By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

The City of Wyoming is making steady progress with plans regarding the forthcoming local marketplace at Site 36 Industrial Park.

“We’re very excited about it,” said Nicole Hofert, Wyoming’s Director of Community & Economic Development. “I think that we are going to be creating a really nice hub for families. Somewhere where they can feel safe and want to be.”

Site 36 Industrial Park is an 80-acre parcel of land with 75-acres on the south side of 36th Street, and an additional five acres on the north side.

The 36th Street Marketplace will be located on that five-acre parcel.

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.

“What’s also fortunate about this property is that Godwin High School sits just across the street, and their athletic field sits directly adjacent to the site,” said Hofert.

Hofert went on to say that the City has acquired a parking agreement with the school that will benefit both school and marketplace events.

Marketplace planning sneak peek

The marketplace design incorporates a long rectangular building with a flexible layout that will allow for up to 24 vendors.

“You could have a farmers market one day and then maybe an artisan market later in the week that requires a slightly different layout,” said Hofert.

Garage doors on all sides can be raised or lowered as needed, allowing the market to function year-round.

Programmable outdoor space is also included in the design.

A designated food truck parking area will allow food truck and other similar events to proceed even when the market isn’t in operation. A smaller outdoor space on the front of the market will allow for music events and other outdoor activities.

“We’ve had a tremendous team working on it,” said Hofert. “We’ve been very lucky with our internal partners as well as our external partners, and they were very thoughtful in a lot of their recommendations.”

Hofert went on to say that the City did a large amount of market research leading into the planning process. They also traveled to several farmers markets, which led to the rationale for the garage doors.

With West Michigan’s variant weather, Hofert said the question was how the City could “bring something to the community that they can ultimately embrace, and is available to them 365 days out of the year and not just a limited 3-month window.”

Conversations with local entrepreneurs provided feedback on what would be helpful for vendors. The City also sought support and feedback from the Division Avenue Business Association.

“Hopefully we’ve designed something that’s reflective of their needs to really maximize the benefit of this,” said Hofert. “There are opportunities to expand beyond just fresh fruit or vegetable offerings, and we really wanted to make sure that we were providing for those opportunities.”

Once the marketplace is built, leadership of design and vendor needs will pass to Krashawn Martin, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

A family and community hub

The City’s goal is to make the marketplace a venue where people want to spend time and that is accessible from every direction.

Marketplace planners hope that the south side of Site 36 develops quickly, creating a natural magnet that will draw people to the north side.

“It’s also an area of the community that still has a very tight grid system,” said Hofert. “We have a very walkable neighborhood surrounding it and we are hoping…it becomes part of the neighborhood’s aesthetic.”

The Silver Line runs along Division Avenue, creating broader access for neighborhoods. Site 36 and the Silver Line are only a quarter mile apart, allowing visitors to easily walk to the marketplace.

A reconfigured trail network will bring the non-motorized trail off of Buchanan to Site 36 and also around the site.

“Anyone using the trail is going to have to go through the marketplace,” said Hofert. “You now have families that can bike to the marketplace, get some fresh fruits, vegetables, some artisan goods, maybe a cup of coffee, and then head home.”

Timeline and extra perks

“I am hopeful that we will be breaking ground late this year, into early next year,” said Hofert. “We’re finishing up due diligence. We have to complete a Brownfield Work Plan, and then obviously construction will have to begin.”

Hofert is remaining conservative in the City’s expectations on project completion, however, knowing that there are often delays in the current construction industry.

A generous grant will provide an extra marketplace perk once construction is complete.

“We received a $50,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation for public art on the site,” said Hofert.

The City plans to solicit a local artist to place public art that will honor the site for what it is.

Community renewal and healing

Hofert said the loss of the GM stamping plant was significant for Wyoming and greater Grand Rapids families who worked there.

“It was a tremendous loss to the area when that plant left,” said Hofert. “To be able to bring something to the community, that’s for the community and not just a development asset for a private company, is something that we at the City are really excited about.”