The Grand Castle is a multi-family residential development in

Grandville, Michigan Grandville is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,378 at the 2010 census. Grandville is just southwest of the city of Grand Rapids and is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. It was first settled i ...

with 520 apartment units. The Grand Castle's design was inspired by the

Neuschwanstein Castle Neuschwanstein Castle (german: Schloss Neuschwanstein, , Southern Bavarian: ''Schloss Neischwanstoa'') is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The pa ...

and it has been described as "the second largest castle structure in the world." (The largest castle in the world measured by land area is

Malbork Castle The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork ( pl, Zamek w Malborku; german: Ordensburg Marienburg) is a 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortress located near the town of Malbork, Poland. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

History

After years of lower building proposals in the

Grand Rapids metropolitan area The Grand Rapids metropolitan area is a triangular shaped Metro Triplex, in West Michigan, which fans out westward from the primary hub city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the other two metro hubs of Muskegon and Holland. The metropolitan area h ...

, proposals and new construction began to increase to some of their highest rates in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Roger Lucas, owner of Grand Castle, LLC, and the site's developer, submitted plans to the City of

for the Grand Castle. The site was originally developed by La Grande LLC as the LaGrande Mobile Home Park in 1957, which was one of the oldest mobile home developments in the area. LaGrande Mobile Home Park closed in 2005 to be marketed for redevelopment for highest and best use. Grand Castle LLC acquired the 23.6-acre site from La Grande LLC in May 2016 and planned for a Mixed Use Planned Unit Development (MPUD) of the Grand Castle. In 2016, Grand Castle, LLC purchased 52-acre Sanford Lake, that adjoins the 23.6-acre development site. Sanford Lake was previously owned by Grand Rapids Gravel Company. Sanford Lake formed years ago when the local gravel company actively mined the area. Gravel mining operations at the location ended several years ago, making Sanford Lake a safe habitat for various species of wildlife, including ducks, geese, northern pike, largemouth bass, and many other animals. As of August 2018, only 50 people had placed money deposits on the apartments, resulting in a less than 10% confirmed level of interest.

Design and construction

The origination of the Grand Castle is rooted from the owner's admiration of the

in Germany. Grand Castle's owner, Roger Lucas, said he and his family have visited the Bavarian castle "at least 10 times". The original proposal for the 23.6-acre site included a 10-story building with 356 multi-family units, though the final design is larger. Construction for the Grand Castle began in April 2016, with the castle passing the 100-foot mark on September 13, 2016. Construction materials include, but are not limited to

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

precast walls and siding, "Red Iron" roof trusses, and

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

panel roofing. The Grand Castle now houses 508 multi-family units which range from studio to three-story penthouse. There are also plans for 750 covered parking spaces, a clubhouse, a resort-style swimming pool, dog park, and a community beach with fire pits. Additional recreation activities include swimming, fishing, or kayaking at Sanford Lake, a walking trail, and other amenities. Michigan OSHA has conducted several inspections during construction. These inspections resulted in 12 violations, nine of which were "serious."

Proposed Developments

Phase II of the Grand Castle's site development includes plans for an additional 104 residential units, situated in 13 carriage house buildings that contain 8 residential units each, around the Grand Castle's perimeter. In addition, Phase II includes building 64,500 square feet of office and retail space along frontage on 28th Street.

References

{{reflist Castles in the United States Residential buildings in Michigan