The Midwest could soon have a new stop for large-scale tours with the announcement of plans for an outdoor amphitheater in Grand Rapids, MI. The project, which is still in the development stages and pending city approval, would host approximately 17,000 fans in the burgeoning riverfront district.
Per Fox 17, Grand Action 2.0 is currently leading the development for the project, proposed to occupy the 11.6-acre space recently sold by the city at 201 Market Avenue. Plans show an 85,000-square-foot amphitheater composed of 36.8% green space in the area currently occupied by the Grand Rapids Parks and Recreations department. The venue will feature a large stage with a canopy covering, sheltering 12,000 seats with another 5,000 on the lawn. The proposed site is less than half a mile from the 12,000-seat multi-purpose Van Andel Arena.
Projections for the yet-unnamed amphitheater (whose naming rights have already been sold to an undisclosed party) predict $490 million in generated earnings over the next 30 years. Grand Action 2.0 also estimates the venue will add 480 new jobs to the city and $7 million in annual wage earnings. Three-hundred thousand visitors are expected annually, with the site hosting around 50 events each year from April through October.
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Developers still face a number of challenges in getting the plans approved, namely concerns about noise and parking. According to the project committee, sound studies have shown that the rising back lawn will redirect sound from the stage over the adjacent Grand River. At a public city meeting on Monday, however, Grand Action 2.0 unveiled new plans to rotate the original site 180 degrees to better curb the sound impact on surrounding neighborhoods. With the project still not approved by the city, many details remain in flux.
The other issue drawing concern from the city and its residents is parking. The amphitheater itself comes with just 116 parking spaces, but Grand Action 2.0 estimates that there are roughly 18,500 parking spaces within a 15-minute walk to the venue.
“We’ve identified about 18,500 parking spots that either occur in existing parking lots or structures, selected private lots that were run by private entities [like] the Grand Valley State University lots, and on-street parking,” Progressive AE Principal Bill Culhane said at a public forum. “What that tells us is, we have more than enough parking to service the amphitheater.”
If approved, the new amphitheater will cost the city of Grand Rapids an estimated $116 million. Developers hope to begin construction by next spring and finish in 2026.
[Images courtesy of Grand Rapids]
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