To build more hotels or not: This is the question – that is currently being studied by the consulting group, HVS. On our down town horizon, five hotels under construction or ready to break ground this season. Will there be a need or room for a 400-room convention hotel or a proposed hotel behind Van Andel Arena? The 2017 Kent County hotel occupancy rate for 2017 was 67.2% versus the state average of 61.4%.

The five new hotels slated for down town Grand Rapids are:

• Staybridge Suites; 942 Front Avenue, NW, with 110 rooms
• Embassy Suites by Hilton Hotel; 710 Monroe Avenue, NW, with 246 rooms
• Hyatt Place Hotel; 150 Ottawa Avenue, NE, with 160 rooms
• AC Hotel by Marriott; 50 Monroe Avenue, NW, with 130 rooms
• Studio Park Hotel; NW corner of Ionia & Cherry Streets, with 164 rooms.

MEIJER GROCERY STORES

Meijer is opening “Bridge Street Market”, a 40,000 square-foot store on Grand Rapids’ west side by this coming summer. Customers will be offered one-hour free parking per visit. A Hudsonville Meijer will also be opening in 2018. 2017 saw Meijer investments of over $375-million on the building of seven new stores and the remodeling of 22 existing stores / locations. The retailer operates 235 stores across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Meijer “super stores” require 15+ acres to accommodate 150,000 square-feet retail space for each store and parking facilities.