Downtown Grand Rapids: Where the Action Is

Alumni work to revitalize the downtown area.

by Lynn Bolt Rosendale '85

As recently as 10-15 years ago, downtown Grand Rapids was probably not the place to be.

"I remember it as old, delapidated buildings," said Phil deHaan ‘84. "We maybe went to the Grand Plaza Hotel once a year to walk around the lobby and I went to the fish ladder once or twice. Other than that, there wasn't much going on there."

A recent conversation with Calvin senior Jason Coleman proves that a lot has changed: "It's a great place to hangout," he said. "I think it's really accessible to students. There are a lot of restaurants, and The Bob, and hockey games and basketball games and things happening at the arena," he said. "It's clean. It's nice. I'd rather be there than in San Diego, where I'm from."

Freshman Christie Ellis recently spent a Saturday evening at Four Friends Coffee House downtown and then went ice skating across the street. "Saturday night when there's nothing to do, we go downtown. There are a lot of restaurants and coffee houses where you can sit and listen to music."

Are we talking about the same Grand Rapids here?

Well, yes and no.

The area is the same, but changes began taking place in the early 1980s and have picked up steam especially in the last 2-3 years. Places like The BOB, the Van Andel Arena and teams like the Hoops and the Griffins are unfamiliar to anyone out of touch with Grand Rapids in the last few years. In 1981, the first step towards downtown revitalization was started with the opening of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Things really got rolling earlier this decade.

The Van Andel Arena, which opened just over a year ago, has brought many big name acts to town such as Elton John and Phil Collins. It also is home to a minor league hockey team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, and basketball team, the Grand Rapids Hoops.

Along with the performers, the arena has drawn many people downtown--up to about 11,000 per event. That created a need for restaurants and other gathering places as well. The BOB (Big Old Building) houses a variety of restaurants from an upscale steakhouse to a burger joint. Coffeehouses have begun springing up along with a growing retail sector, which now includes Monroe Mall being open to traffic. What's happening in Grand Rapids is not unique to Grand Rapids, according to Sam Cummings, president of Macroe Properties. "It's part of the new "urbanism" movement. People are returning to urban cities for entertainment, business, even residence," he said.

It's what has led the 1990 Calvin graduate to his current work of renovating old downtown buildings into new, exciting office, retail and residential space. His company is in the midst of its fourth renovation with more on the horizon.

"I think it all goes back to stewardship," said Cummings. "It's important to reuse whenever possible and that's what we strive to do. Land is a finite asset, but too often it is viewed as a bottomless pit. Too often we are not good stewards of our land. In addition, there were a lot of buildings around here threatened with destruction. There's a lot of history in these buildings aside from the economics."

And what are the economics?

According to Ed DeVries, a partner in DeVries Development Co., there is tremendous merit in "redoing."

"A lot of people got into the urban expansion because it's easier, but it's not necessarily more cost effective," said the 1967 Calvin graduate. "It's usually less costly, but like anything it's harder to redo than to start from scratch."

With a little imagination and hard work though, it has been possible for DeVries and his partner Bob DeVries ‘69 to turn an old barrell factory into Cooper's Landing--office space for his company and 49 others; a bank built in 1874 into Aldrich Place--office and retail space; and, forthcoming, an A & P warehouse into condominiums.

Likewise, Cummings has worked miracles on an old furniture warehouse, a former wholesale grocer and a vacant shoe distribution center.

And building by building there has been a significant turn around in downtown Grand Rapids. "Respect for the original" is the operative phrase for both DeVries and Cummings.

"You don't try and make buildings into something they're not," said Cummings. "You enhance the parts that are unique and beautiful like the maple floors, brick walls and high ceilings."

In fact, Cummings' office located in 15 Ionia reflects all of this "old building character" with it's wood floors, painted brick walls and open design.

"One of the things that has lasting value is great beauty," said DeVries. "That's what you find in so much of the architecture in this area."

Cummings began his first downtown project in 1993.

"A lot of people thought I was crazy," he said. "Then when I talked about an apartment building...people thought I was especially crazy for that. Everything was boarded up and there were no cars, nothing. Now, it's bustling with activity."

Cummings is among the tenants of his apartment building, Tannery Row, which is rented to capacity (???).

"Downtown living is a lifestyle choice," he said. "For people who want an alternative to 28th Street and the mall, who want to be a part of a community with neighbors just across the hall, this is for them. Community is what is neat about it. You are necessarily very close to each other. You don't pull into the garage and shut the doors. You interact all of the time."

That's what DeVries is counting on with the development of his new Atlantic and Pacific building, a downtown condominium project--those looking for that alternate lifestyle and continued momentum towards downtown.

"People generally like living with other people," he said. "It's like living in the dorms. That's probably more fun than living at home. There are more people with things to do. It takes synergy to revitalize a downtown area. That's what we have going now."

And it doesn't appear to be letting up any time soon. Plans are in the works for the new Van Andel Institute, a medical research facility; a graduate school campus; an expanded Grand Center to host more and larger conventions and conferences; and a new court house.

Cummings has taken his role one step further. As an advocate for downtown, he is bringing a Grand Prix to Grand Rapids.

From July 24-26, the streets of downtown Grand Rapids will be converted into a race course for historical sports cars.

Conservative estimates are predicting draws of 40,000-100,000 people and $10-15 million in revenue for the city.

"I was interested in doing this for Grand Rapids for three reasons," said Cummings. "I see it as an economic initiative for the city, a national publicity spotlight and another draw for downtown," he said. "It as an opportunity for companies, which are headquartered in Grand Rapids, to bring clients and customers in to showcase the city with something a little more memorable than a round of golf." As for the extended future of downtown, DeVries is optimistic.

"Everything in Grand Rapids started along the Grand River," he said. "This redevelopment is getting back to the history of Grand Rapids. It makes more and more sense to reuse these buildings, which are our natural resources, especially because they are in a central, accessible location." "Downtown Grand Rapids is a better representation of what was and what is Grand Rapids," added Cummings, "and now it's where the action is."

Lynn Bolt Rosendale is Managing Editor of Spark.