Urban Grand Rapids

The municipal agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on 2026-01-22 is 👉here👈

1319 Division Ave S

This is a Special Land Use (SLU) request to operate a vehicle repair facility within a Traditional Business Area (TBA). Auto-oriented uses within the TBA zone require SLU as the intent of a TBA zone is to establish a commercially active and pedestrian and transit friendly area.

StrongtownGR is hosting the Director of MobileGR Jessica Smith at their January (2026) members meeting. Have any questions about the city's mobility projects and programs? Want to learn how to advocate for change in the development of the upcoming "Mobility Blueprint"? This is your chance.

Where: Downtown Grand Rapids Inc, 29 Pearl St NW

When: 2026-01-21 6:30pm - 8:00pm

The recommendations of the mayor's ADU Task Force which has been meeting over the past year are here!

UPDATE 2025-12-30: A reader has pointed out that there was an update on the Library Lot (prediction #9), but it only appears at a GRPL board meeting (PDF). The partnership between the GRPL and Children's Museum has been terminated. This swings my score from 6 (which included a +2 👍) to a 2 (now including a -2 👎); so 9% instead of 27%.

UPDATE 2025-12-22: Using the window of opportunity between legislative temper tantrums the Michigan Strategic Fund called a special meeting and approved $561,000,000 of incentives for the Three Towers project! It really pays to be a politically connected developer.

The Towers

Addresses: 3, 17, 21, 37, 41, 45, 47, 53, and 63 Market Avenue SW, 216 Fulton Street W

Site: 6.9 acres / 10 parcels

Total Square/Footage: 1,241,834sq/ft; 106,628sq/ft residential for-sale, 476,350sq/ft residential for-rent, 420,000sq/ft office, 137,006 hotel, 37,880sq/ft retail

Total Residential Units: 671 (595 rental, 76 condominium). This is +6.1% towards downtown's goal of 11,000 residential units.

Total Parking Spaces: 2,510

Total Estimated Cost: $738,000,000

Completion of entire project expected to be in the summer of 2029. ... provided it begins.

The municipal agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on 2025-12-11 is 👉here👈

540 Russwood Street NE

This is a returning agenda item from the 2025-09-25 Planning Commission meeting which was approved with conditions at that meeting.

The municipal agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on 2025-11-13 is 👉here👈