The Village of Orchard Hills

2008-08-14T09:45:00.003-04:00

Rapid Growth's Managing Photographer, Brian Kelly, recently published a photo-study about Grand Rapids, "A city undergoing a radical transformation". This piece chronicles from the air the many construction projects that foretell a story of explosive growth for the city and region over the coming years.

Richard Florida on Grand Rapids

2008-07-25T10:43:00.007-04:00

Richard Florida
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

Richard Florida, the Hirst Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University, and author of The Rise of the Creative Class, recently spoke with Rapid Growth Media about his most recent book, Who’s Your City. In this excerpt he discusses Grand Rapids, MI, in particular:

“What's your view of Grand Rapids, MI?

I love Grand Rapids. I've been there a bunch of times. Some of my earliest work on creativity was done with Steelcase. Clearly the legacy of innovation, and if you think about the creative economy, the work systems that actually make you productive, it seems to me that there's no better place than Herman Miller and [the local office furniture industry]. And it's not just making furniture. It was started by hardwoods there and they made this great furniture for the industrial age. But it's been on the cutting edge of root-based work, making creative work teams more effective.

Plus that lake! We spent a lot of summer time in Northern Michigan, is there any more beautiful place in the world? So I think Grand Rapids is suffering less from the problems in Michigan than the rest of it, but as the state begins to turn around over the course of the next four or five years, I think Grand Rapids is a place with a very bright future, because of its mix of the area, lakefront amenities which can be very exciting for empty nesters' second homes but it has this incredible core of research and innovation in its work.”

To see the full interview at Rapid Growth Media, click here.

West Michigan’s life sciences industry marches toward the future

2008-06-06T15:02:00.005-04:00

alberts
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

Grand Rapids Magazine recently reported on the development of Western Michigan's multi-billion dollar "medical mile" life sciences district.

The article discusses leaders in the effort such as Art Alberts. When he was being recruited to be the senior scientific investigator at the Van Andel Institute, Alberts, then a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco was eager to understand the Grand Rapids life-style.

This is what Grand Rapids Magazine reported that he found:

“I flew in one night in October with no preconceived notions of Grand Rapids or the Midwest,” recalled Alberts. Exhausted at the end of a long trip, he skipped touring the city and settled into his room at the Amway Grand Plaza.

“I opened the drapes and there was this guy standing in the middle of the river who had just hooked a salmon,” Alberts recalled. “I said, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’”

Alberts later returned with his wife for a closer look at West Michigan. They ended up buying a home in Lowell, and eight years later, Alberts has become a Grand Rapids ambassador on the international stage ...

Development Update and New Site Plan

2008-05-16T11:12:00.007-04:00

vooh blog site plan 5-8
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

We're working hard on the Village of Orchard Hills.

First, we've updated our corporate Web site with the latest site plan. Please look it over. Let us know what you think. (FYI - we're moderating our comments here, but there are plenty of places around the Internet for free-wheeling discussion.)

Second, this weekend our team is headed out to Las Vegas to attend the ICSC convention. This is the place where thousands of developers meet with national retailers to woo them into projects in new markets. Despite Michigan's economic woes, we feel that Western Michigan is rock solid. Once you sit down with folks and explain the good news, the market's an easy sale.

We have a great team, we're working on a great location, and we're trying hard to do something that folks in Grand Rapids will appreciate. Thankfully, despite a tough market, our vision continues to be persuasive.

Imagining the Village of Orchard Hills

2008-05-01T14:53:00.003-04:00

vorhfestivalpark
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

The Village of Orchard Hills in Grand Rapids, MI, will be based on the successful Village of Rochester Hills that was built in metropolitan Detroit in 2002. These photos from Rochester Hills provide a sense of what's coming soon to Grand Rapids and Western Michigan.

Main Street at the Village

2008-05-01T14:50:00.002-04:00

VORHstreet1
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

Main Street is the major attraction at the village that draws the crowds for shopping, leisure, and community.

Fountains at the Village

2008-05-01T14:48:00.003-04:00

vorhfountain
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

Fountains in the park at the village provide feelings of peace and tranquility.

Little Bear at Festival Park

2008-05-01T14:47:00.004-04:00

vorhlittlebear
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

Sculptures and other playful features in the parks entertain children and adults alike.

Civic Art at the Village

2008-05-01T14:46:00.003-04:00

vorhcivicart
Originally uploaded by aikens_scott

Creative civic art, like this tile, is integrated throughout the village to the delight of visitors.

Good to go ...

2008-03-19T14:37:00.002-04:00

We're good to go. The Village of Orchard Hills in Grand Rapids Township has received final approval from the Township Board.

Read more about it in the Grand Rapids Press:

Orchard Hills housing-retail gets final approval

Township Tweaks Orchard Hills Plan

2008-02-27T12:18:00.004-05:00

The Grand Rapids Press reported in a Wednesday, February 27th article on a decision by the Planning Commission in Grand Rapids Township to have 11 acres taken off of the Village of Orchard Hills project. The article, also published on mlive.com, points out that this will not in any way hinder the developer's goal to create a retail village with the feel of a small town.

Urban Planet in Grand Rapids

2008-01-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

Rapid Growth is a great Web site in Grand Rapids, MI, that focuses on development and the built environment. Lately, they've been producing a series of videos about cool things around town.

For example, check out this video about Urban Planet. It's a new media community that uses the Internet to help folks discuss community issues similar to those that Rapid Growth focuses on. Urban Planet is based in North Carolina, but the Grand Rapids community is one of the largest in the country with over 250 users, 2100 conversation topics, and 70,000 replies. Perhaps, most importantly, as you'll see in this video, the social media site is also spurring face-to-face gatherings.

The Village Web site

2008-01-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Visit the Web site for the Village of Orchard Hills for our latest leasing plan and other important documentation.

Blog Mission

2008-01-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

This is the official BLOG for the Village of Orchard Hills in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Village will premier in 2009 as the first and only main-street lifestyle center in Western Michigan. This BLOG will be used to update our friends and colleagues on our progress as we create what we hope will be a special place for Western Michigan.