Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) and the City of Grand Rapids today unveiled designs for a dramatic improvement of the riverfront that will transform public land fenced off, and a river’s edge walled off, from the community for decades into a green, inviting and accessible Grand River waterfront for all.
The riverfront improvements, which will occur immediately adjacent to the Acrisure Amphitheater now under construction, will establish new public riverfront access for residents in Heartside, Roosevelt Park, Blacks Hills and the City’s southern neighborhoods.
The project also marks a major step in an effort to significantly enhance the riverfront for public use from Fulton Street to Market Street, currently a major gap in the regional Grand River Greenway trail network.
“This is a game-changing community improvement project,” said Grand Rapids Deputy City Manager Kate Berens.
“This property was used to park garbage trucks, store salt for winter street maintenance and provided zero access to the river for community. It’s currently completely disconnected from the neighborhoods around it and the people who live there. Soon new greenspace and riverfront trail will provide a place for people to play and gather and connect with nature. This will be a vibrant new hub of community activity and a destination for our region.”
Reestablishing the Grand River as a vital community asset and enhancing neighborhood access to the waterway are key public priorities expressed in citizen-led plans such as GR Forward, River for All and Green Grand Rapids.
The improvements unveiled today will accelerate the transformation of the Downtown riverfront already underway with the ongoing construction to enhance the Grand Rapids Public Museum and Lyon Square in the urban core.
More broadly, community leaders throughout Kent County also are ramping up efforts to grow the Grand River Greenway as a network of public parks linked together by 50 miles of multi-use trail following the Grand River corridor from the City of Lowell on the County’s eastern border, through Downtown Ada and Grand Rapids, to Millennium Park on the west, where the Grand River Greenway continues into Ottawa County to Lake Michigan.
Establishing a riverfront trail connection from Fulton Street in Downtown Grand Rapids, where the riverfront trail currently terminates, south to Wealthy Street is a priority project in this broader Grand River Greenway-building effort.
The design unveiled today by DGRI and the City marks the first major step towards that goal.
More specifically, key features of the improvements designed by VIRDIS Design Group include:
- 4.5 acres of new greenspace
- ½ mile river’s edge non-motorized trail system
- Expansive seating areas overlooking the Grand River
- Water access for recreational activities
- Future public art opportunities
- An access point to Acrisure Amphitheater
- New trees that help grow the urban tree canopy and native plantings to improve habitat biodiversity and manage stormwater prior to entering the Grand River
The estimated budget for the portion of the project from approximately US 131 to the CSX railroad crossing is $13 to $17 million. Construction is expected to begin in spring of 2025 and be completed in 2026, weather conditions permitting.
Additional future improvements at adjacent properties to complete the full riverfront greenway connection from Fulton to Wealthy are currently in the planning process. This is expected to include additional riverfront enhancements at the City-owned 509 Wealthy property and the Fulton/Market site commonly known as the former home of Charley’s Crab restaurant. The master plan also includes proposed trail underpasses beneath the US 131 highway and CSX railway.
“We’re building ambitious assets on the waterfront for our community to gather, enjoy and benefit from the Grand River,” said Tim Kelly, President and CEO of Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.
“We envision a first-class riverfront community space next to a first-class outdoor amphitheater. And we also envision this space as a dynamic hub in a unified Grand River Greenway system that connects residents, neighborhoods and regional communities to recreational and economic opportunities. That’s an exciting prospect for our community and it’s highly encouraging to see the work moving forward.”
Current Status:
