Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Planning Manager Tim Kelly emails a weekly GR Forward update to the project Steering Committee. Here's this week's communication:

Good Morning All:

Your GR Forward Update is 1 year old today!

Over the past year we have held 20+ steering committee meetings, 20+ neighborhood meetings, provided 100+ reports and presentations to a variety of local and regional organizations, staged a 2-month long public open house, held a public forum, and provided a variety of other activities seeking community input. While there is still work to be done, to date we have engaged with over 3,000 people, and are excited to be moving into the final months of the GR Forward process. Thanks again to all of you for your involvement and work up to this point!

Speaking of work to be done, next week is shaping up to be extremely productive. In addition to hosting Downtown and River Corridor Steering Committee meetings, we are participating at an event for Downtown residents at Eve at the B.O.B on Wednesday at 5:30p, and are hosting our second Public Forum on Thursday at Innovation Central High at 6p (see attached flyer). We are looking forward to further engaging with the community, and hope to see all of you at one (or all) of the events next week.

Web Numbers

The latest web and social media numbers are below. Be sure to share the links below so that everyone can stay up to date with GR Forward activities.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/grfwd

Twitter - https://twitter.com/grfwd

Instagram - http://instagram.com/grfwd#

Resources

In light of our discussions on potential enhancements to Calder Plaza, I found the profile below from the International Downtown Association on The Crest at Galvez Plaza in Baton Rouge, LA really interesting.

The art piece and plaza, which is adjacent to Baton Rouge’s City Hall and in the heart of their Government Center, can be converted to a concert venue simply by raising a truss system that is built into the ground. The $3 million renovation to the previously empty plaza was a recommendation from both the City’s Downtown and Riverfront Plans (sound familiar?), and helped create a first-class outdoor entertainment venue. It is a great example of the transformative power of flexible public spaces, and I encourage anyone interested in learning more to check out the links below.

https://www.ida-downtown.org/eweb/docs/DAA14/PRES/PS/BatonRouge.pdf

http://www.nola.com/business/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/09/the_crest_at_galvez_plaza_wins.html

http://www.trahanarchitects.com/158624/1645490/featured-work/the-crest

From Constricting Space to Flex Space

The Crest sculpture and concert venue has become an icon for Baton Rouge, accommodating large entertainment activities with a functional truss system that can be lowered when not in use to proudly display its simplicity and engineering mastery to thousands of daily citizens and visitors. This $1 million structure and the $2 million redesign of Galvez Plaza provides downtown with a first-class outdoor entertainment venue, as well as a sculptural masterpiece within the heart of the ‘Central Green.’ Planning, funding, and implementation efforts were spearheaded by the Downtown Development District of Baton Rouge (DDD).

The realization of The Crest as the spectacular Downtown Baton Rouge concert venue began as a primary recommendation of both the Riverfront Master Plan and Plan Baton Rouge II, downtown’s official master plan. These plans were developed following Hurricane Katrina as a response to the capital area’s population increase and projected development. The prominent theme within these plans was to reconnect downtown to the river by establishing a revitalized and connective urban core anchored by a ‘Central Green,’ a system of greenspaces linking downtown’s cultural and civic attractions.

Prior to the creation of the new concert venue, Galvez Plaza was surrounded by a concentration of Baton Rouge’s major civic and cultural destinations and an exposed underground parking area with a mid-twentieth-century terraced design that constricted movement and concert space. The hardscape of Galvez Plaza contained majestic sculptural pieces referencing the significance of the nearby Mississippi River and its role in the American Revolutionary War’s Galvez March on Baton Rouge. The culturally historical sculptures were re-sited as part of Galvez Plaza’s transformative redesign and are showcased in an expansive green lawn that is utilized during concert performances, large community events, and informal gatherings. The Crest is prominently positioned at the apex of the flexible space, serving as a sculptural and functional Baton Rouge attraction. To learn more about this project, visit the Public Space section of the 2014 Downtown Achievement Awards page.

As always let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, have a great weekend!