Planning commission approves Ground‑floor office conversion, 24‑hour access at former UICA building

The Grand Rapids City Planning Commission on July 10 approved a request to convert the ground floor of the former UICA art gallery at 2 West Fulton Street into office use with 24‑hour access for members of the co‑working spaces, while maintaining existing event operations and hours authorized by an earlier approval.

The building, a roughly 40,000‑square‑foot, 12‑story structure constructed in 2008 for the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art (UICA), sits at the southwest corner of West Fulton Street and South Division Avenue in the Hartside Historic District. Staff said the property is in the TNCC (targeted neighborhood commercial core) zone and in a targeted active commercial corridor under the GR Forward plan; ground‑floor office in that corridor requires special land‑use review.

Planning staff described the proposal as a mixed operation: co‑working and private office spaces on the ground floor and Level 1 (including some flexible “pop up” and retail activations), standard office suites up through floor 5, and multiple event spaces that preexist under a 2011 special land‑use approval. The applicant said the building would host a 200‑seat theater, gallery/lounge spaces and a rooftop patio for community and private events. The applicant told commissioners office areas will be membership‑based and available 24 hours, but event spaces would not be 24‑hour and would operate under the previously approved hours (events generally 9 a.m.–11 p.m.).

“A lot of our planning was done with the Hearthside Neighborhood Association,” the applicant said, adding the team plans pop‑up retail, programming and community events on the site. The applicant said co‑working members include startups, small firms and solo entrepreneurs and that security measures will include cameras and RFID access; the applicant said five on‑site staff will oversee operations and that they are coordinating with the building’s property manager and nearby parking providers to secure monthly passes for members.

Commissioners discussed pedestrian activation of Division Avenue, late‑hour security and the unusual internal layout of the building. Several commissioners said the co‑working model and the presence of employees and events could support nearby retail and enliven the street. One commissioner noted that the building’s membership model differed from a single‑employer office and was the reason staff brought the 24‑hour access request for explicit review.

In a motion the commission approved the special land‑use request for 2 West Fulton Street West LLC for ground‑floor office use with 24‑hour operations, citing consistency with the master plan and the GR Forward plan’s support for diversified uses along Division Avenue. The commission’s motion retained the earlier 06/09/2011 approval allowing on‑site alcohol service during films, performances and facility rentals through 11 p.m. for indoor and outdoor terraces; the new approval takes effect 16 calendar days after the commission’s decision. The motion carried; the transcript does not record a roll‑call or numerical vote tally.

Conditions noted on the record include standard site‑plan and permitting requirements, that operations conform to the applicant’s testimony recorded in the minutes, and that future signs must meet Article 15 requirements and receive permits before installation. Staff said one letter of support and one letter of opposition had been received before the hearing.

Background: the applicant told the commission the co‑working operator has locations in other Michigan cities and aims to combine an incubator partner (Start Garden) with office, programming and community events at the site. The commission’s packet and staff presentation included floor‑plan excerpts showing the location of office, event and rooftop spaces, and highlighted the TNCC zoning standards and GR Forward targeted commercial corridor guidance.