From establishing itself as the Furniture City to urban renewal to renovations of historic buildings, GR has witnessed much transformation in its buildings. Read the first in a two-part piece on the last 100 years of construction in GR.
As environmental calamity looms ever closer in the future, building green is one way the City, local businesses, and nonprofits can work to help turn the tide.
Across the country, advancing technologies, the Affordable Care Act, and a consumer-driven healthcare market have motivated those delivering medical services to take a new look at how they design their facilities—everything from primary care practices to high-tech radiology services.
Dear to the hearts of area residents old enough to have spent time there, the former Grand Rapids Public Museum building at 54 Jefferson Ave. SE is awakening from a long sleep. Next fall, ninth-grade students from the Grand Rapids Public Museum School will claim it as their high school.
Will mixed-use buildings create economic success in Grand Rapids? The answer is complicated, and requires sound public policy, mindful of economic impact.
Architects, educators, and building contractors are collaborating to create learning spaces that incorporate all the benefits new technologies have to offer while addressing children’s holistic needs: physical, emotional, and intellectual.
According to US News and World Report, young families are choosing Grand Rapids as the place to live: “Families make up a big chunk of the region's population. Nearly a third of Grand Rapids' households have children under the age of 18.” With organizations like the Grand Rapids Children's Museum and the John Ball Zoo geared toward little ones, and Spectrum Butterworth Hospital's baby-friendly designation, GR is increasingly becoming a great place to raise a family.
The August 21 solar eclipse is a big astronomical deal. Grand Rapids residents deciding to stay in town will see about 85% of the sun eclipsed by the moon. Whether you're attending the Grand Rapids Public Museum's special Eclipse Party or crafting your own pinhole camera, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you don't want to miss.
In the U.S., women learn about birth from television dramas and celebrity magazines and the medical system steps in to manage pregnancy and birth on computer screens, like any other disease. But, pregnancy is not a disease. Babies are not tumors to be removed. And, birth alternatives do exist for those persistent enough to find them.
What started as a group of kayakers seeking to create a great spot for their sport has evolved into project can restore priceless habitat, respect local indigenous people, and make spaces where all residents can partake and enjoy. As Grand Rapids Whitewater cofounder Chip Richards remarked during the River Rally presentation, “The more we listened to the river, the more we realized this project is something good for everyone and everything.”
Our Partners
Solutions journalism takes time, trust, and your support.
