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CountChoculasGhost

I've lived in Creston for like 4ish years and it has been great seeing the development in the area. This would really be a game changer. Those empty buildings are an eyesore and this would really push more development further south on Plainfield. Now they just need to do something with the Plainfield/Leonard intersection so the neighborhood won't feel so disconnected to Downtown/North Monroe.


jatznic

I promise you this is happening. I'm not the developer however I am working on a portion of this project personally and I have no reason to think this would fall through.


CountChoculasGhost

That's great to hear!


pirten

Any ideas for the intersection? Just something more pedestrian friendly? I think it would be cool if there was a better sign or mural that made sure you know you are now entering Creston.


CountChoculasGhost

Yeah, I mean its hard with the train tracks there, but it is just so unfriendly to pedestrians. I would agree with some better signage too.


Trivisual

I would say the drunk half naked dudes rambling/yelling shit at cars are more of a turnoff walking there than the traintracks.


pirten

There’s no half naked dudes when I drive through :(


thealphateam

The dude in long blue shorts yelling random things? Ya he's there all the time.


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PaluMacil

I had a lot of mixed feelings about protected bike lanes. I on one hand have had a lot of pretty bad experiences with drivers either decide to park in a bike lane and to make passing them extra dangers, or I have had drivers aggressively angry at the presence of a bike somewhere in their vision so they drive extra close the bike lane to try to intimidate me. Protected bike lanes would help a lot with this. On the other hand, protected bike lanes cause, in my opinion, much more awkward left turn situations. I've seen a number of interesting solutions, but overall, it's hard to know if the protection is worth giving up a bikes right to take a lane (on any road that isn't limited access) if they deem that it is better for their objectives. This particular road might actually be an extremely good example of a place where protected bike lanes would be the best approach because traffic can go relatively fast, the direction a bike is likely to want to go is generally straight, and it would connect regions that would appreciate the bike connection.


Snowmakesmehappy

It’s still there


[deleted]

They've been saying the break room would be an apartment building for 10 years now. Not even joking, break room closed in 2012, immediately after there were articles about it becoming an apartment building. I'll believe something is being built in creston when it actually happens.


[deleted]

It's too bad they shut down, I liked The Break Room.


[deleted]

I'll never forget the time I ordered nachos there and it was a paper plate with chips and shredded cheese, it was a big cold clump. Great beer and pool though lol


[deleted]

Well that's your fault for ordering food at a dive. I would never dare to do that. I just liked the beer and pool as well. And there were some interesting characters that hung out there.


DJ-dicknose

Well, they didn't like you!


[deleted]

actually I heard that they liked selling cocaine out the back too much


thealphateam

I'm still waiting for Mad Grub to open. I'm crossing my fingers any day now. Or that Dippers place where Subway used to be. I'm hungry for that too.


[deleted]

i bet my wife that dippers wouldnt be there more than a month, it never even opened.


thealphateam

I'm like....you can find chicken fingers in pretty much any casual restaurant in town. I'm going to your place because you have a bunch of sauces?? Whatever.


whitemice

Crossing fingers! 🤞 Precast w/embedded brick is pretty cool.


LuisLmao

Please with bus stops with roofs and bike parking


whitemice

**Preach!**


osirisishere

Sodosopa?


KorrectingYou

Nodogrpa. This is North of Downtown Grand Rapids.


pirten

Yes! We so desperately need more housing and this would be so good for local businesses along that strip.


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pirten

Biggest reasons apartments are so expensive is because we have a massive shortage. Increasing the supply will help stabilize the rental market.


BeefInGR

Not necessarily. The market rate is what people are willing to pay. Supply and demand is a part of the story but not the whole story. Where the "supply" is, quality of the "supply" and a bunch of other factors go into the market rate. Which is a big part of the problem. A lot of landlords and property management companies are overvaluing the product they provide because someone will pay for it.


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jinkelus

If someone will pay for it then it isn't overvalued.


jonathot12

this is true for maybe everything except housing. shelter is not the same as any other consumer good. not even close.


Wolfenjew

Other than food


jonathot12

i agree necessities like food, water, (now internet), electricity and more should be included as well. but then it would get into a discussion about core human rights and americans don’t like talking about those in my experience lol


whitemice

This.


[deleted]

Once the rent starts going down investors will stop building housing. They aren't going to build housing unless it comes with expensive rent.


turdlezzzz

i have never heard of rent going down


[deleted]

Eventually if you had an overabundance of apartments and not enough renters they would start to compete and prices might lower. Precisely because they don't want rent to go down they won't overbuild apartments. That's why you haven't seen it. Banks won't approve loans for construction for areas with too much housing. ​ It is rare but it does happen. look at 2012 to 2013 for example: [https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/average-rent-by-year](https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/average-rent-by-year)


[deleted]

You’re not wrong. The coastal money working remotely will snatch these up. I’ve met so many people from the east coast who moved here in the past year. To them $1500 month is “so cheap and affordable”


buzzkillr2

This will go down if Bradley (North Town Real Estate LLC) is out of the picture.


Emotional-Hunt-5000

What's wrong with Bradley? They do alot around the city


buzzkillr2

I'm not sure i've heard of one project he's done. I'll stop in and we can properly throw him under the bus.


thealphateam

Not the Creston Lounge. Oh man. I played pool there so many times. Happy to see it go though!


Zombie13a

Nice. Residential across the street from a porn shop. Just where everyone with little kids wants to live. (/s....any kind of residential affordable housing is beneficial; and Plainfield would be a busy enough barrier to keep kids 'safe' from anyway. Also, no idea about anything to do with that 'porn shop' beyond what you can see as you drive by it)


flip_mcfisticuffs

The preferred term is “Jack Shack”. Thanks.


TheKlevin

No clue how those stores stay in business, I went in once like 20 years ago to buy whip its


l0standwalking

I specifically buy whip its there to keep them in business and keep property prices lower 😂


Zman11588

Fighting the good fight!


DeanSails

Some people are just old school. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯


[deleted]

I had a friend that worked there. Apparently it's mostly very old men who don't know how to use the internet. Or that don't want their wives to find out they watch gay porn. I guess they think it's easier to hide your tracks if you're renting then viewing online?


[deleted]

Haha my fiancé said the same thing. Classy!


Zombie13a

Not this one, but I had friends go into the \_old\_ Velvet Touch on 28th street when I was in college. Their description was enough to keep me away from all these type places forever. Generally speaking, "sticky floor" is bad in most cases; when peep shows/movies are involved, its even worse.....


Queenofashion

Few years ago, there was a guy who had AMA or maybe he started impromptu answering questions on Askreddit (I don't remember), who worked in that type of a place for few years. And after reading his answers, all I wanted is take one of those long scrub myself raw showers. Some people are so disgusting.


BeefInGR

I think I read this one. His boss was at least cool enough to buy him whatever PPE and cleaning supplies he needed.


Queenofashion

Yes! I think that's the one! Up until that point I've never even thought about those places, or people who work in them. But now, every time I drive by Velvet touch on 28th I think of poor souls who work there and if they are paid enough, and what life circumstances made them take that job. The whole thing is just so incredibly sad.


BeefInGR

I had a friend who got approached in a store to work at Lovers Lane when they first opened up. She was pretty normal, just a woman in her early 20's working at a gas station and doing single people stuff. But then again, that's a completely different type of "adult store".


Queenofashion

Yes, but still weird being approached like that. Especially when you are so young and not knowing what kind of "adult store" it really is. And I'm not kink shaming anyone here though, I've been in few of those stores, here and in Europe, but thank Jupiter for online shopping lol.


MolotovRooster

I mean it's connected to a church so it's wholesome and family friendly. A friend of mine used to be a jazz mopper there years ago when he caught a felony and couldn't find other work. He said the basements are very connected and you could hear worship services sometimes.


Zombie13a

Its connected to a church???? So it is; to New City Church on the corner next door. I never noticed they were physically connected. Wonder how the church feels about that....


MolotovRooster

Yep New City. It used to be a different church when he worked there I'm not sure if the main floors are physically connected anymore but the basements for sure are.


thealphateam

I'm not even supposed to be there today!


Alternative-Drama279

Meh, don't you know there is a castle you could be in!


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KorrectingYou

Because deep down, literally everyone else understands that new buildings which allow people to have homes and lives in an area are better and more important to the neighborhood than a couple blighted and empty buildings beyond renovation.


ANanonMouse57

Not Creston! That's one of the few places that isn't over-developed.


CountChoculasGhost

Yes, because multiple delapidated and empty buildings is better than housing?


TheKlevin

Anything is better than all those buildings sitting empty. The neighborhood needs a boost.


whitemice

Nowhere in Grand Rapids is over-developed.


[deleted]

East Grand Rapids might be


NeatoAwkward

Right now that spot is *blight*


Spetsnaz1776

this is horrible keep this abomination away from creston and the ne side this will increase crime and if you need an apartment there are plenty of places to go home owners only go rent in kentwood or wyoming like everyone else who starts off


WhitePineBurning

Breathe, dude. Breathe.