 new employees will work in the embedded systems division where they will be embedded with teams on the clients' premises and not at AO headquarters.The Michigan Economic Growth Authority recently awarded a tax incentive of some $162,000 over four years. The City of Grand Rapids is considering a $250,000 personal property tax abatement for the project. Source: Carl Erickson, Atomic ObjectWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News EditorRelated ArticlesAtomic Object on the prowl for talent
Muse owner opens Rock Paper Scissors Consignment Boutique in Grand Rapids’ East Hills
It's out with the new and in with the old for Brynne Roberts, who closed the doors to Grand Rapids' high-end women's clothing shop Muse to open Rock Paper Scissors, a women's consignment boutique.Rock Paper Scissors Consignment Boutique opened Feb. 1 in a 1,000-square-foot space at 145 Diamond Ave. SE, most recently occupied by Nest before the home and garden shop moved into Bluedoor on East Fulton in September."The space became available in the Blackport Building, which is known for socially responsible businesses," says Roberts. "I was going to do both stores, but someone came asking about the Muse space, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to focus on this thing that I'm more passionate about." All three Muse employees followed Roberts to Rock Paper Scissors, named to reflect the store's nostalgic and eclectic collection of women's clothing and accessories. Gently used garments are priced at least 50 percent below their original selling prices, providing customers with an accessible alternative to traditional retail and Roberts with a more sustainable business model. "It's the way I like to shop," says Roberts. "I like the treasure hunt feel of finding the perfect thing that no one else has, and I thought that would be a fun way to do retail."Rock Paper Scissors will hold a spring open house Apr. 14 to celebrate the opening with a sidewalk sale, giveaways and refreshments. Source: Brynne Roberts, Rock Paper ScissorsWriter: Kelly QuintanillaRelated ArticlesBoutique of big city couture sets grand opening for March 1 in East Hills
Eyewear veterans see opportunity for fashion eyewear shop in growing Grand Rapids business district
Luckily for local eyewear professionals Michael McConnell and Corey Van Duinen, not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. "Corey and I were hanging out in Vegas, and we started talking about putting together a cool optical store," says McConnell. "He said, 'if you bring the eyewear, I'll bring the design.'" Six months later, the idea is becoming a reality as Sight Optical Boutique opens at 924 Cherry Street SE, Grand Rapids, in the former Muse Boutique space. When the store opens in March, it will include a large selection of artist-designed eyewear that can't be found at other local eye care providers. McConnell works in management and U.S. distribution for Hamburg Eyewear of Germany, while business partner Corey Van Duinen is the president and a designer for Grand Rapids-based optical display furnisher Illusion Optical Displays. Van Duinen was also one of the ArtPrize artists behind the Grand Rapids Children's Museum's "Imagine That!" mural. Prices will range from about $200 to $800 for frames from brands like Hamburg, Mykita, Salt and Initium -- all recognized for their fashion-forward designs. McConnell says they will host in-store events with the brands' designers, allowing customers to connect with the artists directly. Optician Marcie VanEss and optometrist Sarah Weeks will round out the staff, providing eyewear guidance and vision exams."Of course we have the medical side, but Sight is more about letting the personality come out in the frames," says McConnell. "Our staff will be very hands on, helping people discover the perfect frame."Source: Michael McConnell, Sight Optical Boutique Writer: Kelly Quintanilla
MSU College of Human Medicine and Neighborhood Ventures partner to fight childhood obesity
Increasing access to healthy foods in targeted Grand Rapids neighborhood corner stores is the next step in the Project FIT program, a Michigan State University College of Human Medicine childhood obesity prevention program funded through a $1M grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The MSU College of Human Medicine is partnering with Neighborhood Ventures (NV) to aid in revitalizing several corner stores in the Buchanan, Campus, Cesar E. Chavez and Dickinson elementary school districts. The program will offer assistance and funding to corner store owners to increase the availability of nutritious foods in their venues. According to Mark Lewis, executive director of Neighborhood Ventures, this is "the community access piece of Project FIT," a program already providing a variety of educational modules to schools on healthy eating, as well as working to improve school lunch services. Lewis says this extension of the program potentially addresses an answer to the concern "what happens after the students leave school?" There are around 44 stores in the targeted neighborhoods. From these stores, "three to six stores will be selected to participate in the pilot program." Once selected, the MSU and NV teams will work with the store owners on a variety of initiatives including in-store marketing, supplies and equipment that will support the healthy eating educational initiatives being conducted in those schools. Lewis hopes to have the first stores operational by the end of May. To learn more about the program, you can visit the MSU website. Source: Mark Lewis, Executive Director, Neighborhood Ventures Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs editor
New LocalMotion Awards to recognize leaders in local sustainability
Local First has announced its first-ever LocalMotion Awards to recognize outstanding contributions to the West Michigan economy by local businesses and organizations. According to Executive Director Elissa S. Hillary, these awards will recognize "the great strides many businesses have made to the local first mission." Hillary identifies practices such as localizing supply chains and working towards accountability with the triple bottom line as examples of actions used to evaluate the nominations. Although there are several programs that recognize local businesses, Hillary says no existing program focused on the sustainability efforts of small and medium-sized businesses. The 2011 Local First LocalMotion Awards will include: The Local Legacy Award: Recognizing lifetime achievement, this award honors an individual or business dedicated to promoting locally owned businesses and sustainable business practices in West Michigan. The TBL Award: This award is presented to a business that has demonstrated a strong commitment to the Triple Bottom Line. The Mover & Shaker Award: This award recognizes a locally owned business that has accomplished a significant shift toward local supply chains in the past year. The Local Hero Award: This award is presented to an individual or family that has demonstrated a significant shift toward local purchasing and sustainable living. The Change Agent Award: This award recognizes a locally owned business or organization that is growing successfully and has made a significant contribution toward the revitalization of a neighborhood or business corridor. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 17. Details of the nomination procedure can be found on the Local First website. Source Ellissa S. Hillary, executive director, Local First Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor
