History

2016

• The Development Committee impacted construction planned for Newberry Place, 613 & 617 Fairview, 1001 Monroe (including NEZ), and 600 Coit as well as allowing alcohol at the new City Built Brewing on Monroe.
• We saw previous planning efforts come to fruition in the City of Grand Rapids Parks Department renovation of Mary Waters Park (pictured, right).
• We completed our own renovation of the upstairs at 700 Clancy and welcomed our first tenant, launching our affordable housing program.
• We also secured an in-kind grant for computers for the community to use!

2015

• We acquired the vacant lot at 704 Clancy next to our office building.
• We welcomed our new GRPD Community Officer, JP Guerrero.
• Grand Rapids’ Housing Commission opened the rebuilt Creston Plaza.
• We impacted the GR Forward plan as well as the Olds Manor NEZ.

2014

• The City of Grand Rapids finally established the first Residential Permit Parking Zone in Belknap Lookout due to high demand from residents.
• We impacted the design of the Clancy Lofts and the Coit Gateway.
• We renovated our new office at 700 Clancy (see our Facebook profile pic).

2013

• We impacted the design of the Fairview Brownstones (pictured, right).
• We supported Thierica’s expansion.

2012

• We impacted the Michigan Street Corridor Plan.

2011

• We acquired 700 Clancy.
• We helped change City of Grand Rapids policy to universal housing inspections.
• This was just one of several years during which the Belknap Beautification Committee ran their Children’s Garden program on the Coit School grounds.

2010

• We were able to place a traffic calming circle on Fairview (pictured, right).

2009

• We participated in an “ideal neighborhood 2030” project with MSU.
• We ran a “walking school bus” and “Walking Wednesdays”.
• We completed our ASP, which was adopted by the City as part of the Master Plan.

2007

• We impacted the design of the Artesian Group’s office on Livingston.
• We repainted the Charles Belknap mural along I-196 (pictured, right).
• We participated in the Michigan Street Hill Plan.
• The Belknap Beautification Committee was founded.

2006

• We completed the MOBL NOBL study.
• We participated in the Monroe North Plan.

2005

• We impacted the design of the Newberry Place co-housing (pictured, right).

1997

• A brand new board was elected in support of building Belknap Commons.

1980s

• Neighbors enjoyed harvests from a neighborhood farm.
• We held flower sales at Lafayette and Michigan.
• We began holding National Night Out (see safety page for more details).

1982

• We arranged for the painting of the Charles Belknap mural along I-196.

1980

• We celebrated the 100th birthday of Coit School (pictured, right).

1979

• Frank Lynn led early organizing thru ACORN, stayed as our first director.

Pre-NOBL – Our neighborhood is named for Charles Belknap. Learn more about him here. This history was provided by Bruce B. Butgereit in 2016. His worked helped us move the statue of Charles Belknap to Coit and Hastings. Bruce is a local historian and the Executive Director of History Remembered, Inc. This nonprofit advocates for historic preservation and restoration through educational outreach. Since 2000, they have restored over a dozen Civil War memorials. For example, they restored the Kent County Civil War monument and Charles Belknap. Through a multi-organization partnership, the Charles Calkins Law Office was restored in 2010. So was the Lincoln bust on that site.  Bruce has served as a stakeholder and consultant on several projects with the City of Grand Rapids.

Grand Valley State University owns five blocks within the residential portion of the neighborhood. Four of those blocks will be developed into a health professions campus in the decades to come. Built to date:

• Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall at 500 Lafayette opened in May 2018.
• 333 Michigan (the Center for Interprofessional Health) and
• 335 Michigan (a parking ramp shared with Spectrum Health)

Most of the following documents from their engagement process with the neighborhood were originally hosted at the “GVSU NOBL Planning” site:

• April 26, 2017 (Final) Master Plan Session
• Map and Timeline of Previous Attempted Parking Solutions; Creating a Transit Culture
• Related: Michigan Street Corridor Plan and Michigan Street Corridor Anchor Study
• March 13, 2017 Master Plan Session
• December 21, 2016 Master Plan Session
• April 13, 2016 Presentation on the 500 Lafayette Building
• February 9, 2016 City Commission resolution adopting MOUs; Tenant Relocation Protocol

GVSU students have been involved at Coit Creative Arts Academy as reading mentors:

City of Grand Rapids Second Ward Commissioner Joe Jones spoke about NOBL’s involvement in the GVSU Master Planning process at the dedication of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall:

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