Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Friday

August 7, 2008

Chain hotel in works for Grandview Parkway

By MELISSA DOMSIC

TRAVERSE CITY -- Plans are in the works for an upper-end, national chain hotel in the downtown Warehouse District.

Grand Rapids-based developers hope to start construction next spring on a four-story, 130-room hotel with underground parking in the 200 block of Grandview Parkway.

City officials see the project as an economic boost, but some local land and business owners are worried it'll diminish the Warehouse District's hip, underground atmosphere.

Plans show the hotel at the site of Bay West Antiques and Gilbert's Service Oil Co. on Grandview Parkway. A four-story condominium building is marked for future development just west of the hotel, with another four-story building to the east.

"We're working on other uses for other properties around the area," said Jim Courtney, a Grand Rapids real estate broker who's developing the project under Wabash Traverse City Development, LLC. "There will probably be lots of other things going in there."

City planning commissioners this week gave initial site plan approval as long as the developers work something out regarding driveways. They're not allowed under current zoning, but the planning commission introduced an amendment to permit them in certain circumstances.

"I think it would be a plus for business in that area to have a captive audience of a possible 130 filled hotel rooms," said city Commissioner Jody Bergman, who also sits on the planning commission.

The south side of Garland Street features a coffee shop, brewery, hair salon, art gallery, and kayak and bicycle rental shop. City officials have discussed extending Garland Street to Union Street using tax increment financing from the project.

Ellen Fivenson, who owns the building that houses InsideOut Gallery on Garland Street, questioned whether a hotel of that size fits in the area.

"We have to be very careful with what we put there, especially since we're starting to see the growth pattern that's sort of developing there which is sort of funky and different than other parts of downtown," she said.

Fivenson is concerned about the effect of Garland Street's increased vehicle traffic on pedestrians.

Eric Clone has similar concerns over the appropriateness of a "generic, unimaginative" chain hotel at that spot.

He recently opened Boardman Paddle & Pedal on Garland Street. He was attracted to the district for its hip, edgy feel, and hoped to see it continue growing in that fashion.

"It's obvious and clear that a business across the street would do wonders to my business ... but this particular development project is the worst possible for that plan," he said.

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