Great News about Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is on-the-move with developments downtown plus an expansion at the airport, as well as the impressive increase of creative citizens who chose to live here.
The brand-new 160-room Hyatt Place hotel in downtown Grand Rapids celebrated its grand opening in September, being the latest building to reshape the skyline of our city.
“The last three big projects that we have completed all on Ottawa Avenue, believe it or not, created about $200 million worth of investment — the Venue Tower, the Arena Place and this," said Orion Real Estate Solutions President John Wheeler. "They were all just surface parking lots generating nothing. So, now we’re trying to fill them up and let’s bring them to life.”
It’s not just airplanes taking off at GRR, as the airport itself is reaching greater heights! A $90 million expansion has been announced for the Gerald R Ford International Airport, adding eight more passenger gates and creating 300 new jobs by 2022 in order to accommodate continued passenger and airline growth.
“With record numbers of people traveling through Ford Airport and West Michigan’s strong economy continuing to create new opportunities, the Ford Airport is at a crucial intersection,” according to U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland). “It is critical to invest in our aviation infrastructure to ensure we can meet the needs of residents and travelers who will make West Michigan an even better place to live, work and visit.”
Which US cities experienced the fastest growth in the creative class population between 2005 and 2017? Grand Rapids vaulted from the bottom of this list in 2005 to a place in the top ten in 2017! Based upon a study by CityLab and the University of Maine, changes in location of the creative class population was charted for a period immediately before, during and after the recession (using data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey).
These are just a few of the many news items which indicate the recent, grand and rapid growth of our city. GRSMA musicians truly are proud of Grand Rapids!