GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids city skyline is set to undergo a significant transformation in the coming years, with several major projects planned. With these developments, a lot of people are asking: Where will everyone park?
While they are still several years out from opening to the public, there is an aquarium and an 8,500-seat professional soccer stadium on the horizon.
The Acrisure Amphitheater project is another significant component of the downtown revitalization efforts. The 12,000-seat venue is set to open up at some point in 2026.
The amphitheater will already have an initial 350 vehicle spaces included. A nearby surface lot will house another 112 spaces.
There will also be two mixed-use towers with hundreds of apartment units going up near both the stadium and the amphitheater.
The mixed-use/residential tower near the amphitheater will add 450 spaces reserved for apartment residents.
To further address parking concerns, the city is hoping to build a dedicated parking garage near the amphitheater, which will provide an additional 340 parking spaces.
At this point in the planning process, the city is looking at a price tag of about $715 million for all aspects of the massive revitalization project.
The additional space will be funded through bonds, which will be repaid by the GR-Kent County Convention Arena Authority, not taxpayers.
Tuesday, the city’s Fiscal Committee approved the first step in securing that bond money.
Now, the city of Grand Rapids will prepare an agreement with the convention area authority and present that to the committee within a few weeks.
Some of the millions in funding could come from a lodging tax on our August ballot. The Kent County lodging tax would add extra fees when people stay at Kent County hotels.
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