GRAND RAPIDS | Development Thread

[DetroitMan]

Construction on $184M amphitheater expected to start this spring in Grand Rapids

The city of Grand Rapids is speeding up its timeline to move its public works operations off the future site of the 12,000-capacity Acrisure Amphitheater so construction on the riverfront venue can start this spring.

Previously, the city had planned to move operations off an 11.5-acre parcel at 201 Market Ave. SW in two phases: one milestone was in May 2024, followed by a second milestone in December of that year. But now, with officials seeking to open the amphitheater by spring 2026, the city is pushing to have most operations off the site by May 1, said Deputy Grand Rapids City Manager Kate Berens. “We’re doing this in a way that we can carry on our city services uninterrupted,” she said. The new, permanent location for the city’s public works department as well as utility and other services is the former Kent County Road Commission complex at 1500 Scribner Ave. NW. The city plans to purchase and renovate the building for $92 million.However, the Scribner Avenue building won’t be ready until fall 2025.

So, until then, the city plans to house workers and its fleet of utility and public works vehicles at two interim sites. One is city-owned property just south of 201 Market Ave. SW, and the other is the Water Resource Recovery Facility at 1300 Market Ave. SW, Berens said.

New asphalt has been laid near the Water Resource Recovery Facility, and office trailers and other utility equipment will be installed before city services are temporarily relocated there in May.

The cost of the temporary relocation is about $6 million. That is being funded by private economic development Grand Action 2.0, which is working to develop the amphitheater with the city, Kent County and the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA).

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rap...nd-rapids.html