River House Condominiums facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 / 42.9708; -85.6769
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	Lucien Lagrange Architects, DTS & Winkelmann Architects
Developer	Robert Grooters Development Co.

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.

Building features

A 7-story above ground parking garage, shared with Bridgewater Place is directly connected to the building, with the main elevators serving all 7 floors.

Building history

Developer sales

The first homeowner occupancy occurred in November 2008. 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. Those units were turned back to the developer following a nonbinding ruling on the contracts by Kent County Circuit Judge Donald Johnston due to a technicality in the purchase agreements drafted by Varnum law firm. 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

Rappelling 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. A repeat event occurred June 9, 2009 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 American Idol listening parties with guest appearances by Jason Castro, Allison Iraheta, and others.

50 Cent (Curtis Jackson), filmed a scene for his movie, "The Gun" in a River House penthouse.

See also

In Spanish: River House Condominiums para niños