Deborah Johnson WoodMatt and Jennifer Holmes' home décor store in Holland generated so much interest in its children's merchandise they've opened a second store downtown dedicated to all kinds of stuff for kids. Tip Toes, the offspring of parent store Home & Company, opened last week on the corner of College and 8th St. and offers children's goods that include clothing, shoes, toys, books, strollers and some furniture items for infants on up. "We also have a section for moms that includes accessories like jewelry and purses," says Matt Holmes. "And we have a collection of Grand Rapids' artist Carol Roeda's metal and magnet art that we call 'scrapboarding.'"Matt and Jennifer, both 30, know that shopping with young children can be a challenge – they have a three-year-old son and a daughter who's almost 12 months. So they included a 10-foot-high tree house in the store to keep kids busy while their parents shop. The tree house, designed by Ada-based Carlson Design, has two levels for playing and a stairway for easy climbing. Within the next couple of weeks the couple plans to launch another venture in the lower level – a high-end children's clothing consignment shop called Tip Toed, a playful variation of the main store's name. "Our goal is for people to shop for the fun stuff on the first floor and then search out the great clothes bargains on the lower level," Matt says. "We're excited about being in the new location," he adds. "Between us and the new Kilwin's is the new public fireplace that's built right in the sidewalk with built in benching around it so families can come and eat their ice cream by the fire. It's a great location for us." Source: Matt Holmes, Tip Toes; Mimi Fritz, Downtown Holland Principal Shopping DistrictDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Economic development gurus across the state are working to unite the state's manufacturing development, and Holland has scored big points by landing two major lithium ion battery manufacturing plants in the last year. According to excerpts from the story:Parochialism is poison to economic development. "Where there are opportunities to be supportive of each other, we should be, as opposed to fighting to keep one project going to another community," said CEO of Ann Arbor Spark Michael Finney. The growth of each individual community in Michigan generally boosts the state's brand - and improvements in the state's image affect all of us. Here's a concrete example: The city of Holland on Michigan's west coast is quickly becoming an epicenter for electric vehicle battery production. Holland has landed two major battery plants over the last year: A $220 million project byJohnson Controls-Saft and a $303 million project by Korean firm LG Chem, which is supplying lithium cells to General Motors for use in the Chevrolet Volt. Holland's success accelerates Michigan's efforts to earn a label as a global leader in battery technology and production. Read the complete story here.

Sharon Hanks The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded the Grand Rapids Public Schools a one-year $400,000 planning grant to develop a "transformative" education strategy featuring a blend of online and in-classroom teaching method rather than the traditional sit-in-class approach.

At a time when uneducated West Michigan adults are struggling with unemployment, the Walmart Foundation has come forward with a $550,000 private grant to help them improve their literacy and hopefully land jobs.

Deborah Johnson WoodGrand Rapids' Aquinas College has begun a massive overhaul of its outdated athletic facility that promises to transform the 1957 structure into a showplace for college sports and fitness training. The existing facility on the north side of the campus was mostly gymnasium. The basketball and volleyball courts ran north-south, but will be reoriented to east-west in the center of the main level. That makes room for the addition of interior second levels to the north and south, says Scott Vyn, design director for Integrated Architecture, the firm that designed the new structure.The $7 million renovation includes a new student fitness/workout room, new concessions, locker rooms, classrooms, coaches' offices and the Aquinas Hall of Fame. "We made this change for multiple reasons," says Greg Meyer, Aquinas' associate vice president for advancement. "The building was built 40 years ago when we had six sports and we now have 18. But the primary reason was admissions. At any college now, students look at the academic side and the quality of life on campus; not having a fitness center was a handicap to us."Having three classrooms and a training room in the facility provides a setting where students will train and learn as part of their academic program, Meyer says.The structure will be certified as LEED-NC (new construction) due to the extent of the rebuild and the incorporation of sustainable elements such as re-insulating the entire structure and adding windows around the building.The finished facility will sport a grander Fulton Street entrance some two stories high with columns, bronze panels, glass and ground face masonry. The project is phase 1 of a $12 million plan that will eventually add an intramural building to the west that will house an indoor track and intramural basketball and volleyball courts. Phase 1 will be completed in August 2010. Rockford Construction is the construction manager.Source: Scott Vyn, Integrated Architecture; Greg Meyer, Aquinas CollegeDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Deborah Johnson WoodPlumbers slog through a lot of water throughout their careers, but not quite like Lowell's Greg Canfield does it. He's in the midst of restoring three waterlogged 1880s storefronts that sit just above the surface of the Flat River in downtown Lowell. When Canfield, owner of Canfield Plumbing & Heating and a member of the Lowell Downtown Historic District Commission, found out that 115, 117 and 119 W. Main were going to be demolished because of their water damaged foundations, he jumped at the chance to preserve them. "We already lost some similar buildings next door and you lose the heart of the downtown," he says. "That's why I bought these." Connected to each other, the buildings sit at the west end of the bridge that the Michigan Department of Transportation is now rebuilding. Canfield will combine the buildings into one. Window walls overlooking the river and an outside deck provide spaces for river viewing. He and construction company Ridgeline Reconstruction waited until ice formed on the river to start the renovation, reasoning that it was easier to sweep discarded building materials off the ice than to try to prevent materials from falling into the river. Canfield estimates 50 dump truck loads of debris were removed. "Every time the buildings would settle and sink the answer was to put a new floor on top of the old one, and layer upon layer was added over the years," he says. "There were actually four floors in the buildings."Canfield discovered stairway openings in the ceilings of two of the buildings. Research confirmed they used to be two-story buildings, so he's topping them with new second levels. He says a hair salon has shown some interest, and he could put a large residential condominium upstairs. He also says the space would make a great inn or hotel with a main floor restaurant and guest rooms upstairs. Source: Greg Canfield, Canfield Plumbing & HeatingDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].