Public presentations by the developers are scheduled; see below.  The public is encouraged to attend the sessions and express their views on each buildout proposal.

What do you think? Do you want our waterfront built out? Do you want it kept open for sitting, playing, and viewing nature across the river? The city needs to hear what everybody thinks.

Public Presentation Schedule

Chinook Pier will be enjoyed for many years by many generations.  It must be built out thoughtfully, carefully, and correctly for the long haul.  The following are some thoughts to consider.

These new buildout proposals prompt two important questions to keep in mind as city leaders plot the future of Chinook Pier.

1. Is this the right time to build out Chinook Pier?

• Are these the right elements for Chinook Pier?

Is this the right time to build out Chinook Pier?

Since Harbor Island is also currently thinking through its future, shouldn’t the city coordinate the planning for both areas together, instead of separately?  Each of these three proposals only speaks to Chinook Pier.  None of them even mention Harbor Island as being part of the “neighborhood”.  Pushing one area buildout ahead of the other is unwise, risky, and could lead to regrets.  Chinook Pier has already waited 3-4 years.  What is waiting another couple years if it means getting it right for the long term?

Are these the right elements for Chinook Pier?

In summary, the three proposals suggest:

We have parking and traffic headaches downtown along Chinook Pier that seem impossible to solve.  So now we’re going to add new destination elements along Chinook Pier that bring more traffic and cause more parking hassles in that area?  So, to solve a problem, the solution is to make it worse.  That doesn’t seem wise.  None of these proposals diffuse or spread out the problem; instead, they each double down on it.

Before we worsen our downtown traffic and parking problem, what if we first (or in coordination with) took steps to solve it before we build out a new Chinook Pier?

For the sake of argument, what if our current Farmers Market relocates to Harbor Island just north of the 3^rd St bridge on the BLP clean dump site.  The city bought the old Shell tank farm site years ago and is still trying to figure out what to do with it longer term.  It fits with the buildout of Harbor Island.  And, it would relieve downtown traffic and parking.   A 3^rd St bridge site would be easy and spacious for drivers and walkers alike.  Does it pull shoppers away from downtown shops, no.  How many people with 10-lb sacks of potatoes they bought at the Farmers Market then decide to stroll down Washington Ave for 30 minutes carrying their heavy load?  Nobody.

Also, again for the sake of argument, what if our Charter Fishing relocates to the boat launch on Harbor Island.  It’s a perfect spot for it.  Again, it would free up downtown traffic and parking.  It would even free-up upwards of 30 boat slips at the city marina.  Does it pull shoppers away from downtown shops, no.  These fishermen coming to use the charters are arriving at 6:00 am in the morning.  They aren’t buying their 12 packs of beer and sub sandwiches downtown at that time of day.  And when they’re done fishing, they aren’t lugging their ice chests full of salmon fillets up and down Washington Ave checking out the latest summer fashions in store windows.  They’re going straight home to wash up and take a nap.

Adding new desired elements to Chinook Pier makes a lot more sense if we first (or in coordination with) relocate some of the non-essential elements to make the needed space.

As for these three new proposals, none of them hit the mark.  Each has serious shortcomings.  Not to offend, but to be blunt, and hopefully constructive:

Copper Rock proposal blocks all the waterfront view!

The Cooper Rock proposal is seriously flawed.  It blocks the whole waterfront view.  It includes an inviting Welcome Archway that leads to nowhere.  Any greenspace that Copper Rock saves is hidden behind the buildout, away from the waterfront.  What you get to look at is traffic rushing along Jackson Ave, and a front row seat of parking lots at the Piano Factory condos.  What a view for people wanting to enjoy the waterfront!  Copper Rock takes all the beauty of the Chinook Pier area and blocks it out with brick and mortar placed as close to the water’s edge as possible.  A person would almost have to try on purpose to make a buildout any worse.

The Geerlings Midwest is a pickleball nightmare!

Recall the city turned away an earlier Geerlings proposal in 2022.  It was deemed not very imaginative.  This new 2024 Geerlings proposal is a repeat of its 2022 proposal, except it added “imagination” – an indoor pickleball court.  A pickleball court on the city’s prime waterfront, within a wiffle ball toss of the Lynn Sherwood Stadium!  Why not just put in a few horseshoe pits!  We’d be laughed off the West Michigan lakeshore.  Pickleball courts are great.  So are horseshoe pits.  But on the waterfront, no.

The Cherette proposal tugs at the heart strings!

I’d like to root for the Cherette proposal, but on the waterfront; I can’t.  It tugs at the heart strings, and cleverly leads its presentation knowing that full well.  A children’s interactive museum!  Who can vote no on something like that.  And to bolster the suggestion with so many supportive letters to boot is a wise marketing touch.  Kids and pets – nothing plays on our emotions more.   A children’s museum would be a wonderful thing; but not on the waterfront.  And the economics of the proposal for the children’s museum don’t compute.  Anytime you see numbers in a proposal you need to be wary.  The proposal claims up to 170,000 visitors annually (an average of over 400/day year-round); 8 bus loads a day.  It estimates 53% are nonlocal visitors who will spend $39.92/day.  It also estimates 30% are local visitors who will spend $24.83/day.  Those are total revenue $4 mil/yr.  By nonlocal = $3.3 mil.  By local = $747,000.  I don’t believe a word of it!

A quick Google search will tell you most children’s interactive museums would give their eye teeth for these kind of numbers.  Many of us (in fact probably most of the GH school kids have taken field trips there) have visited the Impressions 5 Science Center for Children in Lansing which is extremely interactive.  It’s been around for over 50 years, since 1972.  It is a wonderful interactive place and highly acclaimed.  Its annual revenue is $4 million, with annual attendance of about 75,000/yr (on average) over the last 50 years.  A quick search of other children’s interactive museums tells a similar story.  The Cherelle proposal says our GH children’s museum will have 170,000 visitors per year vs 75,000 at Impressions 5.  The Cherelle proposal also says our GH museum will generate annual revenue of $4 million vs Impressions 5 revenue of $4 million, and it took them over 50 years to reach that level.  As nice as perhaps a GH children’s museum might be, it won’t hold a candle to the sophistication and advancement Impressions 5 has built up over its many years.  Further to the point, as nice as children’s museums are, why on earth would any community put one on the waterfront?  Kids could care less about what they are seeing out the windows; they just want to engage with the fun interactive stuff inside.  We’ve got 2-3 vacant buildings right on Washington Ave already that could easily be built out for kid’s centers.  Why not do that instead if we really want to make a place for kids, which I strongly endorse.  Just not at the Chinook Pier waterfront.  There is as much of an argument to move our senior center to the waterfront as there is for a kid’s center.  Neither belong at Chinook Pier.

The Three Proposals 2024 in a Nutshell

• Cherette Group (Grand Haven)
• Copper Rock (Grand Rapids)
• Geerlings Midwest (Zeeland)

Cherette Economics

1. Year-round tourism.
2. Creating 59 jobs (for buildout).
3. Generating an annual economic impact of $3.6 million.
4. The proposal leads with a children’s museum claimed to attract up to 170,000 visitors annually (an average of over 400/day year-round).  Estimate 53% are nonlocal visitors to spend $39.92/day.  Estimate 30% are local visitors to spend $24.83/day.  Total revenue $4 mil/yr; By nonlocal = $3.3 mil.  By local = $747,000

Cherette Elements

1. North End: Children’s Museum (20,000 sq ft).
2. Middle Section: Farmer’s Market.
3. South End: Retail / Commercial (12,000 – 15,000 sq ft).

Copper Rock Economics

1. Not spelled out

Copper Rock Elements

1. North End: Multi-Use Food Market (12,000 sq ft; plus mezzanine for office use).
2. Middle Section: Greenspace / Welcome Archway.
3. South End: Retail / Commercial (21,000 sq ft; 12 retail shops / restaurant).

Geerlings Midwest Economics

1. Not spelled out

Geerlings Midwest Elements

1. North End: Farmers Market (summer) / Pickleball (winter) (10,000 sq ft; plus mezzanine for office use).
2. Middle Section: Greenspace & Fun Center (summer & winter skating areas).
3. South End: Restaurant / Retail (9,000 sq ft).

What do you think? Do you want our waterfront built out? Do you want it kept open for sitting, playing, and viewing nature across the river? The city needs to hear what everybody thinks.