The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) today received and recommended for public review a preliminary draft of GR Forward, a community plan and investment strategy that puts the restoration of, stronger public connections to, and redevelopment around the Grand River at the heart of the future for Downtown Grand Rapids.

The comprehensive strategy comes amidst increasing awareness that beautiful and active central cities are key assets that fuel economic growth and cultural vitality for cities, regions, states and the nation. Both young workers and retiring Baby Boomers more and more seek to live in urban districts where residences, shops, schools, parks and other amenities are located in close proximity. Companies increasingly prefer to locate and invest in walkable downtown areas. And even in Michigan walkable urban places are starting to gain the market share of new investment and development projects.

The challenge and responsibility for emerging Downtowns like Grand Rapids is to guide and maximize the potential for growth and prosperity in a way that’s consistent with the community’s values.

“GR Forward gives our local leaders the citizen-driven guidance and tools we need to keep building a great waterfront city,” said Kristopher Larson, president and CEO of Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., which manages the DDA. “Downtown is stronger than ever. But we continue to have enormous untapped opportunities throughout the urban core, including our underutilized waterfront, developable land, and underperforming public spaces. GR Forward does the critical work of recognizing these unique assets and presents practical strategies to leverage them in creative ways that help achieve our full potential.”

The DDA’s recommendation begins an extensive, nearly 3-month public review process that includes a community open house, a public hearing and comment phase, and multiple presentations to the City Commission, Planning Commission and various citizen committees.

GR Forward effectively is three planning processes in one, including an update to the Downtown Plan, a Grand River Corridor Plan as well as new master plans for several Grand Rapids Public School facilities in and around Downtown Grand Rapids.

The draft GR Forward document is the result of the most inclusive planning and public engagement process in modern Grand Rapids. Downtown Grand Rapids Inc facilitated the process in partnership with the City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Public Schools. Three separate citizen-driven steering committees comprised of 132 people guided the overall effort. And to date, more than 3,600 residents, businesses, organizations and other stakeholders have informed the GR Forward community conversation with their perspective, ideas, goals and recommendations.

Based on this broad body of input, the GR Forward community plan and investment strategy envisions:

Goal 1: Restore the Grand River as the Draw and Create a Connected and Equitable River Corridor

Why This Matters

The Grand River is a unique urban amenity and the game-changer for Grand Rapids that – fully restored – can help attract new talent and residents and elevate the city as a distinct destination in the United States. As residential and business districts continue to revitalize and grow around the waterway, the GR Forward strategy ensures recreational zones, amenities and public access to the waterfront is fully part of life in the city. Toward that end, the strategy identifies 28 opportunity sites along the urban riverfront where strategic investments can simultaneously enhance flood protection, expand public access and recreation programs, improve environmental quality, and promote responsible development opportunities.

Select Strategies

GR Forward among other strategies recommends:

  • Improving existing waterfront parks and adding new open space amenities that position Grand Rapids not only to better endure, adapt and recover from flood disasters but also offer a city full of outdoor comfort and adventure;
  • Establishing a continuous trail along both sides of the river in the spirit of New York’s High Line, Chicago’s 606 or Detroit’s Dequindre Cut; and
  • New transportation links to enhance neighborhood connections and access to the river.

Goal 2: Establish a True Downtown Neighborhood That is Home to a Diverse Population

Why This Matters

The desire for “more” – more retail, more services, more diversity, more restaurants, and more stuff to do – is a constant theme that emerged through the public engagement process. These amenities require more people living in the city’s core. Downtown is growing but currently lacks the critical mass of residents needed to support new retail and services. GR Forward proposes a development strategy to attract and accommodate approximately 7,000 additional residents in the next 10 years.

Select Strategies

GR Forward among other strategies recommends:

  • Allowing taller buildings to support greater density of people;
  • Incentivizing a greater mix of residential, office, and retail space in new and renovated buildings; and
  • Deregulating the amount of parking government requires to maximize land use and help maintain housing affordability.

Goal 3: Implement a 21st Century Mobility Strategy

Why This Matters

The future growth of Downtown Grand Rapids increasingly depends on a multi-modal transportation system due to a variety of factors, including people’s changing travel preferences, rapidly evolving transportation technologies, and the limited amount of land available to accommodate a high rate of growth in the number of personal vehicles. Put simply, Downtown and the city will benefit greatly by expanding the network of transportation choices for people who walk, bike, drive or take transit.

Select Strategies

To keep Grand Rapidians moving faster, safer and more efficiently as the population grows GR Forward among other strategies recommends:

  • Improving the experience for people who walk by enhancing sidewalks and safety at street intersections;
  • Re-booting the Downtown Area Shuttle system, or DASH, to function like a proper urban circulator and serve all potential Downtown customers; and
  • Integrating new technologies to make parking and transit easier to use and pay for.

Goal 4: Reinvest in Public Space, Culture and Inclusive Programming

Why This Matters

Quality of place is a key factor driving residential and job growth. The Downtown experience is defined by the quality, character and amenities offered on streets, in parks, at key destinations as well as through events and programs that bring people together. Key challenges for Downtown include inactive land uses that do not actively support street activity and life, a lack of sufficient open space to meet the growing population’s needs and a lull in activity during the winter months.

Select Strategies

Among other strategies GR Forward recommends:

  • Designing and programming public spaces to accommodate winter activities;
  • Rethinking and raising the profile of existing public spaces such as Calder Plaza and Heartside Park;
  • Upgrading key streets such as Fulton, Ionia and Sheldon with trees, street furniture and other amenities that encourage activity and support businesses; and
  • Turning up the volume on public art.

Goal 5: Retain and Attract Families, Talent and Job Providers with High Quality Public Schools

Why This Matters

The future growth and success of public schools is not just an education issue – it’s intimately interconnected to residential attraction, workforce development, economic development and neighborhood revitalization. By offering a strong portfolio of high quality learning opportunities, the Grand Rapids Public School system helps attract families and shape a talented workforce that will pay future dividends for Downtown’s economy and culture.

Select Strategies

GR Forward among other strategies recommends:

  • Deepening investment to grow effective theme schools and specialized programs in close proximity to Downtown such as Grand Rapids Public Schools’ Innovation Central, Van Andel Museum School and GR Montessori;
  • Seizing opportunities for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., GRPS and the City of Grand Rapids to work more closely together to get students more involved in Downtown and grow a locally-rooted, well-educated workforce; and
  • Ensuring GRPS campuses enrich the educational experience, elevate community interaction and establish safe routes to school by removing the obsolete building at the corner of College and Fountain, breathing new life into the historic museum building at 54 Jefferson and reconfiguring key streets and parking facilities that serve school facilities.

Goal 6: Expand Job Opportunities and Ensure Continued Vitality of the Local Economy

Why This Matters

Future efforts to grow jobs and the local economy depend on three key factors, according to GR Forward’s analysis: Providing available and affordable space for businesses to grow, recruiting top talent and marketing to position Grand Rapids in a new, rising class of cities.

Select Strategies

To accomplish these goals GR Forward among other strategies recommends:

  • Promoting equity and inclusion as the superior growth model;
  • Recruiting a corporate anchor for new Downtown office space;
  • Identifying and preserving key sites for affordable, flexible work space for new and growing businesses; and
  • Developing a branding and communications campaign to establish Downtown Grand Rapids as a strategic asset for West Michigan in the global competition for talent and innovation investment.

“GR Forward aspires to turn opportunity into action and the community’s ideas into results,” Larson said. “The DDA’s current year budget already prioritizes investment in 56 different GR Forward initiatives. We look forward to working closely with the City and our community partners to make the vision a reality as our population and Downtown grows over the next 5 to 10 years.”

With the DDA Board’s recommendation, the draft GR Forward plan next moves to the City Planning Commission on July 23 and, if recommended, the City Commission on July 28. Both bodies will be asked to review the document and support initiating the minimum 42-day public review and comment period as required by state law. All meetings are open to the public.

At the conclusion of the review period, all comments and proposed changes will be considered and incorporated into a final GR Forward draft, which will be the subject of a tentatively scheduled September public hearing at the Planning Commission. Full plan adoption as an amendment to the City Master Plan is anticipated in fall 2015.

Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. currently is organizing an August “open house” period, in addition to other community meetings, for citizens to review the draft GR Forward strategy, ask questions and submit comments and ideas. More details will be announced later this month.

See the GR Forward project page for more info.