redevelopment - WKTV Journal

Poag recently announced the acquisition of RiverTown Crossings, a 1,267,272-square-foot enclosed mall in Grandville (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

By WKTV Staff

Poag Development Group CEO, Josh Poag, recently announced the acquisition of RiverTown Crossings, a 1,267,272-square-foot enclosed mall in Grandville, MI.

“We always start with location, and in this case, we love the site in Grandville and its strong position within the greater Grand Rapids area,” said Poag, adding that he began looking at the mall as a potential acquisition upon the suggestion of a friend.

Poag is looking forward to use their redevelopment expertise to reimagine the RiverTown property (Courtesy, Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

After visiting the Grand Rapids area last summer, Poag was impressed with the Grand Rapids MSA, Grandville in particular.

“This property has so much potential for redevelopment given its great location and proximity to rooftops,” said Poag. “We are energized about the opportunity to deploy our redevelopment expertise to reimagine the property, both inside and outside, and its role in the greater Kent County area.”

The Poag CEO was also impressed with Grandville’s passion for the area – and for the future.

“There is a lot of growth in the area, and we walked away very impressed and encouraged,” said Poag.

Revitalizing through creating experience

Though RiverTown Crossings boasts five anchors including Macy’s, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Celebration Cinemas and Dick’s Sporting Goods, the two-story enclosed super regional shopping mall has seen a decline in patronage over the last several years.

Poag believes the reason for the decline in mall patronage is twofold.

“Online shopping is certainly one cause over the past 15 years,” Poag said. “The operations of a mall are another. When a mall or any property is neglected, the customer sees that and feels the decline. They are less encouraged to come back.

“Our history is about creating experience. Our first mission is to take care of the property, from filling in potholes to trimming back overgrown landscaping to getting the carousel working again.”

Poag aims to revitalize the mall through redevelopment by adding new uses and activating underutilized parking fields, though the planning process is in early stages.

“While we know we want to add new uses and leverage underutilized real estate, we can’t yet say what that will look like just yet,” said Poag. “It could be multifamily, hotel or more retail.

“Until we take the necessary steps to understand what changes and additions the community would most like and what would be most viable, we can’t share anything definitive just yet.”

A team effort

The Memphis-based developer will work with JLL, its strategic management and leasing partner, to maximize the potential of the property.

Poag will also be consulting the Grandville community.

Poag actively engages local communities in the early planning process of redevelopment (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

“We believe it’s a team effort,” said Poag. “We know that we do not know the community better than the folks that live there. We are not the type of developer to come in and tell the community what they need.

“We actively involve local community leaders and members, city representatives and nearby business owners in the early planning process to get an understanding of what works and doesn’t work currently, what they feel is missing, and what folks think would resonate well in the local community.”

The retail developer adds RiverTown Crossings to its portfolio on the heels of its acquisition of Oak Court Mall, an 800,000-square-foot enclosed mall currently undergoing redevelopment planning in Memphis, TN.

The City of Wyoming is moving forward on redevelopment plans for Gezon Park. (WKTV)

By Rebecca Rynbrandt
City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation

The City of Wyoming is excited to announce the next steps in the redevelopment of Gezon Park. 5651 Gezon Ct., in an effort to continue to provide high quality and well-maintained parklands.

On Monday, April 20, the Wyoming City Council authorized the mayor and city clerk to execute an agreement for professional services with Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio in the amount of $132,710 and Fishbeck in the amount of $23,850. The profession services are to prepare construction drawings and bid materials for the next phase of Gezon Park’s development which will include a splash pad, walking and bike trail, restroom, shelter, and expanded parking.

“We are grateful to our residents as we continue to invest in the local economy through our parks system,” said Jack Poll, mayor. “The redevelopment has been highly anticipated by area residents as the project has been guided by community input.”

The large-scale park is expected to serve as a regional recreational source for the entire community. Currently, the interior of the park is undeveloped. This project would improve this area and increase access to recreation and leisure services for a significant portion of the community.

In 2018, The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department offered three development plan options for Gezon Park which were produced by Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio. (WKTV)

Gezon Park currently borders a densely populated residential area of the community which includes multi-family and single-family homes. The southernmost portion of the park has been developed as an athletic complex featuring baseball, softball, and football fields. The northernmost portion has been developed with a small shelter, playground, and basketball court.

“During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen an increase in our residents using our trails and recreational resources to maintain their physical and mental health. We’re excited for this next step in the process to make improvements to Gezon Park which will continue to add to these valuable facilities,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of community services.

The development plan for Gezon Park was approved by the City Council on April 2, 2018. Funding for the professional services was planned for in the city’s 2020 budget from the capital parks revolving fund.

Construction for this next phase for the park development is slated to begin in the spring of 2021. In the meantime, the community can look forward to the opening of Ideal Park, 5843 Crippen, this summer of 2020 and Jackson Park, 1331 – 33^rd SW, in 2021.