River House Condominiums is a residential skyscraper built on the west bank of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan located next to Bridgewater Place. The term "Bridgewater Place" is often incorrectly used by locals and tourists alike to refer to either the complex itself or simply this building. It is the tallest building in Grand Rapids, the tallest all-residential building in Michigan, and the tallest building in the state outside of Detroit.
| River House Condominiums | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 335 Bridge Street NW Grand Rapids, Michigan United States |
| Coordinates | 42°58′15″N 85°40′37″W / 42.9708°N 85.6769°W |
| Completed | 2008 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 406 ft (124 m) |
| Top floor | 397 ft (121 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 34 |
| Lifts/elevators | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Lucien Lagrange Architects, DTS & Winkelmann Architects |
| Developer | Robert Grooters Development Co. |
| Website | |
| www | |
Building features
editA 7-story above ground parking garage, shared with Bridgewater Place is directly connected to the building, with the main elevators serving all 7 floors. [1]
Building history
editDeveloper sales
editThe first homeowner occupancy occurred in November 2008.[2] Nearly 140 of the initial 207 units (condos/penthouses) were under contract pre-construction, but 56 would-be condo buyers backed out of their contract following personal financial hardship and were sued by the developer.[3] Those units were turned back to the developer following a nonbinding ruling on the contracts by Kent County Circuit Judge Donald Johnston[4] due to a technicality in the purchase agreements drafted by Varnum law firm.[5] Following the overturned contracts, reduced prices and sales promotions served as the catalyst to sell condos even at a loss for the developer. 90% of the units were sold by December 2011 triggering a full transfer of power from the Developer to the Homeowners Association. By the end of 2012, 198 units were sold. Due to the combining of some condos or penthouses by buyers, the total number of units was reduced from 207 to 205.
Community events
editRappelling down the front of the building was offered as a fund-raiser for Michigan Community Blood Centers prior to the completion of construction during Celebration on the Grand.[6][7] A repeat event occurred June 9, 2009[8] but has not happened since.
Prior to their initial sale, some larger condos were used as small concert venues for a few big-name bands prior to their performances at Van Andel Arena or DeVos Place Convention Center. These events included the Bare Naked Ladies[9] and American Idol listening parties with guest appearances by Jason Castro, Allison Iraheta, and others.[citation needed]
Rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) filmed a scene for his movie "The Gun" in a River House penthouse.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Ellis Parking
- ^ "River House rolls toward Nov. 3 Occupancy". GR Press. Oct 20, 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "River House at Bridgewater Place to cut prices on condos by up to 30 percent". MLive. July 9, 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "Judge rules oversight in purchase agreement allows 14 would-be tenants out of condo contract with River House". MLive. June 22, 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "Developer sues Varnum law firm over losses on River House condo project in downtown Grand Rapids". MLive. Oct 1, 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "Skip the elevator on Grand Rapids' tallest building -- take a rope instead". MLive. July 25, 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "Rappelling down River House a learning experience". MLive. Sep 5, 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "Another chance to rappel down River House in downtown Grand Rapids". MLive. April 6, 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ Bare Naked Ladies at River House facebook album