Latest plans for Gaslight Village would add retail, housing, parking
Posted By: Wood TV on November 14, 2024. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
A housing and commercial development project in East Grand Rapids is moving forward with plans for additional buildings two decades after it was first proposed.
The planning commission on Tuesday approved a new preliminary plan for the Gaslight Village project. It began with two buildings first approved in 2004. Now, developers are proposing seven additional buildings, including a new parking garage.
Robyn Stratton lives in the apartment complex next door and has concerns about the impact of building there.
“I’m excited for development… There needs to be something here,” Stratton said. “I’m most concerned about the traffic. We retired down here so that we could walk everywhere and it’s just very congested with all the e-bikes and just everything that’s going on.”
The layout OK’d Tuesday is a revision to the original plan first submitted two decades ago by developer Jade Pig, which has since reorganized into Gaslight Investors.
“Mixed-use, retail, apartments, as well as a potential medical office, parking garage and a series of townhomes on the north side of the project,” City Manager Shea Charles described the latest plan.
The proposal calls for 180 housing units, which includes apartments, townhomes and condos.
Charles said the proposal is in the early stages and the city is still accepting feedback. The designs are meant to give a rough idea of the proposal. Additional design work would come later if the plan moves forward.
“It’s more of a discussion of location, form, massing, general uses,” Charles said.
A full traffic impact study is also required.
“Accounting for not only vehicle traffic but pedestrian safety, cyclists, things of that nature,” Charles explained.
City leaders say they are reviewing the plans closely and know the significance the space will have for the future.
“There’s very limited development opportunities within East Grand Rapids, particularly for commercial space. The city commission, planning commission, really are taking a hard look at this,” Charles said.
The initial site plan now moves to the city commission for consideration.
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