Nearly 300 people crowded Wealthy Theatre the evening of November 5 in support of Grand Rapids' neighborhood businesses nominated for top honors in the 20th Annual Neighborhood Business Awards.
The awards, sponsored by the Neighborhood Business Alliance and Neighborhood Ventures, celebrate the continual revitalization of the city's neighborhood business districts through the hard work, perseverance and ingenuity of their business owners and organization leaders.
The free event included a reception, Taste of Our Neighborhoods, a popular attraction catered by neighborhood restaurants Brick Road Pizza, Corez Wine Bar, The Electric Cheetah, Empanada Kitchen, Garibaldi Restaurant, GrillMaster BBQ and That Place on Plainfield.
Nominees included nearly 100 businesses, individuals and projects in 14 categories, including two categories that were new this year: the Green Award and Best Neighborhood Restaurant. A committee comprising volunteers from Neighborhood Ventures and the Neighborhood Business Alliance visited each nominee's location and decided the winners. Nominees received a certificate of excellence; winners received an engraved plaque to display at their business.
"The awards are definitely an honor for the business, recognition of the hard work the owners and employees have put into the business," says Mark Lewis, Neighborhood Ventures executive director. "It's also a sense of pride for the neighborhood business district and the neighborhood in general. Neighboring businesses, clients or residents nominate many of the nominees and there's a real sense of pride in the district because of that."
The People's Choice Award sponsored by Rapid Growth was decided by two weeks of online voting by Rapid Growth readers. Winners in each category received a People's Choice Certificate of Excellence.
"The health and vibrancy of our neighborhood businesses is important to us as a publication and as an organization," says Jeff Hill, Rapid Growth publisher. "When you look at the areas where the business districts are vibrant, the surrounding neighborhoods reflect that. Rapid Growth feels it's important to bring recognition and positive exposure to these businesses whose success is so vital to the success of the city as a whole."
Mayor George Heartwell emceed the event, members of the city commission presented the awards and former mayor John H. Logie presented the John H. Logie Neighborhood Business Champion Award.
The winners of each category, the People's Choice winners and the category nominees are:
WINNERS/NEIGHBORHOODS2009 Green AwardWinner: The Green Life Market East Fulton
People’s Choice Winner: Fulton Street Farmers Market East Fulton
Other Nominees:Brookstone Capital for 101 S. Division Heartside
Clothing Matters East Hills
San Chez Heartside
Best Business ExteriorWinner: Ivy K. Gillespie – Moody Memorial Chapel Seymour Square
People’s Choice Winner: Wealthy Street Bakery Wealthy Street
Other Nominees:
Adobe In & Out West Fulton
Ball Park Floral West Fulton
Café Aromas Grandville Avenue
De Vries Companies for Bridge Street Depot Stockbridge
Eastown Business Association & Tazzia Lawn Care for streetscaping Eastown
The Green Well Gastro Pub East Hills
Sundaes in the Heights Alger Heights
Best Exterior RenovationWinner: Talk A Lot Wireless Franklin & Eastern
People’s Choice Winner: Red Jet Café Creston
Other Nominees:
AllStar Wireless Michigan Street
Louie's Bar & Rocket Lounge Stockbridge
Best Interior RenovationWinner: Lott3Metz Architecture and Highland Group East Hills
People’s Choice Winner: Bombay Cuisine/The Queen’s Pub Eastown
Other Nominees:
Brann's Sizzling Steaks & Sports Grille West Leonard
Fat Boy Burgers Cheshire
Clear Water Place/Saint Mary's Home Care Monroe North
Clique Lanes Stockbridge
From the Heart Yoga Wealthy Street
Higher Ground Rock Climbing Center Monroe North
John Widdicomb Trade Center for Spectrum Health Stockbridge
Best Longstanding BusinessWinner: Freewheeler Bike Shop West Leonard
People’s Choice Winner: Choo Choo Grill Creston
Other Nominees:
Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuaries, Inc. Stockbridge & Michigan Street
Baribeau and Sons Jewelry Hospital East Fulton
Duke's Bar Michigan Street
The Elbow Room Bar & Grille Michigan Street
Gallery 154 Eastown
Lady Love by James Price Wealthy Street
Nawara Brothers Appliance, TV & Bedding West Fulton
Rocky's Bar & Grill Monroe North
Russ's Garage West Fulton
Stone's Throw Creston
Best Neighborhood RestaurantWinner: Wolfgang's Eastown
People’s Choice Winner: Marie Catrib’s East Hills
Other Nominees:
Ali's Diner West Fulton
Brick Road Pizza Wealthy Street
Cherry Deli East Hills
El Sombrero Stockbridge
Garibaldi Restaurant Division South
The Grand Coney Michigan Street
Kopper Top Stockbridge
Real Food Café Alger Heights
Sazerac Lounge Creston
Taquitos Mexican Grill Heartside
Yesterdog Eastown
Best New BusinessWinner: Wired Espresso Bar Creston
People’s Choice Winner: Commute Bicycle Shop Heartside
Other Nominees:
Beauty House Wealthy Street
Blu House Properties, Inc. Eastown
Unlocal Clothing Co. Heartside
Wing Heaven Creston
Best New Construction - Large Project Winner: McGraw Construction for the Bicycle Factor West Fulton
People’s Choice Winner: The Hauenstein Center at Saint Mary's Health Care Heartside
Other Nominees:
Grand Rapids Public Schools for César E. Chávez Elementary Grandville Avenue
Best New Construction - Small ProjectWinner: Bear Manor Properties for the Electric Cheetah Wealthy Street
People’s Choice Winner: Bear Manor Properties for the Electric Cheetah Wealthy Street
Other Nominees:
Gus Afendoulis for Michigan & Fuller (Subway/Biggby) Michigan Street
Bazzani Associates for the Phoenix Building Eastown
Lake Michigan Credit Union Michigan Street
Best Non-Profit ProjectWinner: Grand Rapids Community Foundation for 185 Oakes SW Heartside
People’s Choice Winner: Grand Rapids Public Schools for Houseman Field East Fulton
Other Nominees:
Bethany Christian Services for refugee services Monroe North
Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids for Cathedral Square Heartside
Oasis of Hope for healthcare services West Leonard
The Steil Center for Day for Kids West Fulton
West Grand Neighborhood Organization for new office space West Leonard
Western Michigan University for the Occupational Therapy Training Center Heartside
Best Promotion Winner: Avenue for the Arts Heartside
People’s Choice Winner: Cottage Bar for 28th Annual Chili Cook-off Heartside
Other Nominees:ArtPeers Uptown
The Meanwhile Bar for the Meanwhile Movie Series at Wealthy Theatre Street
Modern Hardware for the 1st Annual Master Grilling Cook-off Boston Square
Best Reuse of a BuildingWinner: The Winchester Wealthy Street
People’s Choice Winner: The Winchester Wealthy Street
Other Nominees:Corez Wine Bar East Hills
Eastern Floral & Gifts West Fulton
Best Window DisplayWinner: Renee Austin Stockbridge
People’s Choice Winner: Wealthy at Charles Wealthy Street
Other Nominees:
Blue Door Antiques & Elements East Fulton
Bridge Street Electric Stockbridge
Imagination Creations Heartside
Northwestern Home Furnishings West Leonard
Venito Clothing Seymour Square
YT Galleria East Hills
John H. Logie Neighborhood Business Champion AwardWinner: Bing Goei West Fulton
Other Nominees:
Haris Alibasic & Kara Wood Citywide
Johnny Brann, Sr. & Johnny Brann, Jr. West Leonard
Elissa Hillary Citywide
Bob Israels Stockbridge
Rachel Lee Uptown
Gerald R. Helmholdt Grand Award Winner: Grand Rapids Public Schools for
César E. Chávez Elementary Grandville Avenue
Houseman Field East Fulton
Source: Mark Lewis, Neighborhood Ventures; Jeff Hill, Rapid Growth Media
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].