Family-owned Reynolds & Sons plans modern revamp to downtown Grand Rapids storefront

With almost 90 years under its belt, the Grand Rapids family-owned Reynolds & Sons Sporting Goods is ready for a new look. 

Inspired by the last few years of increased redevelopment activity in Grand Rapids' downtown core, owner of the historic storefront at 12 Monroe Center St. NE Jeff Reynolds says construction is scheduled to begin in the spring to give both the exterior and interior a new, more modern feel. 

"Downtown, from where it started, to where it’s been and where it’s going now, is totally different," Reynolds says. 

Although the past decade has brought competition in the form of big-box retail outlets, the sporting goods store that first sprang up in the late 1920s is now owned solely by the Reynolds family, who say they've had to change some of their inventory to keep up with the population's specific demand. 

Though the store still sells a variety of general sporting equipment, they have made a shift toward more niche products and urban clothing brands like Nike and Jordan. 

"That was a big transition for us and our retail that helped us grow," Reynolds says. "What we're looking at in the future is not to go away from that, but to expand on that and try to captivate and create some more clients with more people now living downtown or wanting to live downtown and capture some of that market, as well." 

He says he's looking at supplying more equipment for customers interested in practicing yoga, for example, to help diversify his customer base and draw in different demographics of downtown clientele. 

Pioneer Construction will begin renovation on the exterior in the spring; however, Reynolds says he's still working on locking in the designs for the interior revamp before scheduling a construction timeline for the second phase. 

"It’s really kind of happened within the last two years – just all the sudden, bang, it was here," Reynolds says. "The buildings are filled up, businesses have moved into the places across the street. With the city redoing Monument Park and that transition, it really inspired me to say, ‘Alright, maybe now it’s time to make that change.'" 

Visit Reynolds & Sons on Facebook to see weekly Jordan releases or find them online at www.reynoldsandsons.com. 

By Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Pioneer Construction, Inc.