Tag Archives: construction

Wyoming breaks ground at future Godwin Mercado site on 36th Street

1-featured, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Development, Going Local, Kent County, Local Business, Local History, Our Cities, Voices, West Michigan, , , , , , , ,
Wyoming city officials broke ground at the future Godwin Mercado site, officially kicking off the start of construction (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Wyoming city officials reached a significant milestone as they broke ground at the future Godwin Mercado five-acre parcel of land on 36th Street.

“We are excited about this because it’s been in the works for so long, we weren’t sure it was going to come to pass,” says Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood. “This is a great day.”

Godwin Mercado will be situated on the north side of the Site 36 Industrial Park.

Formerly a General Motors stamping plant, the 75-acre parcel of Site 36 was sold to commercial real estate investment company Franklin and Partners (FP) with an agreement that FP would help Wyoming develop a community marketplace on the north side.

After years of community, vendor and market research, Godwin Mercado is now under construction.

The Godwin Mercado groundbreaking took place Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“This has been something that residents have been asking for for years,” says Nicole Hofert, Director of Community and Economic Development for Wyoming. “To be standing here today and seeing the dirt moving and knowing that in eight months we’re delivering a promise to the community, I’m so excited right now.

“I’m very proud of the City of Wyoming team, all our partners and the ability to bring this to fruition after all this time.”

A community asset

City Manager John Shay says Godwin Mercado is part of the City’s [re]Imagined Wyoming.

“Our goal is to prioritize investments in the community that contribute to placemaking and strengthen Wyoming’s sense of identity,” says Shay, adding that this marketplace answers residents’ call for a community space to gather and hold private events.

An outdoor rendering of Godwin Mercado (Courtesy, City of Wyoming)

The 6,000-square-foot market space will provide year-round usage opportunities to support local vendors, seasonal farm and artisan markets, food trucks, community events and private events.

Market days will provide fresh and healthy food options with access to all food assistance currencies. This will fill key gaps in the area’s food system and help support the well-being of residents living in the Godwin Heights neighborhood and greater Grand Rapids area.

A rendering of the indoor event space at Godwin Mercado (Courtesy, City of Wyoming)

The Mercado space will also accommodate food education demonstrations, health and wellness programs, and more.

The marketplace will be easily accessible due to its walkable neighborhood location, the City’s reconfigured trail network, and its proximity to the highway and Silver Line bus route.

Celebrating culture

The name Godwin Mercado comes from extensive community input that included residents, community members and business leaders.

“We landed on a name that really connects us to this unique neighborhood and celebrates the community here in Wyoming,” said Krashawn Martin, Wyoming Director of Parks and Recreation.

Godwin Mercado is a celebration of the neighborhood’s rich heritage and thriving modern culture (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Godwin Mercado not only serves as a gathering space and point of pride for the greater Wyoming community, it honors the rich heritage and thriving modern culture of the neighborhood where it sits.

The story of Godwin Heights is one of perseverance, ingenuity and grit. Beginning in a one-room schoolhouse in 1867, Godwin Heights has become a thriving destination shaped by its melody of cultures.

Mayor Vanderwood hopes Godwin Mercado will create strong community bonds.

“We’re such a diverse community, and we feel it’s time we start giving recognition to that diversity,” says Mayor Vanderwood. “By naming it as part of this proud neighborhood of Godwin, and giving it the Hispanic market name of Mercado, we think it will draw from all across the city.”

True community development

Krawshawn Martin (left) visits with guests before the groundbreaking ceremony (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“This project is really an example of true community development,” says Don Shoemaker of Franklin Partners. “We purchased this site from the City knowing that it was going to take a real community effort to get to this point.

“We’re really glad to be part of the team, and the City of Wyoming should be very proud of what they have accomplished here today because it really was a great community effort.”

Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place, agrees.

“This placemaking project with the market is going to help improve the quality of life of tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of people all across the region,” says Thelen.

“The partnership that brought this all together is powerful, and it allows for big things to happen. Our team is pleased to be a partner on this project throughout.”

It’s all about the people

State Rep. John Fitzgerald (left) greets Deputy City Manager Patrick Waterman (Courtesy, Deborah Reed)

Martin says the reaction from the community has been the driving force behind Godwin Mercado.

“The genuine excitement that Wyoming has about this project, it’s carried us through it,” says Martin. “People are just thrilled to see something happening after there being nothing here for so long.

“Feeling their excitement feeds our excitement and gets us where we need to go to make it happen. That’s what it’s all about – it’s about the people.”

Godwin Mercado

Godwin Mercado is funded in part by a $1.5 million contribution from real estate development firm Franklin Partners, assistance from The Right Place in securing a $450,000 RAP  2.0 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a $50,000 grant from Consumers Energy, and city funds from sale proceeds of Site 36.

Learn more about Godwin Mercado here.

One lane of Eastbound 44th Street SE at Grantwood Avenue will be closed March 11-15

City of Kentwood,



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



One lane of eastbound 44th Street SE at Grantwood Avenue will be closed for planned road surface maintenance Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15.

The portion of Grantwood Avenue between 44th Street and Marshall and Blaine avenues will be closed during this work.

Drivers are asked to use caution when driving through the area and be prepared for delays. If possible, it is recommended drivers seek an alternate route to avoid possible slowdowns.

The maintenance will include removal and replacement of the road surface. The work is weather dependent, and construction timelines are subject to change.

For more information or questions, contact the Department of Public Works at 616-554-0817 or ePublicWorks@kentwood.us.

Construction on 54th, Clyde Park set to start next week

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Hard News, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Construction on the intersection of 54th Street and Clyde Park will start next week. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Drive along 54th Street near Clyde Park and you can’t help but notice the orange barrels that are out along the street.

Road construction officially starts in the City of Wyoming on April 3 as contractors have been staging to prepare the reconfiguration of the corner of 54th Street and Clyde Park Avenue.

In the planning stages for the past several years, the city finally received approval from the federal government to allow construction of an entrance/exit from southbound U.S. 131 to the Meijer, said Russ Henckel, assistant director for the city’s Department of Public Works.

“The federal government has a policy on a freeway egress being used for a private business,” Henckel said, adding it took time for the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve the placement of the pylons placement needed to reconfigure the ramps on and off I.S. 131.

The layout of the street. (Courtesy, City of Wyoming)

Goal is to Improve Traffic Flow

The design features an egress that allows traffic from U.S. 131 to turn right or left on 54th Street or head straight into Meijer. Those exiting Meijer would have the option of going right on 54th Street or straight on to southbound U.S. 131. Those wishing to go left out of Meijer will have to exit on to Clyde Park and then turn left at the intersection light. There will be a traffic light at the southbound U.S. 131 and 54th Street intersection as there is now.

The current entrance and exit from Meijer to 54th Street will be eliminated. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The northbound U.S, 131 on and off ramps will not be changed.

The current turn-in to Meijer from the westbound lane of 54th Street will be eliminated. The left turn lane on westbound 54th Street to southbound Clyde Park will be extended to help reduce the traffic from backing up into the westbound lane of 54th Street, Henckel said.

Also part of the project will be the resurfacing of Gezon Parkway from Byron Center to Clyde Park and 54th Street from Clyde Park to Division Avenue.

Other Projects

Also starting on April 3 is the resurfacing of Eastern Avenue from 28th Street to 44th Street.

On Jordan, Calhoun, Opal and Loraine, a waterman replacement project will be started the first week of April.

For an update on construction activities, visit wyomingmi.gov/ConstructionUpdates.

Lee middle & high school building contractor approved; repairs, reimagining set to start

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Wyoming, Education, Going Local, Local History, WKTV Projects, , ,
  • Construction and reconstruction will begin at Lee middle and high school this spring. One of the new projects will replace an area of the building which collapsed in 2019 with a new entrance off Havana Street, as well as a new multipurpose area. (Supplied)
  • Construction and reconstruction will begin at Lee middle and high school this spring, including enclosing the currently unusable interior courtyard to be used as a cafeteria and other purposes. (Supplied)
  • Construction and reconstruction will begin at Lee middle and high school this spring, including a new area which will include a band room. (Supplied)
  • Construction and reconstruction will begin at Lee middle and high school this spring, including a new area which will include a band room. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The long saga of a much-anticipated makeover of the Wyoming Lee Middle and High School building will move into high gear early this year as, following the final approval of a general contractor late last year, construction will begin as soon as spring weather allows.

In 2020, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools district voters voted to support a bonding proposal which would allow the district to put out bonds for about $18 million for a wide range of building and facility projects.

At the time, the district not only faced the task of modernizing portions of its middle and high school that are nearly 100 years old, it had to make repairs to a portion of the building which collapsed in 2019. But modernization and repairs are only the most obvious part of the historic and still bustling building.

“As far as the new construction, I am most excited for us to begin to make our facilities worthy of the amazing students that we serve,” Eric Mockerman, district Board of Education president, said to WKTV. “I am (also) happy that our building will be more accessible to our community in multiple ways and it will overall be easier to navigate throughout the facility. I am very excited for the addition of our new band room that will better fit the needs of the phenomenal program that will use that space.”

According to information provided by Dirk Weeldreyer, district interim superintendent, the building effort will be a two-year project, expected to be completed in the 2023-24 school year.

Construction and reconstruction will begin at Lee middle and high school this spring. One of the new projects will replace an area of the building which collapsed in 2019, shown at left. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

Among the projects are the reconstructed portion of the building along Havana Street in the space where the building collapsed and was demolished. An existing entrance to the gym will be redone, and the area demolished turned into a new media center on the first floor and new classroom spaces on the second floor.

Also planned is a new cafeteria and multi-purpose space that will be built in the area that is currently the unused courtyard of the building. And there will be a new band room addition on the north side of the building.

“Our current construction timeline calls for activity on our new/rebuilt spaces to commence in early spring 2022,” Weeldreyer wrote in an email. “We will need to work from the ‘inside out’ on these new spaces, so the first thing to happen will be excavation and preparation of the interior site (inside the current courtyard).”

There will also be interior renovation work in the existing classroom spaces starting in the summer of 2022, and renovation will continue over the subsequent 18 months or more.

Construction set to begin this fall at Gezon Park

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Recreation, ,
The north entrance of Gezon Park, which is located off of 52nd Street. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Next summer, area residents could be enjoying a new splash pad as construction is set to start this fall on Gezon Park.

At its Aug. 16 meeting, the Wyoming City Council awarded the bid for the phase one development of the park to Katerberg Inc, which has worked on the redevelopment of Ideal Park and Jackson Park. The amount for the project is $2,091,500.

“The redevelopment of Gezon Park increases our ability to equitably provide for recreation and leisure services to a significant, highly populated area of our community,” said Director of Community Services. “We continue to work to invest in our community and our residents through projects like Gezon Park.”

The current playground at Gezon Park, located near the 52nd Street. (WKTV)

Purchased in 1966 for the city’s water system, Gezon Park is 94.04 acres located between Gezon Parkway and 52nd Street. The park has entrances on both streets. It borders a densely populated residential area of the community which includes multi-family and single-family homes. The southernmost portion of the park has been developed as an athletic complex featuring baseball, softball, and football fields. The northernmost portion has been developed with a small shelter, playground, and basketball court.

Through extensive input from the community, a master plan for the park was created and approved in 2018 by the City Council. This plan includes expanded parking on the south end and more modern recreational amenities in both the north and south ends. The total cost for the entire project is around $6 million.

In 2020, the council authorized an agreement for professional services with Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio and Fishbeck to prepare construction drawings and bid materials for the first phase of the expansion. That first phased will include a large-scale splash pad, expanded parking, restrooms, and shelter on the southend of the park located off of Gezon Parkway. These items will be placed closer to the existing trail head and gravel parking area with no impact on the current baseball and football fields. The first phase improvements also include walking and biking paths that will provide expanded pedestrian and bike connection to the Metro Health Village and the M-6 bike trails, which are both located across the street from the park on Gezon Parkway.


“We’re excited to bring the ideas of residents to reality,” said Mayor Jack Poll. “The redevelopment fo Gezon Park has been highly anticipated by our community.”

In the master plan. the central area of the park has generally remained unchanged. In a later phase, the north end of the park will have a play area, restroom, pickle ball and basketball courts.

 

The pedestrian and bicycle paths at Gezon Park will be expanded to the Metro Health Village and M-6 trails. (WKTV)

Funding for the Gezon Park is through the Library Maintenance Millage. In 2017, the city residents approved re-allocating about .16 of the .39 library maintenance millage to help with park improvements. The nearly $800,000 per year raised is used to pay a 15-year bond of $4.4 million. The bond money was dedicated to four parks: Ferrand, Ideal, Jackson, and Gezon.

 

Ferrand, a pocket park located off Byron Center Avenue, was completed in 2018. Ideal Park, the city’s oldest park which had sustained damage from tornadoes and flooding, was completed in 2020. Jackson Park, located next to Wyoming Intermediate School and also had a splash pad added, was reopen in 2021. 

The city is expected to open up the process for resident input on the future of Marquette Park, the city’s most northern park located at 1251 Marquette SW. Rynbrandt said the city is looking for information from residents on what they want to see at Marquette Park, whether they would like to keep it in its natural state or see a splash pad, pavilions or other amenities.

West Michigan’s post COVID-19 housing market changes, millennial top buyers

3-bottom, Local Business,
Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau shows nationwide sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 0.6 percent in April. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

In the wake of COVID-19, newly-released data shows an increase in new single-family homes, suburban development and millennial home buyers in West Michigan – a sign that the local economy is on the rebound.

Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau shows nationwide sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 0.6 percent in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders. More positive signs for West Michigan’s housing market: Improvenet.com earlier this week cited Grand Rapids as the second-highest market for millennials, and today, USA Today reported a growing number of new homes sales are happening in less crowded communities.

John Bitely, president of Rockford-based Sable Homes, West Michigan region’s third largest home builder, said internal data closely tracking the local home purchasing market is in line with these national and demographic home-buying trends.

“Throughout the past couple years, we’ve seen a continuing trend among new home buyers who want to build homes in areas outside the city of Grand Rapids,” he said. “Communities like Sparta, Byron Center, Newaygo, Caledonia and Cedar Springs are becoming the new hot spots for young home buyers. As we look ahead to the future, I think we’re going to see that continue.”

A survey by the National Association of Realtors found that 5 percent of members said the coronavirus pandemic was causing their clients to shift their sights away from cities to the suburbs, USA Today reported.

According to John Bitely, president of Rockford-based Sable Homes, areas outside of the City of Grand Rapids, such as Sparta, Byron Center, Newaygo, Caledonia and Cedar Springs, are becoming the new hot spots for young home buyers. (Supplied)

Sable Homes’ Country Meadows neighborhood in Sparta and developer North Ritchie LLC’s phase one of the new Genevieve Plat in Sand Lake, which Sable Homes will be the builder, are prime examples.

“We’ve had a great response from potential home buyers as they look for affordable housing in suburban neighborhoods, like Country Meadows in Sparta and the Genevieve Plat in Sand Lake,” Bitely said. “As more and more people continue to work out of their home, there is going to be a greater interest to live in suburban and rural areas.”

Karin Kay, sales manager at Sable Homes, said they are seeing another home buying trend: An increase in millennial home buyers.

Improvenet.com, an online resource for homeowners, cited metro Grand Rapids as the second-highest market for millennials with 19.5 percent of homes owned by those between the millennial age group (26-40 years old). Clarksville, Tennessee, led the pack with 23 percent of millennial home owners, while Sioux Falls, South Dakota, trailed behind Grand Rapids with 18.2 percent.

“Even as COVID-19 hit West Michigan, several of our 42 home purchases were by millennials,” Kay said. “There is a new housing demand throughout the country for young home buyers and we are definitely seeing that here in West Michigan.”

Additionally, Grand Rapids was found to be the seventh city having the most single millennial homeowners with 3.8 percent. Larger metropolitan cities like Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Boston were the top areas for single millennial home buyers. On average, this demographic group makes up about 2 percent of homeowners nationwide, according to Improvenet.

Construction beginning on Patterson Avenue/44th Street near Ford Airport

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, ,

By Tara M. Hernandez
grr.org

Passengers and guests visiting the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) should prepare for extra travel time getting to the airport this summer.

Beginning June 10, the Kent County Road Commission (KCRC) will be working on a project to widen and provide dual left-turn lanes on eastbound 44th Street to northbound Patterson Avenue. The work includes asphalt and concrete pavement removal, concrete curb and gutter, concrete pavement, pavement markings, restoration and traffic signal modifications.

The work will be phased to maintain one lane in each direction and left turns at the intersection, and it is estimated to be complete at the end of August.

“The Kent County Road Commission is partnering with the City of Kentwood on this intersection project, which will help to reduce congestion caused by the high volume of eastbound 44th Street traffic turning left onto northbound Patterson,” said Wayne Harrall, KCRC Deputy Managing Director of Engineering. “The application of concrete will also help 44th Street withstand the high volume of commercial trucks that travel it, and complete the concrete pavement segment from Patterson Avenue to Broadmoor Avenue.”

The Airport is also under construction indoors on Phase Two of its Gateway Transformation Project which includes updates to the baggage claim area, airline ticket counters, flooring and lighting; along with new restrooms and concessions.

“Summer is a busy time of year for us and with added construction on the roads and in the terminal building, we are encouraging passengers to arrive at least two hours before their flight,” said GFIA Interim President & CEO Brian Picardat. “The Kent County Road Commission does a great job with road maintenance and improvements and we know they will work swiftly to complete this project to have as little an impact on the airport as possible.”

GFIA construction updates can be found on our website: https://www.grr.org/construction.php.

GIFA begins $30 million apron reconstruction project

3-bottom, , ,

An aerial view of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s apron reconstruction project and areas of construction shown in red.
Photo courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport

By Tara Hernandez

Gerald R. Ford International Airport

 

Passengers traveling through the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) may notice a few more construction cones over the next several months, but not in the usual terminal building space.

 

Starting today, the Airport is beginning its apron reconstruction project, a $30 million project that will repair the terminal apron – the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, and refueled. The construction will be completed in seven phases over the course of two years to allow for adequate gate space for air carriers as the busy summer travel months approach.

 

“Our goal is to do this project with as minimal impact to the passengers and our airline partners as possible,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “We are due for an upgrade to our apron area and our staff has done a tremendous job of maintaining this pavement for years, but it is important to keep up on these repairs and excel in our operations.”

 

The project will remove existing aging concrete pavement, and replace it with 153,000 square yards of new concrete for future airport development and aircraft loadings. The amount of concrete being placed equates to a nearly 250-mile stretch of four-foot wide, four-inch thick sidewalk – enough to walk from GFIA to the Mackinac Bridge.

 

In addition to the apron repair, GFIA is installing all new LED lighting in the apron area to reduce energy usage, and upgrading the stormwater drainage system and underground utilities to accommodate for future airport development.

 

“We recently completed Phase One of our Gateway Transformation Project – giving an upgrade to the indoor part of our facility, now we move into the airside area upgrades,” said Gill. “Safety and security are our first priority and we are working closely with our all of our tenants, contractors, and staff to ensure a smooth transition.”

 

The construction is not expected to have an impact on passengers, but project updates are available on our website: www.grr.org/construction for curious onlookers that may notice the activity from the Airport Viewing Park, Indoor