Plaza Towers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Plaza Towers
Plaza Towers seen from the west side of the Grand River.
Former names	Eastbank Waterfront Towers
General information
Type	mixed-use
Location	201 W. Fulton St. Grand Rapids, Michigan United States
Coordinates	42°57′51″N 85°40′27″W / 42.9641°N 85.6741°W / 42.9641; -85.6741
Completed	1991
Height
Roof	345 ft (105 m)
Technical details
Floor count	34
Floor area	499,994 sq ft (46,451.0 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Griener Inc. (initial), A. Epstein and Sons (1995 renovation)
Developer	Ed Havlik - United Development Real Estate Corp.

Plaza Towers is a very tall building in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is called a "mixed-use" building because it has different types of spaces inside. You can find apartments, condos, and even a hotel all in one building!

Standing at 345 feet (105 m) (about 34 stories tall), Plaza Towers was the tallest building in Grand Rapids for many years. It held this title from 1991 until 2008, when the River House Condominiums were finished. The building has a hotel on its lower floors (1-7), apartments on floors 8-14, and privately owned condos on floors 15-32.

Building History

Early Construction and Challenges

Work on Plaza Towers began in 1988. It cost about $60 million to build. The building first opened in 1991 and was called Eastbank Waterfront Towers. It was part of a time when many new buildings were going up in downtown Grand Rapids.

However, the building soon had big problems. There were issues with its structure, water leaking inside, and even the heating and cooling system. Just five years after it opened, the building had to close. It needed a complete repair and new outer walls.

The main problem was cracks in the outside cement panels. These cracks let water leak in, which ruined carpets and caused mold. The cooling system also had issues because of rusted pipes. Sometimes, bad smells came through the air vents.

A big renovation happened from 1995 to 1997. This repair cost $36 million. During this time, about 250 people who lived there and 160 building workers had to move out for two years. After the repairs, the building's name was changed to Plaza Towers.

Fires and Evacuations

Sometimes, small fires have happened in the building. These fires led to people having to leave the building for safety. Evacuations happened in 1996, 2001, 2002, and 2010.

In 2010, a fire on the 17th floor caused some damage from fire and water. Luckily, no one was hurt during this event.

Flood Evacuation

The building also had to be evacuated because of a flood. On April 20, 2013, the Grand River flooded. The rising water filled the building's lower mechanical rooms and flooded the basement parking garage with over 7 feet of water.

A generator in the basement got soaked and sent black smoke throughout the building. About 80 cars parked in the basement were flooded with up to 11 feet of water. The building stayed closed until May 8, 2013, while crews worked to fix everything and make sure it was safe.

See also

In Spanish: Plaza Towers para niños