Charrette eyes future development around $40M bus rapid transit line

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

The potential to leverage private investment that could produce financial returns from 115 percent to 1,000 percent (as documented in Pittsburgh and Cleveland) strongly indicates that Grand Rapids’ proposed $40 million bus rapid transit line could infuse multimillions into the Division Avenue corridor over the next 20 years.

With 19 stops, a dedicated travel lane, and buses every 10 minutes, the BRT, operated by The Rapid, will use a dedicated travel lane that runs north along Division from 60th Street to the central city, past colleges, hospitals, DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena.

An upcoming charrette by the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council, the City of Wyoming, the City of Kentwood and Gaines Township will develop a vision for Fisher Station, an area along Division between 54th and 60th Streets.

“At the main meeting on October 18 landowners, residents, public officials, potential developers and business owners can come together to design their own ideas,” says Jay Hoekstra of the GVMC event.

A team of designers, urban planners, architects, and landscapers from the cities involved, Chicago and some universities, will create designs based on the ideas. They’ll present the designs to the stakeholders two days later.

The stakeholders will voice their likes and dislikes and the team will use the following three days to create a final design.

“Our mission is to prepare a transit-supportive plan that increases the value of the property, is supported by the public and is walkable,” Hoekstra says. “We want it to be financially feasible, livable and to increase the amount and quality of housing at all income levels.”

Meetings are at Grace Lutheran Church, 150 50th St. SW:
October 18, public work session, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
October 20, preliminary design presentation, 7 p.m.
October 23, final design presentation, 7 p.m.

Source: Jay Hoekstra, Grand Valley Metropolitan Council

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].

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