GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A decade after Grand Rapids leaders mapped out an ambitious vision for downtown, the city’s core has been transformed by riverfront construction, new entertainment venues, a growing calendar of events and a rising residential population.
Now, downtown planners are taking the next step: updating that blueprint, known as the GR Forward master plan, for the next 10 years. Rather than rewriting it from scratch, the effort will focus on sustaining the momentum that has reshaped the city’s core, officials say.
“We’ve seen considerable growth and a lot of progress over the last 10 years,” said Bill Kirk, a spokesperson for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., which coordinates development in the urban core and is overseeing the update. “Part of this plan will be figuring out how to maintain that momentum and to sustain that success.”…