By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Grand Rapids has some of the things Millennials want—a vibrant nightlife, affordable housing, places to hang out—but it’s lacking a lot of things, too. And because educated Millennials tend to be very mobile and their skills are in demand they choose first where they want to live and then worry about getting a job.
Several Grand Rapids business leaders conducted a survey of Millennials living downtown to find out what they think of Grand Rapids, and the results were highlighted at the University of Michigan Land Use Institute Real Estate Forum yesterday.
“They want some cool, unstructured places to hang out,” said Cle Jackson of Blue Cross Blue Shield. “They want smaller venues where they can really engage, creative spaces for events.”
“Only nine percent attend things like the ballet, opera or the Civic Theatre,” said Jason Wheeler, owner of Grand Central Market, “because those things are regimented, have a high price tag, and seem to be more for members only. We have 26,000 students at Grand Rapids’ universities; it’s a shame to see them sending résumés outside the city. We need to rethink the city and be able to offer them something besides a job.”
Jackson, Wheeler, and Ginny Seyferth of Seyferth & Associates, noted that Millennials need a reason to walk or bike. They want urban spaces that are safe or are perceived to be safe; that means there’s a need to “activate” first floors of buildings—animate them with light at night, use color to enliven them during the day, and find an alternative to boarding up vacant storefronts so they feel less foreboding.
“We need to connect the Medical Mile to the downtown,” Seyferth said. “And we need to fill in some of the gaps between buildings that are currently surface parking lots.”
A focus group of 60 young people are working with the Downtown Development Authority to make changes, she said.
Source: Ginny Seyferth, Seyferth & Associates; Jason Wheeler, Grand Central Market; Cle Jackson, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
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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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