Urban Grand Rapids

Given that we are about to enter into a season of constant housing and land-use policy conversation it seems like a good time to update the "A"ffordable housing tables. The standard for "A"ffordabilty is for the total monthly housing costs not to exceed 30% of gross household income. For the state and federal governments this calculation is always made off of the median household income of the county; that is the number which matters in the context of block grants, tax credits, etc...

UPDATE 2025-01-27: The Mayor's Mondays website is now available.

In the first City Connection episode of 2025 newly elected Mayor David Lagrand has a pointed discussion about housing as well as introducing his planned Mayor's Mondays community conversation events.

We last looked at the state of intercity transportation in 2022; sadly, very little has changed ...

The Rapid

Ridership

Continuing the tradition of predictions and evaluation, here are the predictions for the year 2025. Before anyone takes these too seriously remember how the 2024 predictions turned out.

1. ) Venues continue to expand; especially of the eatertainment variety. Between downtown, Bridge St, and Creston six new eatertainment venues will open or be under development.

The municipal agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on 2025-01-23 is 👉here👈

2411 Burton St SE

This is an application to sell beer and wine out of an existing fueling station and convenience store. The sale of alcohol is already an established aspect of this area's "Neighborhood Character"; being available at 1810 (D&W Fueling Station), 1814 (D&W), 1874 (Condado Tacos), 1962 (Stan's Taco), 1978 (Cafe De Miro), 2410 (Rite-Aid), and 2470 Burton St (Fresh Thyme).

UPDATE 2026-01: I intended to write a "Pondering 2026", however 2025 was really a nothingburger of a year, in the worst possible way. That new post would have merely been a recycling of pretty much these same data-points, but with a darker and more cynical tone. As I ended this post looking back at 2024 - that this is a time not for Hope but for Courage - at the end of 2025 that is only even more so. We remain, IMO, floating captainless in the shadow of great storm. We must choose to be for each other as no one else is coming.