Visser Development Company is seeking 1.7 million in tax breaks from the City of GR, setting a goal of a redevelopment at Ann & Turner, NW.  The current site has been an automotive salvage yard for the past 87 years.  If enacted, two industrial buildings will eventually be constructed.  Soil clean-up will be required with new fill to cover excavated contaminated soil and additional fill to accommodate storm drains and flood risks with proximity to the Grand River.  This site was previously considered for improvement ten years earlier, however with the recession in 2008, it has remained status quo until recently.

Trulia.com, reporting statistics from 2015, state that Grand Rapids, Michigan millennials are more likely to own homes than their older peers.  Nationally, only the city of Philadelphia, ranked first, can claim this distinction.  Almost 89% of millennials did not live with their parents or grandparents/family and of this group, 57% were homeowners.  39.1 percent of millennials were homeowners nationally:  Way to go West Michigan!

 
Meijer is in the process of developing its first down town store!  Their 55.6-million-dollar project will be housed at a 3.3-acre development framed by Bridge, Street, Stocking Avenue, Seward Avenue & First Street, NW.  This area currently consists of six buildings, along with contaminated soil.  It will be the first full-service grocery store in the downtown redevelopment, a significant contribution to achieving new city of Grand Rapids’ goals and an additional 130 permanent jobs will be added.