Urban Grand Rapids

On 2023-08-10 the Kent County Board of Commissioners officially created the Kent Country Affordable Housing loan fund with a balance of $17.5 Million. In collaboration with IFF which will provide a ~230% match of the county's dollars to operational balance of the fund is $58.3 Million.

In what is hopefully a boost to the howling void that is local journalism, the Grand Rapids Community Media Center is launching a "Grand Rapids Documenters" program.

Recruitment events on:

• Tue, Aug 15th, 2023 (6pm) @ Grand Rapids Public Library
• Thr, Aug 17th, 2023 (6pm) @ Hispanic Center of West Michigan
• Wed, Aug 23rd, 2023 (5:30pm) @ Creston Brewery
• Wed. Sept. 20th, 2023 (6:30pm) @ GR Center for Community Transformation

More Information @ Grand Rapids Documenters

On the agenda of City Commission meeting on 2023-08-08 is a resolution to update the "City Employee Home Ownership Incentives" program.

Note: State law in Michigan forbids cities from imposing residency requirements.

One item on the 2023-08-08 City Commission Agenda is to set the date for a public hearing regarding the rezoning of "210 Fairbanks St NE, 628, 636, 638, 644 and 646 Coit Ave NE which was recommended by the Planning Commission on 2023-07-13.

UPDATE 2023-09-19: Any proposed zoning reforms are now not expected to be heard until January, 2024. 🙄

Contacting the City Commission is as easy as an e-mail or phone call; yet there are some details worth knowing.

Something is going down in your neighborhood! Some old building is being renovated, or a nearby lot is now littered with Ms. Dig flags. Or, perhaps, nothing is happening in your neighborhood and you are wise enough to be concerned about that; so what about that old building? In any case you want to do some research - but don't know how to start. Fortunately almost all the information you might be interested in is public record. It is only a trick of knowing where to find it. So, for an example, let's research 811 College Ave NE.