A river runs through Green Grand Rapids

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

The Grand River might be metro GR’s most underutilized natural asset. But the city is brimming with ideas to make its stretch of Michigan’s longest river more of a focal point for its redevelopment.

Now Mayor George Heartwell, the Green Grand Rapids steering committee, and other civic leaders want to hear those ideas and advance a more formal vision for the Grand River as part of an overall effort to green Grand Rapids.

On June 25, Green Gathering: Ideas, the first of three public forums, will include the results of the Green Pursuits game distributed in April, a welcome by Mayor Heartwell and breakout sessions on parks, connections, greening, health, natural systems or the Grand River.

Some ideas floated recently include restoring the rapids in the Grand River, designing and building a kayak course, expanding riverside park space, more bike trails, riverside dining establishments. These and other projects, a growing number of residents seem to agree, could simultaneously enhance a degraded waterway and improve the city’s ability to retain and attract young talent and new companies.   

Suzanne Schulz, planning department director, hopes the upcoming meeting will attract some 300 attendees. Participants will prioritize their session’s topics and draft a vision statement incorporating the ideas.

The June 25 meeting is at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Avenue NW, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

To encourage participation: free carpool parking for cars with two or more passengers is available in the City Hall ramp across the street from DeVos Place; Free single-occupancy vehicle parking is available on Monroe NW, one block north of U.S. 131; The Rapid will distribute free bus passes to the first 100 participants; and bike racks will be available in front of DeVos Place.

Source: Suzanne Schulz, City of Grand Rapids

Related Articles
$500K Green Grand Rapids targets the riverfront, a landfill, and other public space
Grand Rapids’ ‘Green Pursuits’ anything but trivial

Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.