Huge Grand Rapids Projects Set to Transform Downtown

As Michigan's second-largest city, Grand Rapids has quite a bit going for it. For years, the town's highlights were the Van Andel Arena and Medical Mile, both acclaimed for distinctly different reasons. However, around the 2010s, the city began to gain significant popularity due to events like Artprize and its reputation as Beer City, USA.

Get our free mobile app

Since then, the city has experienced rapid growth. I remember the first time I knew things were really changing was in 2018 when ground broke on the Residence Inn on Fulton & Ionia, replacing the long-time parking lot.

Google Maps / Canva

This was only the start of many new massive development projects that have been announced, and some are already underway. Things like the Acrisure Amphitheater and the Grand Rapids Public Museum are right around the corner, while the Amway Soccer Stadium and the newly announced aquarium are farther in the future. These are the projects that will change Grand Rapids as we know it.

Grand Rapids Development Projects On The Horizon

Grand Rapids is investing heavily in some city-changing entertainment projects. Here are the big ones to know about.

Gallery Credit: Tommy McNeill

All ArtPrize Winners from 2009 to 2024

In its 15th year, ArtPrize continues to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Downtown Grand Rapids to explore the art dispersed throughout the city. While there are many winners each year, there is only ONE Grand Prize winner determined by the public via voting. Here is each winner from 2009 to now. All photos are courtesy of ArtPrize.

Gallery Credit: Tommy McNeill