Displaying items tagged: Downtown Grand Rapids Inc

A roundup of promotions, new hires, advancements and award winners in West Michigan.

With the exception of a shaky office market, business leaders in West Michigan are reporting largely healthy downtown city centers with increased visitors, an influx of businesses opening and new projects under construction.

GRAND RAPIDS — Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. will receive $55 million to connect trails along the Grand River as part of a $4.7 billion infrastructure plan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed today.

As companies take varied approaches to in-person and remote work, commercial real estate experts generally agree that office square footage needs will likely shrink with the adoption of more hybrid workspaces.

Regional business and economic development leaders recently announced a list of 12 “transformational” projects that could reshape Kent County’s ability to attract visitors, new residents and employers.

GRAND RAPIDS —  The Michigan Department of Transportation has launched an online survey seeking public feedback on potential redesign strategies for a contentious segment of US-131 between 28th Street and Wealthy Street. 

The lifting of initial COVID-19 restrictions on retailers and restaurants brought activity back to downtown Grand Rapids, but officials still see persistent effects on the city’s core that stem from a reduction in downtown office workers.

GRAND RAPIDS — Spectrum Health has filed a Brownfield Plan Amendment for its new Center for Transformation and Innovation, an eight-story office tower planned for the Monroe North neighborhood near downtown Grand Rapids. 

GRAND RAPIDS — The state’s new fiscal year budget that began Oct. 1 includes $10 million to study the reconstruction or potential reconfiguration of the Wealthy Street interchange on US-131 that officials have referred to as the most dangerous intersection in the state. 

The short-term outlook of city officials and commercial real estate experts is improving as office workers gradually return to in-person work, and they share an optimism as downtowns reawaken from the COVID-19 pandemic.

GRAND RAPIDS — As the city updates its nearly 20-year-old Master Plan to guide future development, local officials say a first-of-its-kind study last year can help ensure equitable outcomes while providing the best return on investments.

When Darren Riley graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014, he took with him in-demand skills rooted in software development and cybersecurity.

GRAND RAPIDS — When Winsome Kirton worked in advertising, she was often disappointed by executives’ uninspired corporate gifts that didn’t match the company’s values. 

In a typical year, around 40,000 office workers a day are in downtown Grand Rapids buying coffee or lunch, or sticking around to shop or attend an event. 

Restaurant owners have had to get creative and at times take extreme cost-cutting measures to keep their doors open this year, indicating the COVID-19 pandemic’s long-term effects for the industry.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand River has historically divided the city of Grand Rapids in multiple ways, but as redevelopments have ramped up in recent years, leaders of a restoration plan are stressing the importance of making the river accessible to all residents. 

Designating outdoor drinking areas is not only a way to modernize Michigan’s alcohol regulations, but also extends a critical lifeline for restaurants and bars grappling with limited activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

GRAND RAPIDS — Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. is reallocating $50,000 it initially budgeted for ArtPrize 2020 toward a new event tentatively planned for September. 

After canceling this year’s ArtPrize because of concerns over COVID-19, organizers of Grand Rapids’ flagship arts event and the largest art competition in the world have avoided questions about whether it will return.

JW’s Food & Spirits had never offered outdoor seating in the more than two decades the restaurant and bar has been in operation at the corner of North 7th Street and Washington Avenue east of downtown Grand Haven. 

Here is the MiBiz  Growth Report for June 21, 2020.

GRAND RAPIDS — A youth employment program will launch this summer, employing 1,000 Grand Rapids residents ages 15-21. 

GRAND RAPIDS — The Hinman Co.’s 13-story, 140,000-square-foot hotel located at 10 Ionia Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids is expected to be completed two months later than anticipated because of construction delays stemming from COVID-19.

GRAND RAPIDS — About 100 downtown businesses were damaged after May 30 protests of police brutality, causing an estimated $500,000 in damages for window repair and storefront replacement.

The Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority board has approved $200,000 in economic relief funding a month into state and local efforts to contain the coronavirus.

GRAND RAPIDS — Restaurants and breweries across West Michigan are taking precautions to protect employees and patrons from coronavirus. 

GRAND RAPIDS — A Chicago-based real estate firm has proposed a $26.1 million, 167-unit apartment building near downtown Grand Rapids. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Among various other projects this year, Kent County officials again are assessing whether to sell a facility at 82 Ionia Ave. and construct a new building elsewhere in downtown Grand Rapids.

GRAND RAPIDS — Wheeler Development Group’s proposed mixed-use tower could help the city accomplish several goals for the downtown area. 

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce has hired a retail retention and attraction specialist to help attract regional and national retailers to the city.