Parking lots give way to development

Developers increasingly view city owned property as a hot commodity, especially surface parking lots. They have proposed everything from condos to a movie theatre to replace lots surrounding Van Andel Arena.

Excerpts from the story:

Parking Services Director Pam Ritsema recently told the city’s Economic Development Team that developers are expressing lots of interest in the department’s downtown surface parking lots.

Ritsema said losing parking spaces to developments is good for the city. The investment and tax revenue are both needed. But she also knows that the more downtown developments there are, the greater the demand becomes for parking. And not just for the development, but also for the public.

Read more here.