GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — This Friday at 12 p.m. ground will be broken on a new 16,200-square-foot, four-story "mixed-use" building in Grand Rapids' Southtown neighborhood. Freshly re-elected U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten will be there to assist in the groundbreaking.
The site at 640 Eastern Avenue SE will be the home to Southtown Lofts and will host 12 affordable housing units as well as a new educational lab for NexGen Media GR and Nonprofit urban inspirational radio station Power 91.9 FM WDPW.
Other attendees at the groundbreaking will include developers Larlen Communications Inc. along with Lori Mullins of MEDC, State Rep. Kristian Grant, Tonya Joy of MSHDA, Sarah Rainero, the city of Grand Rapids Director of Economic Development; and Grand Rapids 3rd Ward City Commissioners Bing Goei and Kelsey Perdue.
“This project has been in the planning stages for nearly five years,” said Dione Boles, executive director of Larlen Communications Inc. “With the support of our building champion the city of Grand Rapids, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority, we are excited to see this development come to fruition and provide a revitalized beacon of hope in this neighborhood.”
The housing units are aimed to provide housing opportunities for those with 60-120 percent of the area’s medium income. It also hopes to allow NexGen Media GR to expand its work with middle and high school children who have an interest in radio, television, film and cinematography.
Developers said the facility will also allow Power 91.9 FM to better serve the community and allow for more locally produced programming and interviews.
“Power 91.9 FM WDPW and NexGen Media GR are eager to serve our community in a new revamped space that will offer housing and learning opportunities to area residents,” said Helen Harp of Larlen Communications Inc. “NexGen Media GR offers programs and services to underserved youth in our community in partnership with the Grand Rapids Public Schools on leadership development and teach them ‘The Power of their Voice.’ This new building will allow more students to enroll in our programs and create a blueprint for a career path in broadcast communications.”
Construction of the Southtown Lofts will be done by Pinnacle Construction Group and is expected to be finished by late 2025.
