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 September Everyone:

I know most of you are anxious to get a start on the long weekend, so I will keep this week’s email brief.

This week we continued our engagement efforts, meeting with NAI Wisinski. We also added more detail to our upcoming engagement schedule, which I have provided at the end of this email. As always, if anyone has suggestions for other groups or organizations we can meet with 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

I hope most of you are going to have some leisure time this weekend, so I thought I would give you a “grab bag” of articles to choose from. In no particular order, here are 5 articles for your reading lists. Hope you enjoy them!

41 Amazing Public Space Transformations Captured By Google Street View

The Unlikely Cities That Will Power the U.S. Economy

The Growing Link Between Energy Efficiency and Economic Development

Home Prices in These Midwestern Cities are Outperforming New York

Brain Gain and the Rise of the Rustbelt - CityLab (Note: The article claims a 92.7% increase in Grand Rapids-Wyoming MSA’s gain in residents 25+ with at least a BA from 2000-2013. The Right Place dug a little deeper into the numbers, and that radical jump is the result of changing the MSA boundary in 2013. When the new boundary is accounted for, the jump is actually closer to 45%, which is still very impressive, and second to only the Winston-Salem MSA in highest percent gain during that period.)

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Otherwise, have great Labor Day Weekend!

Engagement Schedule

September

  • September 1, 2015: NAI Wisinski
  • September 8, 2015: Neighbors of Belknap Lookout @ 6p
  • September 10, 2015: Parking Commission @ 8a
  • September 11, 2015: GVSU Administrators @ 8:30a
  • September 17, 2015: Experience GR Staff @ 12p
  • September 17, 2015: Heritage Hill @ 5:30p
  • September 22, 2015: 42 Day Comment Period Ends
  • September 22, 2015: Creston Neighborhood @ 6:30p
  • September 23, 2015: SWAN/JBAN @ 6p (tentative)
  • September 23, 2015: Inside Grand Rapids
  • September 29, 2015: Black Hills @ 6p
  • September 30, 2015: Amway Corp @ 10:30a

October

  • October 6, 2015: Grandville Art Academy / Cook Library @ 6p
  • October 22, 2015: CIG Event
  • October 22, 2015: GRPS Earl Bird School Choice Expo 3-7p at City High Middle School
  • October 23, 2015: 73 Day Comment Period Ends

November

  • TBD: Downtown and River Corridor Steering Committees meet to recommend the plan with edits incorporated from public comment
  • November 2, 2015: GRPS School Board
  • November 9, 2015: DGRI Board of Advisors
  • November 12, 2015: Planning Commission and Public Hearing
  • November 18, 2015: DDA Board
  • November 18, 2015: MNTIFA Board

December

  • December 15, 2015: City Commission

Being Scheduled

  • “Meet the Planners” Events
  • Chamber of Commerce: Outpro, Black Women Connect
  • BLEND
  • LINC
  • Urban League
  • Hispanic Center of West Michigan
  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • MNBA
  • Additional Neighborhood Meetings