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 ...
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Development Update and New Site Plan
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.
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.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Imagining the Village of Orchard Hills
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
Main Street is the major attraction at the village that draws the crowds for shopping, leisure, and community.
Fountains at the Village
Fountains in the park at the village provide feelings of peace and tranquility.
Little Bear at Festival Park
Sculptures and other playful features in the parks entertain children and adults alike.
Civic Art at the Village
Creative civic art, like this tile, is integrated throughout the village to the delight of visitors.
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