Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Planning Manager Tim Kelly emails a weekly GR Forward update to the project Steering Committee. Here's this week's communication:
Good Morning Everyone:
Our neighborhood engagement efforts continued last night with our friends in Heritage Hill. A big thanks to everyone that showed up. Next week we will continue our fourth round of neighborhood meetings with the Creston Neighborhood Association on Tuesday at 6:30p at Riverside Middle School, and JBAN / SWAN / West Grand on Wednesday at 7p at Sibley Elementary. Please continue to promote these meetings within your networks to ensure we get as many participants as possible. For your reference I'm including below an updated engagement schedule.
In addition to our neighborhood meetings, we also continued outreach to partner organizations, meeting with the staff from Experience Grand Rapids. Again, if anyone has additional ideas for partners that we can meet with, please let me know. Also, for those not able to attend meetings, a reminder you can always stop in to any one the of the nine public library branches Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (29 Pearl Street NW), City Hall, and the Development Center (1120 Monroe Ave NW) to review the plan and provide your input. You can also find the plan online and provide comments at the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. or GR Forward websites.
Web Numbers
The latest web and social media numbers are below. Be sure to continue to share the links below in your network so everyone can stay up to date with our GR Forward activities.
- Website (http://grforward.org): 32,947 (+203)
- Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/grfwd): 1,254 (+6)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/grfwd): 336 (+2)
- Instagram (http://instagram.com/grfwd#): 287 (+0)
Resources
This article from Fast Company on their annual awards for innovative city solutions has some really interesting ideas.
I particularly enjoyed the profiles on the Lawn on D, the Octave Living Room, and responsive street furniture. The profiles in the article are fairly short, so if you are interested in learning more about those projects, or any of the others, I have provided links with additional information below for you to explore.
As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Otherwise, have great weekend!
Working Engagement Schedule
September
- September 21, 2015: GVSU Old Learners @ 12p
- September 22, 2015: 42 Day Comment Period Ends
- September 22, 2015: Creston Neighborhood @ 6:30p
- September 23, 2015: SWAN/JBAN @ 7p
- September 23, 2015: Inside Grand Rapids
- September 23, 2015 – October 11, 2015: ArtPrize Video
- September 25, 2015: GVSU Environmental Planning Class @ 11a
- September 29, 2015: Black Hills @ 6p
- September 29, 2015: DAKC Accessibility Tour @ 10a
- September 30, 2015: Amway Corp @ 10:30a
October
- October 1, 2015: GR Rowers
- October 1, 2015: DAKC Accessibility Tour @ 10a
- October 5, 2015: East Grand Rapids City Commission Update @ 6p
- October 6, 2015: Grandville Art Academy / Roosevelt Park @ Cook Library @ 6p
- October 7, 2015: Disability Advocates @ 5p @ 50 Louis Street
- October 7, 2015: DAKC Accessibility Tour @ 10a
- October 9, 2015: Monroe North Business Association
- October 9, 2015: DAKC Accessibility Tour @ 2:30p
- October 15, 2015: Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- October 22, 2015: CIG Event
- October 22, 2015: GRPS Earl Bird School Choice Expo 3-7p at City High Middle School
- October 23, 2015: 73 Day Comment Period Ends
November
- TBD: Downtown and River Corridor Steering Committees meet to recommend the plan with edits incorporated from public comment
- November 2, 2015: GRPS School Board
- November 9, 2015: DGRI Board of Advisors
- November 11, 2015: DDA Board
- November 12, 2015: Planning Commission and Public Hearing
- November 18, 2015: MNTIFA Board
