July 24, 2017
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Retail is doing what it does: entering a new cycle
A spate of retail closures all over West Michigan has left gaping holes of empty space where active storefronts once thrived. Sears. Kmart. MC Sports. Family Christian Stores. All shuttered. Is it concerning? Certainly. Is Woodland Mall alarmed? No. Retail is like a tree — constantly self-pruning some branches and always putting out new growth, […]
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Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds MASON, Peter B. et al, Inlanta Mortgage, Grand Rapids Twp., 12-7-11, $330,000 COUGHLIN, Craig T. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Maracaibo Shores, Lot 26, $248,000 THOMAS, Christopher M. et al, Chemical Bank, Condo-Watermark, $560,000 GONZALEZ, Francisco J. et al, Adventure Credit Union, Cascade Terrace, […]
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Street Talk: There go the judges
Turns out even judges’ jobs aren’t totally secure when the state is looking to trim spending. Michigan’s State Court Administrative Office this month recommended in its biennial Judicial Resources Recommendations report that the state Legislature eliminate four judgeships by attrition, reverse two judgeships pending elimination, convert a district judgeship to a circuit judgeship and allow […]
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Circuit West project will put Grand Rapids’ sustainability strategy on the national map
It’s a marketing strategy unseen outside Boston and Austin and one also likely to give Grand Rapids some buzz, especially in new economy circles. Rockford Construction and Consumers Energy announced Circuit West, a project focusing on testing and implementing sustainable and renewable energy for businesses and residents in a 10-block area along Bridge Street and […]
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Change Ups: Willi selected for Blackboard MVP program
Grand Rapids Community College instructional technologist and designer Meegan Willi was selected to participate in the Blackboard MVP program. She will receive access to professional development and share her insights and expertise. Blackboard is the course-management system GRCC faculty uses. To be selected for the MVP program, applicants must prove themselves to be not only […]
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Monthly construction input prices tick higher
Construction input prices rose 0.2 percent in June, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Associated Builders and Contractors. This represents the sixth increase in construction input prices over the past seven months, but the overall rate of increase has been quite slow. On a year-over-year basis, construction input prices are […]
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Electronic repair hobby turns into full-time job
Ryan Brondyke tried to repair his first iPhone after it hit the pavement. It didn’t work and he ended up buying a new phone, but eventually, Brondyke’s handiness worked on mobile phones, enough so that he launched a business, Cell Medic Phone Repair, in 2015. Brondyke always had a natural gift to repair electronics, all […]
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Former VP takes the next step
After nearly a decade managing the web department at her husband’s company, Next IT, Michele Ringelberg decided it was time to pick up the whole department and head out the door. Ringelberg launched ThrivePOP — a digital media and marketing company staffed by Next IT’s former web department employees — on July 1 in the […]
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West Side district goes tech savvy
The West Side is set to become a hub of new energy technology through a partnership between Rockford Construction and Consumers Energy. Circuit West, as the project has been dubbed, will be a neighborhood meant to test, implement and showcase new technologies in sustainable and renewable energy. The neighborhood will include power through solar panels, […]
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New sport on target to zip through Van Andel Arena
This fall, drone pilots from across the country will have clearance to buzz Van Andel Arena. The growing sport of drone racing, which has been featured on national broadcast networks like ESPN, is coming to Grand Rapids on Sept. 22-24. “Unforeseen circumstances” necessitated the Great Lakes Cup Drone Racing Championship & Expo be pushed back […]
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Healthy economy means healthy profits for event venues
Watermark Properties is building on a formula that has helped the company grow over the past five years as the downturn lifted: a formal “country club feel” away from the city and out in nature. The company owns four events venues in the north, south, east and west corners of Grand Rapids: Thousand Oaks Golf […]
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Inside Track: Freese Decker rounds into form as participatory leader
For new Spectrum Health System Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Tina Freese Decker, one of the best perks of the job is “rounding.” Simply put, Freese Decker enjoys making the rounds at one of the health system’s many campuses around West Michigan, meeting with anyone who comes across her path, whether it’s a […]
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Couple fulfills brewery pipe dream
A few years ago, the Millers had given up hope on having a baby and turned their attention to a brewery. The couple opened Brewery 4 Two 4 last month in Holland, 321 Douglas Ave., and now the pair is expecting their first child. Dave and Erin Miller have been married for 10 years, and […]
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Hudsonville makes push for growth
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) A project to turn Hudsonville from a drive-by community to a destination is well underway. Last month, the $2-million community center building, Terra Square, 3380 Chicago Drive, was completed, providing an anchor for a grand vision of Hudsonville’s future. Now, the construction of a pedestrian walkway on Harvey Street […]
