More than 300 people packed a room at Faith Community Church of West Michigan on Dec. 1 as a townhomes developer presented plans that were drowned out several times by boos and vocal opposition.
Adam Rogalski, an East Grand Rapids resident and relative newcomer to the housing development sector, is leading the proposed project. Rogalski, who also serves as senior advocacy manager for Walton Enterprises LLC, the family office for the Walmart founding family, purchased the wooded 4.9-acre property at 2450 Seventh St. NW for $355,000 on Sept. 30.
Plans presented on Monday showed a new street that would run vertically through the property and connect the project to Seventh Street, near the western border of the city of Grand Rapids. The early site plan calls for 10 two-story buildings totaling 43 residential townhome units that could be rentals or for-sale, at market rates. Each unit would have two bedrooms. Two of the buildings would front Seventh Street, with detached garages in the back…