Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Planning Manager Tim Kelly emails a weekly GR Forward update to the project Steering Committee. Here's this week's communication:

Happy Friday Everyone:

Hope you are all finishing up a great week and enjoying this beautiful day.

We are continuing to schedule our additional engagement opportunities, and look forward to sharing the full schedule with you in the near future. In the meantime, here is an overview of our proposed activities:

  • An Open House located at DGRI (starting Monday, 8/17) where people can drop in at their convenience to review copies of the plan or executive summary and submit comments. The Open House will be open during regularly scheduled DGRI business hours (M-F 8:30a – 5p);
  • “Meet the Planners” sessions that will provide scheduled times each week at the Open House where people can meet with a representative of DGRI or the City to discuss the plan in detail;
  • Copies of the full plan and executive summary at all nine public library branches with comment cards;
  • The DGRI website, which will be updated to include a virtual option for interested parties to provide comments;
  • Approximately 10 additional meetings where we will be partnering with organizations and neighborhood associations to produce events throughout the City to provide a forum for large groups to hear a presentation on GR Forward and provide feedback.

Additionally, as we finalize the schedule, we are already beginning to partner on other events. Last night we were provided the opportunity to participate in the How We Grow event at the Wealthy Theater. The event, which was produced by Equity Drinks in collaboration with BLEND, OutPro and The Salon, resulted in important discussions around equity and economic prosperity in all Grand Rapids neighborhoods, two important topics that are also closely aligned with the vision and goals established in GR Forward. Big thanks to Jeremy Moore and the other event organizers for giving us a presence at the event and allowing us to spread the word about the GR Forward process. Also, if any of you have additional ideas for events that we can participate in please let me know.

Web Numbers

The latest web and social media numbers are below. Be sure to continue to share the links below in your network so everyone can stay up to date with our GR Forward activities.

Resources

This article about a proposal to encourage more affordable housing development in San Francisco is relevant to a number of the discussions that are happening in Grand Rapids and in GR Forward.

The proposal would allow developers to receive height and density bonuses in exchange for reserving units for low and middle-income residents. The program was designed to unlock housing possibilities on underused sites in the city that restrict the number of units that can be built by the size of the property. If approved, it is anticipated developers will build about 7,000 units overall, including 3,000 for low and moderate-income residents over the next 20 years that would not get built otherwise.

This approach is used in cities across the country, and is favored by municipalities because it incentivizes the construction of more accessible units without public subsidies. That said, and as the article points out, there is no single approach or policy that can solve the affordability problem. Rather, cities need to explore a full range of incentives and funding mechanisms. As in San Francisco, Grand Rapidians understand this, and it is now our responsibility to ensure the proper tools are in place to accomplish our housing goals.

As always, let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, have a great weekend.