Growing it local on Grand Rapids' Wealthy St., Local First offices need more room, again

The fact that Local First needs a bigger office space -- again -- in the span of 32 months is a testament to the growth of the organization's buy local campaign and the momentum it has generated for sustaining local communities.

The nonprofit moved two weeks ago into a 2,500-square-foot storefront at 955 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids, directly downstairs from the then-expanded 1,000-square-foot offices it moved into in November 2008. The new space accommodates the staff's growth from two and a half fulltime-equivalent positions to five, and a client base that grew from 450 locally owned businesses four years ago to over 600 today.

"This (street level) location increases the visibility of Local First and our efforts in the community," says Elissa Hillary, executive director. "Upstairs, two people had to work at card tables for about six months and things kept falling off the tables, so this makes a more efficient space. We also wanted a place for small groups of business owners to get together to do planning for Local First and as an opportunity for peers to connect."

The new offices include a small reception area, an open workspace with six desks, a conference room that seats 10 and a kitchenette. Bazzani Associates owns the building and handled the office design and buildout, which converted a storage closet into the kitchenette and created the conference room by adding a wall.

Framed posters from the eight Local First Street Party fundraisers and a custom painting by Grand Rapids artist Reb Roberts of Sanctuary Folk Art visually reference the organization's history and community involvement.

"It was important for Local First to find a space in line with our values," Hillary says. "We wanted to stay in a historic business district in a renovated building with walkable access to great local businesses."

Source: Elissa Hillary, Executive Director, Local First
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

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