Urban Grand Rapids

It is the prediction and prediction analysis time of year. First the analysis of predictions; comparing one's expectations to the data is a healthy - and sobering - process. Last year (2024) the sum total of my predictions netted out to 0 (0% of 28). Fortunately this is all for fun, as anyone who has spent any time with Data knows what she will consistently do to any and all of our imaginings.

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👈

Topic: Housing

Time: 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Where

Recent data (up through September 2025) demonstrates a softening of rent growths. Rents increased 3% in 2024 - 2025 after a growth of 4% in 2023 - 2024 and a growth of 3% in 2022 - 2023; this is significant decline in growth from the inflationary years of 2020 - 2022 with growth rates of 12% and 10% respectively.

% Change

Rents

There has been a lot happening on the mobility front, ranging from a plethora of bike land and trail projects to a new state budget (public transportation).