Signature Associates

Construction underway on $2.5M mixed-use development in Holland

A mixed-use residential and commercial building now is under construction on the site of the former Goog’s Pub & Grub in Holland.

Among the first construction under the city of Holland’s new unified development ordinance (UDO) that promotes mixed uses in commercial zones is a new 14,000-square-foot Goog’s building on the city’s south side.

Construction of the $2.5 million, two-story building at 667 Hastings Ave. is underway by Midwest Construction Group of Zeeland for client Hastings 677 LLC. The project is expected to be complete in February 2022.

The development is being built on the site of the former Goog’s Pub & Grub restaurant that was demolished earlier this year to make way for the larger building. The development will include a new Goog’s Pub, along with a boutique grocery and beverage market and nine residential apartments.

“The UDO is innovative zoning that allows the incorporation of residential units with commercial properties. The benefit is the expansion of housing opportunities — which the city needs — with the creation of robust commercial,” said Scott Geerlings, president of Geerlings Development Co., a partner in Hastings 677 LLC.

Geerlings said the project falls in a neighborhood enterprise zone, which will allow for lower rental costs while still increasing the city of Holland’s tax base.

Ryan Kilpatrick, executive director of Housing Next, an affordable housing nonprofit, said the new commercial and residential building is an example of how applying the UDO can help ease the housing crisis in Ottawa County.

“This is an innovative project for Holland and Ottawa County that will (encourage) other developers and investors to consider adding housing to mixed-use projects in commercial areas,” said Kilpatrick, noting Holland currently has a need for 2,200 more income-appropriate apartments, while Ottawa County has a shortage of 15,000.

Brad White, founder and longtime owner of Goog’s Pub, said the restaurant will come back in a new form.

“The new Goog’s will still be offering many of our favorite burgers, but we’re going to scale down the restaurant size to about 40 seats,” he said. “Next to the restaurant, we’re putting in an MGB Market — the MGB standing for meats, groceries and beverages.”

White opened the former 115-seat restaurant in 2005, and Goog’s quickly gained a following for its specialty hamburgers.

The new, 2,000-square-foot boutique market will offer groceries, fresh vegetables, fresh and frozen meats and seafood, and a large selection of upscale wines and beers. A 1,200-square-foot ground floor, corner section of the building is being offered for lease that includes a drive-thru, curbside service window.

The 7,000-square-foot second floor of the building will have eight one- and two-bedroom apartments for rent, ranging in size from 900 to 1,300 square feet each. An additional apartment will be on the ground level.

Midwest Construction is the contractor on the project and plans to employ 45 construction workers and trade personnel. The three commercial businesses on the main level have the potential to create up to 50 new jobs.

The apartments and a ground-floor commercial area with a drive-thru still are available for lease. Five Star Real Estate Lakeshore is handling the residential and commercial leasing.

Posted By: Grand Rapids Business Journal on December 27, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.

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