Press Release - Winning Proposals Announced

WINNING PROPOSALS ANNOUNCED FOR THE WEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL URBAN DESIGN CHARRETTES

Three proposals representing Holland, Muskegon, and Grand Rapids are selected to serve as topics for the WMRUD Charrettes

WEST MICHIGAN—At the Natural Connections Summit this past October, over 150 Community leaders met in downtown Grand Rapids to discuss ways to develop green infrastructure and sustainable, livable communities through a regional, collaborative planning tool called the West Michigan Regional Urban Design Charrettes (WMRUD Charrettes).  Summit attendees were instructed how to submit proposals in order to have their sustainability issues addressed by the WMRUD Charrettes to be held April 12-14, 2007.

On February 16, 2007, WMRUD Charrettes co-sponsors, the West Michigan Strategic Alliance (WMSA) and AIA Grand Valley (AIAGV) announced the three winning charrette proposals: (1) The Holland Gateway Charrette; (2) The Division Avenue Revilalization Charrette; (3) The Sustainable North-Central Muskegon County Charrette.  The proposals represent multiple jurisdictions and underscore the regional focus of the WMRUD Charrettes.

The Holland Gateway Charrette will focus on the area between 8th Street and Lincoln Avenue.  Current conditions include neighborhoods with houses in declining condition, an older commercial corridor with congested roadways, parcel access challenges, complex intersections, 600,000 square feet of vacant industrial space and the need to accommodate expansion pressure from AMTRAK and Hope College.  ”This charrette effort will build on the 2005 AIA/WMSA charrette process by expanding involvement of community participants while narrowing the focus of community-wide attention to this critical corridor in our community“ explained Jon Mersman, Planner with Holland Charter Township. ”The new charrette initiative will benefit the regional community by bringing leadership and engaged property owners and other investors in the two municipalities together on important issues in a genuine partnership“.  The Charrette will help the City of Holland and Holland Township to reach a common vision for these border neighborhoods and traffic corridors, revitalizing housing, rejuvenating and reusing industrial space, integrating transportation, and significantly enhancing the character and function of a gateway for the Holland area.

The Division Avenue Revitalization Charrette will focus on the area that includes a three mile stretch of Division Avenue, bounded on the North by 36th Street, on the South by 60th Street, on the East by Jefferson Avenue, and on the West by US-131. The study area includes the commercial frontage and surrounding residential uses along Division Avenue.  Current conditions include vacant storefronts, outdated parking facilities, limited landscaping, and low to moderate income housing. ”Historically, the Division Avenue corridor was the primary commercial corridor south of Grand Rapids. The nearby residential area has maintained its purpose in providing modest housing serving an ethnically diverse population. If Division Avenue declines, it will have a corresponding impact on the livability of the surrounding neighborhoods. This in turn would have a corresponding negative effect on the area schools“, explains Lisa Golder, Economic Development Planner for the City of Kentwood.  ”New housing and commercial redevelopment in the area will have a positive impact on the business community as well as the schools, and will lessen the demand for housing in the outlying areas of Grand Rapids. The accessibility created by proposed transit hubs will allow people of all incomes and capabilities the opportunity to live in an urban environment, with access to suburban amenities such as shopping, employment and cultural resources. Housing with access to other modes of transportation will lessen congestion on area roadways Wyoming and Kentwood desire to revitalize this corridor with redevelopment of commercial properties for residential and commercial purposes; there is a desire to develop a coordinated vision“.  The charrette will allow planning for transit hubs to serve existing and planned higher density developments.  The revitalized commercial areas will promote convenience and walkability to attract residential customers.  The coordinated vision provided by the charrette will assist cities in applying for grants or establishing a work plan for a possible corridor improvement authority. 

The Sustainable North-Central Muskegon County Charrette will focus on the area surrounding the Michigan Adventure Amusement Park between Whitehall Road and US-31. Current conditions include roadway networks that do not support expected traffic volumes; five separate township-owned sewer systems that result in extreme variations in development costs among communities; aging industrial and commercial uses that conflict with expected development; existing community master plans that do not collaboratively address expected trends; existing stream corridors that are negatively impacted by past and current land use; and a lack of planning for stormwater infrastructure.  ”The charrette will allow stakeholder groups to collaborate, thereby eliminating the duplication of efforts and services; it will provide an expanded vision of how community resources can be used collectively, resulting in a sustainable region“, explains Roland Crummel, Chairman of the Laketon Township/North-Central Joint Planning Commission.  ”The charrette will also demonstrate the impacts that expected growth trends will have on social, economic, and environmental values of the community and help leaders to use a collaborative approach to address issues before they become problems“.

The 2007 WMRUD Charretes will be presented pro-bono by local designers, architects and planners as a community service, in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Blueprint for America initiative, a nationwide celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the AIA.  Additionally, West Michigan Strategic Alliance will donate $1,500 toward each multi-jurisdictional planning project to help offset the cost of municipal participants’ materials and staff time.

”It’s exciting to bring community stakeholders together to address issues important to the region,“ said WMRUD Charrette Chair, Bob Daverman, AIA of Progressive AE. ”It is imperative that we encourage effective communication between jurisdictional entities to foster effective solutions to significant and timely issues.  This gives us the opportunity to make communities aware of what the charrette process can do in terms of presenting workable solutions to community design issues.“

”The best way to achieve success as a region is through collaboration between multi-jurisdictional entities, explained Greg Northrup, President of the West Michigan Strategic Alliance.  ”The charrette process gives us a formal way to take advantage of building relationships across the region with the hope of making this region the best place to live, work, learn, and play“.

A key focus of the charrettes will be on green infrastructure and the role it can play in transforming communities. ”We want charrette participants to come away with a working knowledge of what making good land use decisions now means for them ecologically, economically and with regard to their quality of life in the future,“ said Katie Kahl, Green Infrastructure Program Manager for West Michigan Strategic Alliance. ”The Green Infrastructure Program, in addition to promoting practical solutions to integrate natural features into developed areas, also focuses on protecting critical areas of biodiversity, promoting farmland preservation, protecting shoreline and dune ecosystems, promoting regional trails and greenways systems and regional watershed management.“

The partnership between AIAGV and the WMSA began with the 2005 West Michigan Regional Urban Design (WMRUD) Charrettes. Participants in these multi-jurisdictional charrettes included; the City of Holland and Holland Charter Township; The City of Muskegon Heights and the City of Norton Shores; The City of Walker; and the City of Grand Rapids.  At the 2006 Natural Connections Summit, AIAGV/WMSA introduced the RFP for the 2007 multi-jurisdictional charrettes. The above three proposals were selected. Using regional planning collaboration, this process will produce opportunities and tools for spurring community dialogue on the issues of regional growth. The outcome/product can subsequently be used to supplement grant requests and focus public and private sector investment. The AIAGV and the WMSA offer this initiative to produce more sustainable, livable communities in West Michigan.

Background information on the AIA150 and the Green Infrastructure Program is attached.

The full proposal applications with contact information for each of the charrettes are also attached.

The mission of AIA Grand Valley and AIA Michigan is to serve its membership, advance the values of the profession and improve the quality of the built environment. For more information on The American Institute of Architects Michigan and AIA Grand Valley, please visit www.aiami.com.

The West Michigan Strategic Alliance was launched in 2000 to be a catalyst for regional collaboration among the businesses, institutions and governmental units of the greater Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland areas. The Alliance works to encourage a regional mindset, which will foster collaboration on critical issues that impact how we live, work and play. Additional information on the Alliance is available at www.wm-alliance.org.