2020 is another BIG year for Grand Rapids new developments. Despite a few setbacks due to our response to COVID-19, most of our developments are still on track to make their big debuts this year. Here are a few of the developments we’re most looking forward to.

Bars & Breweries

• GR Noir Wine & Jazz Room 35 Division Ave S. (2020)

  • With a focus on creating a space and business that shines a positive, upbeat light on minorities, the Wine & Jazz room will offer jazz daily & live performances weekly. The space will feature a range of cozy seating options, a stage for live jazz two to three nights a week and plenty of bars. Wine will be served by the ounce, in flights, by the glass and bottle. Bites from the kitchen include charcuterie boards and “heavy hor dourves.” 

• Küsterer Brauhaus 642 Bridge St NW (Late 2020)

• A new brewery joining ‘BreweryRow’ will feature a three-barrel brewery producing signature Küsterer Bier, Bavarian beers and Cedar Springs brews. It’s named after Christoph Kusterer, who immigrated to Grand Rapids from Germany in 1844. He’s known for starting a brewery in 1847 less than a mile away from this new location.

Housing & Hotels

• Residence Inn by Marriott 10 Ionia Ave NW (Fall 2020)

• • Does this look familiar? That’s right, we’re bringing a hint of New York City to downtown Grand Rapids with our new Flatiron inspired hotel. The 13-story building will house various businesses on the ground level, topped with 146 hotel rooms. This project is expected to create 51 full-time equivalent jobs, with hourly wages that range from $10 to $31.25.

• The Morton Boutique Hotel 55 Ionia Ave NW (Late 2020)

  • 55 Ionia Partners LLC, owners of the Morton, aim to convert 32 of the buildings current apartments and condos into high-end hotel rooms for extended-stay guests. 3 floors of the Morton will be converted into luxury, boutique hotel rooms.

• North Project on Bridge St 

• Developers are entering the final stages of construction of this $9.5 million project on Bridge St. This space will house 10,000 sq ft of restaurant space on the ground level, and 44 studio & one-bedroom apartments, 30% of which will be income-based housing. 

Restaurants

• The Meat Up Gastropub 11 Ionia Ave SW (2020)

  • Plans to convert J. Gardella’s Tavern into a 3-story lounge style restaurant with a rooftop patio are underway. Current owners, Elizabeth & Andy Rosario have joined forces with Trimell Hawkins, the executive chef of Forty Acres Soul Kitchen, to create a fusion-forward menu.

• Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar 140 Ottawa Ave (2020)

  • Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, of Asheville, NC, signed a 10-year lease to occupy a 5,300-square-foot space on the first floor of Hyatt Place. Tupelo Honey will serve Southern brunch, lunch and dinner, as well as local beers and cocktails.

Other

• The Pack Indoor Dog Park 5205 West River Dr NE (Summer 2020)

• Michigan’s first indoor dog park will feature a large enclosed area for dogs to play off-leash, a seating area & a cafe with snacks & beverages.

• RDV Headquarters 200 Monroe Ave NW (Fall 2020)

• New downtown building will host RDV Corp., Ottawa Avenue Private Capital and the DeVos family foundations. RDV plans to extend the building to the south, as well as reconfigure the rooftop HVAC equipment to allow for the addition of office space to be built on top of the current building.

• Planet Fitness (Summer 2020)

  • PF Michigan Group, a Planet Fitness franchisee with 47 locations throughout the Midwest, has decided to bring Planet Fitness (PF) to downtown Grand Rapids. Similarly to its other locations, this gym will offer an array of cardio and strength training equipment, massage chairs and more. This summer, doors of this easy-access PF will open, welcoming new members for memberships starting at $10. 

• Van Andel Plaza 130 Fulton St W (Fall 2020)

• The Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority has approved a $2.1 million renovation to the Van Andel plaza. This will include elevating the plaza, adding planters with wraparound seating, pedestrian lighting, a new snowmelt system and brick pavers around the exterior of the venue. Plans also include a cafe space near the restaurant inside the arena.