GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Outgoing deputy city manager Eric DeLong spoke at length on Tuesday, March 29 about a project Grand Rapids leaders believe will be the largest active riverfront development site in the country.
The city hopes to transform land it currently owns along the Grand River from Fulton Street past Wealthy Street. The plan is for that land to become home to a 12,000 seat amphitheater, park space and housing.
The next step in making that plan a reality is for the Grand Rapids Kent County Convention-Arena Authority to buy city-owned land at 201 Market Avenue for the amphitheater. The city voted to allow that sale at Tuesday night's meeting, following DeLong's presentation at the Committee of the Whole meeting earlier in the day.
"We believe based on work that has been done by the convention and arena authority and by Grand Action 2.0 that this project will be successful. In fact, we think it will be as successful as the arena has been and as the convention center has been," DeLong said.
The amphitheater will cost around $116 million dollars in both public and private money to build. The CAA will meet on Wednesday, March 30 to discuss the sale, which is expected to close by June 30.
The amphitheater is expected to host more than 50 events per season, bringing an estimated 300,000 visitors to Grand Rapids.
The amphitheater project will take up just part of 31 acres of land where the city also anticipates than 1,500 to 1,700 housing units will be built. That includes affordable housing. There is also expected to be up to 10 acres of new waterfront recreation space and trails.
It is anticipated that 315 new city jobs and 410 new county jobs will be created over 10 years because of the project.
"This is not just the amphitheater," said City Manager Mark Washington.
"This is a major redevelopment project that addresses a lot of public policy issues for us. As you're aware, we do need 9,000 housing units within five years based on the housing needs assessment study and a large majority of housing supply could be added based on this project and it just begins the momentum for us addressing that need."
You can watch the full presentation below. It begins at the 2:15:30 mark.
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