The city of Grand Rapids has a rare chance to purchase vacant federally owned riverfront property near Riverside Park that neighbors have expressed interest in redeveloping into a community center.
The federal government is in the formal process of disposing a 3.5-acre property it owns at 1863 Monroe Ave. NW that formerly operated as a U.S. Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center. The property disposal process involves notifying the local municipality to gauge its interest in purchasing it, said Kristin Turkelson, Grand Rapids planning director.
“This is just a really unique opportunity for us,” Turkelson said. “It’s a riverfront property, which is always significant when we think about our goal for redevelopment along the river. It’s important (for the community) to participate and understand what the vision is for this specific property in this neighborhood.”…