Tourism

Amway Grand Plaza opens hotel’s first spa for guests and walk-ins

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September 2, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodOver the years, guests of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel (AGPH) in Grand Rapids have asked for a full service spa. The hotel answered by building the new Vasaio Life Spa and Salon. The spa occupies the former Grand Salon space in the exhibitor's building. "We are not experts in the spa business, so we wanted to choose someone who has expertise in that. We knew Vasaio from their store (1100 East Paris Ave. SE) and from the experience with them at the J.W. where they operate the spa," says Rick Winn, vice president/managing director of the Amway Hotel Corporation, which owns the AGPH and the J.W. Marriott across the street."We thought we could have better amenities for the hotel customer by providing both hair services and spa services," Winn adds. "We knew there was a demand for spa services because of guest requests, and we served them through in-room services or at the J.W."Besides a menu of relaxing massages and body treatments, the spa offers some decadent choices for the ultimate in pampering: • a 24K Gold Leaf Facial to reduce lines and replace moisture• a Diamond Dust Facial to stimulate regeneration of collagen• and a Royal Blue Tansy Body Wrap, which calms the skin and nervous system and ends with a full body massageVasaio is Italian for potter, and keeping with that theme are the spa's warm, earthy colors that induce a calming atmosphere. Guests can enjoy a complete line of hair care services for men and women, manicures, pedicures and makeup application. "There is demand for this from people downtown, so we see that as a business opportunity," Winn says. "And many convention goers use conventions as a vacation opportunity for their families. The spa rounds us out quite nicely for those people who really want a full service weekend getaway."Source: Rick Winn, Amway Hotel Corporation; Nicole Ruggiero, Quinn & Co.Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Latest in Tourism

Grand Rapids outdoor concert venue gets $559K facelift in time for Celebration, ArtPrize

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Arts & Culture

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August 26, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodThe stage area in Ah-Nab-Awen Park directly in front of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is too small for many of the performances it hosts, and performers have to bring their own generator to have enough electricity for lighting and equipment. Not anymore. The Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority will invest $559,000 to improve the park, including work to enlarge the stage and supply it with an electrical power panel – all in time for Celebration on the Grand and ArtPrize, both happening in September. The stage is adjacent to the downtown Riverwalk, a multi-mile pedestrian walkway on the banks of the Grand River, and these are just a few of the improvements now underway with the guidance of Nagel Construction, says DDA Executive Director Jay Fowler. "A stretch of the Riverwalk from Bridge Street south to the Gillette Bridge is being replaced with concrete and new lighting," Fowler says. "A retaining wall and some terraces next to the river suffered ice damage several years ago and have been redesigned with handicap access to the river's edge."The design includes a seating wall and platform on the river's edge where anglers can fish or walkers can take a load off and view the city skyline across the river, Fowler says. A walkway around the back of the stage will give people a way to bypass the stage during performances. "This reinvigorates the park as a great venue for downtown events," Fowler says. "A lot of the larger events are too big for Rosa Parks Circle and we wanted to accommodate large events downtown. There's a beautiful view of the city and skyline, and we don't have to close off streets to accommodate crowds in the heart of downtown."Source: Jay Fowler, Grand Rapids Downtown Development AuthorityDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Proposed $30M downtown Grand Rapids market far from sealed and delivered, but moving forward

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General

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August 19, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodThe development of a proposed $30 million year-round urban market for downtown Grand Rapids is far from sealed and delivered, but the group behind the idea says the project is closer to being signed.The proposed project would convert six historic buildings on Ionia Avenue SW between Wealthy and Logan streets into a 178,000-square-foot mixed-use marketplace. A March 2010 public document, Grand Rapids Urban Market: Background Information, states the initial concept envisions restaurants, indoor vendor stalls for independent owner-operated businesses selling fresh produce, baked goods, cheeses and meats, and a leasable commercial kitchen incubator space. David Frey, co-chair of Grand Action with John Canepa and Dick DeVos, the group that spearheaded the development of the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place, says architects are drawing up preliminary plans while crews are busy cleaning up the property.The Downtown Development Authority owns the property, the site of the old Sonneveldt Produce Company. Frey says it "will probably be owned by a newly created nonprofit entity, but it's still in negotiation. There are no guarantees (for development of the market)." Frey estimates the project at $27 million, plus an estimated $3 million for the 3.5-acre parcel."Engineers are determining if the buildings are structurally sound," says Frey. "If you drive by this week you'll see that crews are cleaning up the site so we can see what we have to deal with.""We not only have to design a great facility we can afford to build and run, but we have to be sure the surrounding area is developed with activities compatible with an urban market and not have a contrary purpose or intent," Frey says. "The nearby Kingman's and Baker Furniture buildings would have to be developed in an architecturally- and content-compatible manner." Grand Action hired Design Plus and urban market design expert Hugh Boyd of Montclair, N.J. for the project. Frey expects to see the architects' design concept in early September.Source: David Frey, Grand ActionDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Seven Steps Up Event and Banquet Center opens in renovated historic Spring Lake Masonic Temple

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General

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August 19, 2010

A Spring Lake couple is breathing new life into the historic former Masonic Temple in downtown Spring Lake. Nine years were spent transforming the empty three-story structure into the charming Seven Steps Up Event & Banquet Center, complete with a loft upstairs for their own living quarters.

Total renovation means new image, new restaurant for downtown Grand Rapids hotel

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General

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August 12, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodGrand Rapids' Courtyard by Marriott Downtown recently wrapped up a $3 million renovation, bringing the hotel into the 21st Century. The renovation is part of a chain-wide upgrade that Marriott hopes will attract today's business travelers. The total revamp of the hotel, 11 Monroe NW, includes a new restaurant and bar called The Bistro – Eat. Drink. Connect. The Bistro is an extension of the lobby and offers a casual meeting spot to enjoy a craft beer, or a place to get a tasty wrap sandwich or Starbucks coffee on the go. All 214 guest rooms were renovated and now have mini refrigerators and a jack pack that connects laptops and iPods to a 37-inch HD flat screen television. In the lobby, visitors will find staff seated at individual pods, instead of standing behind an imposing front desk. A 55-inch LCD interactive touch screen, dubbed the GoBoard, provides flight information, restaurant locations, news, sports headlines and maps to local attractions. Wireless Internet access throughout the building and work areas in the lobby allow guests to catch up on work without being isolated in their rooms. "Marriott realized they have been looking for this customer from the '80s and the face of business has changed," says General Manager Mike Donnelly. "So they scrapped everything and started over."Donnelly says that since July 21, customer satisfaction is up almost 20 percent. The Amway Hotel Corporation owns the hotel, the J.W. Marriott and the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. All are connected by a climate controlled Skywalk that also connects to DeVos Place convention center, the Van Andel Arena, shopping and restaurants. "The Marriott transformation completes our eleven-hundred-room concept for downtown," Donnelly says. "The Courtyard was the missing link in being able to offer three different price points and three different amenity levels. And that is so appealing to groups."Source: Mike Donnelly, Courtyard by MarriottDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Grand Rapids Salvation Army Kroc Center fills first of 65 jobs, announces others

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General

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August 5, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodThe Salvation Army has filled the first handful of the 65 new jobs expected at its new multi-million dollar Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, and has announced that several more positions are ready to be filled. The $26 million Kroc center, 2500 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids, has a public open house planned for Saturday, October 23 and hopes to have most of the new employees in place soon. The center, located on 20 acres, will offer dozens of activities for children and adults, including performing arts, aquatics, worship opportunities, cooking classes and a number of outdoor activities ranging from a summertime ropes course to a water slide that becomes a sledding hill in winter."We're posting (new positions) on our web site every week until they are filled," says Stephanie Denton, who is a new hire herself, filling the marketing, membership and public relations director slot. Other management, including program director, facilities director and operations director, has also been hired. "Some positions will require special certification," Denton adds. "For example, the aquatics manager would need CPR and lifeguarding certification, and we're looking for some degreed individuals."The center is filling management positions first, says Denton. Those jobs include recreation manager, aquatics manager, assistant facility director, education manager and health and wellness manager. One fun job requires a candidate with a knack for schmoozing: that of R.J. Kroc, the Kroc Center's mascot performer."The mascot performer wears the R.J. Kroc costume, which is a giant crocodile," Denton says. "We want them to be out and about in the community, to be the walking logo of the Kroc Center at special events, birthday parties and Whitecaps games."Hiring for a variety of part-time positions – front desk coordinators, food service, janitorial and worship staff – will take place closer to the center's opening.Source: Stephanie Denton, Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community CenterRelated Articles Salvation Army awarded $1M challenge grant to complete South Division $25M Kroc Center$30 Million Kroc center expected to spur Burton Heights redevelopmentSalvation Army's new Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center looks to fill 65 new jobsDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Local developers eye vacant Eastown storefront for Grand Rapids’ brewpub

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General

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August 5, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodIt's been vacant for over a decade, but the eyesore at 1551 Lake Dr. SE in Grand Rapids' Eastown could soon be an intimate brewpub cooking up unique libations like Crossroads Pale Ale and Grand Rapids Red Wheat. Brothers Barry and Jackson VanDyke and their sister Heather VanDyke-Titus bought the former Jack's Liquor and plan to create Harmony Brewing Company under their development company Bear Manor Properties. The trio is known for its hand in developing The Electric Cheetah, Brick Road Pizza and The Meanwhile bar."The small scale of this building allows us to do what's in essence glorified home brewing," says Barry VanDyke. He and Jackson have been home brewers for 10 years and will move their expertise to the brewery. "We're not going to be a big brewery, but will be a brewpub, brewing only for consumption on-site."The property is a 1920s house with a separate liquor store added to the front in 1933 – the year Prohibition ended. The place has been gutted, exposing the house's façade on the interior wall of the former liquor store. That section will have customer seating and a small bar, with additional seating in the house's living and dining rooms.Perhaps the most intriguing part of the renovation will be the brewery itself."We're going to completely cut out the floor in the kitchen, so from the basement you'll be able to see the ceiling of the kitchen," says Barry VanDyke. "We'll stack in our brew kettle and mash tun and will be piping the brew up to a hallway where we'll have seven fermentation tanks."VanDyke says the place will have an atmosphere more like a coffee shop than a pub, with the intention of being a family-friendly hangout that also serves ice cream and homemade root beer. A lunch and dinner menu will include garden-inspired dishes, salads and breads. Special "tasting plates" will be designed to be paired with specific beers.Previous plans for a rooftop deck have been nixed in deference to the wishes of neighbors. To-date, the Grand Rapids Planning Commission has approved the project, and the Uptown Corridor Improvement District board has given its okay to pursue a liquor license, VanDyke says. The project still has to get the go-ahead from the Grand Rapids City Commission, the state and the federal government, but VanDyke is optimistic for a late spring 2011 opening.Source: Barry VanDyke, Bear Manor PropertiesDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Proposed $1.5 million downtown Grand Rapids concert venue clears first major hurdles

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General

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July 29, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodA new concert venue complex proposed for downtown Grand Rapids has received the stamp of approval from Grand Rapids' Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority. A couple more hurdles to clear and Pyramid Scheme at 68 Commerce Ave. SW and a restaurant, brewery and pub in the adjoining 62 Commerce can begin construction for a projected 2011 opening. Pyramid Scheme is a partnership between brother-sister duo Jeff and Tami VandenBerg, owners of The Meanwhile bar, and HopCat owner Mark Sellers. They plan to develop 68 Commerce into a 400-person capacity concert venue and a neighborhood bar. The DDA awarded a $50,000 Building Reuse Incentives Program grant earlier this month toward the redevelopment of the building and also approved liquor licenses for both buildings. Mark Sellers is the sole developer of the adjoining building, 62 Commerce. He proposes development of Beatnik Brewing, which includes a restaurant, banquet facility, and, according to the brewery's Facebook page, a bowling alley. A rooftop deck atop the concert hall next door at 68 would be accessed via a door from the second level of 62.The planning commission approved the redevelopment of both buildings this week.Sellers said in an email that he still needs to procure funding for 62 Commerce and get approval for the rooftop deck from the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). The HPC has approved the concert venue's new façade, says Tami VandenBerg. VandenBerg says the purchase and development of the concert venue will run about $1.5 million."This is something we (Jeff and Tami) wanted to do even before we opened The Meanwhile," she says. "We love music and have gone to shows in Detroit and Chicago and have always wanted to bring shows and bands here. We're doing this to bring more jobs and activity downtown, and to make the city a better place to be so that people stick around."Lott3Metz is the architect for the project.Source: Tami and Jeff VandenBerg, Pyramid Scheme; Mark Sellers, HopCatRelated ArticlesRock solid: entrepreneurs propose Pyramid Scheme for downtown Grand Rapids Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Holland restaurant offers intimate dining paired with a walk-in wine cellar

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Development

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July 29, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodA walk-in wine cellar greets diners as soon as they walk through the doors of Theodore's, but the aroma of gourmet dishes for vegans and meat-lovers alike is what beckons them in to enjoy an intimate dining experience. Theodore's at 217 E. 24th St. is a new addition to Baker Lofts, which also houses Baker Lofts Events Center banquet facility and Deli Joe's – all owned by Scott Bosgraaf. Executive Chef Eric Fick is the mastermind behind the menu, with creations that include shared plates, the house specialty chicken pâté that changes daily, and delectable entrées like bourbon braised filet mignon and rack of lamb with pomegranate glaze. Vegetarian offerings include eggplant with puff pastry and tomato saffron sauce. "We have a walk-in wine cellar, but we're not a high-end pretentious place," Fick says. "I have cooked for two people on a Wednesday night for a 30th wedding anniversary. We have vegan offerings and will cook anything to order."As for the wine selection, sommelier Michael Sweeney says he has "30 wines by the glass from $5 to $8.50 a glass, and bottles in those categories from $20 to $34." Number of wines to choose from? Right now, about 600.The cellar list features a number of '89, '94 and 2000 Bordeaux, a '96 Dom Pérignon which Sweeney say is "one of the best vintages of the century for Dom Pérignon" and retails at $400, and a "big group of California Cabernet 'cult wines' like Harlan, which sells for $2,500 a bottle."Hours are Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 7 p.m. with a wine tasting and a limited menu of shared plates; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight with a full menu. Source: Eric Fick and Michael Sweeney, Theodore'sDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Casual dining restaurant and bar opening soon on Muskegon’s waterfront

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July 22, 2010

Deborah Johnson WoodBy land or by lake, no matter how patrons arrive at a new waterfront restaurant in Muskegon, they'll find a bar and eatery with lakeside dining and fabulous views of Muskegon Lake sunsets. So says Jon Rooks of Parkland Properties, developer of The Lake House Waterfront Grille, 730 Terrace Point Blvd., the latest piece of a multi-million dollar renovation of The Shoreline Inn & Suites and Terrace Point Marina complex. The restaurant, formerly called Rafferty's, retained only its original structure. "Everything is brand new," Rooks says. "We added a herringbone maple floor and have 160 feet of windows facing the water. There's also a 160-foot-long deck out over the water that faces west for watching the sunsets."Most of a custom walnut and granite curved bar created by Troy Bosworth from Studio Wise is indoors; the rest, which is shaped like the aft of a boat, is outdoors. Patrons can enjoy their drinks on the deck, or on a patio under the Locust trees the grow through the floor. The Lake House opens July 28, offering a full drink menu, as well as dining creations by Chefs Dustin Schultz and Charlie Forrester. The menu ranges from appetizers like Lake House fish tacos and Tuscan bean and goat cheese dip, to sandwiches, burgers, pasta, steaks and seafood.Rooks says the complex takes up only five acres of the 20-plus-acre property. "I want to attract other developers to what I think is the best opportunity in Michigan right now, and that's the Muskegon shoreline," he says. "Muskegon has a host of amazing events occurring all year round," he adds. "People recognize that it's a great place to be in the summer. We want to use the hotel and restaurant to attract people and events in the nine months of the off-season. If the owners of the waterfront properties can work together, we can accomplish the synergy that's possible."Source: Jon Rooks, Parkland PropertiesRelated ArticlesVeteran developer renovates marina/hotel complex on downtown Muskegon's waterfrontDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.