How Grand Rapids Construction Projects Might Affect Local Restaurants

There’s a lot going on in the city of Grand Rapids this year. From a 12,000-seat amphitheater, to a new riverwalks along the Grand River, to the closure of popular intersections across the city (we’re looking at you, Fulton/Division), it might seem like half of Grand Rapids is under construction. Honestly, that might not be too far from the truth.

A render of what the Acrisure Amphitheater may look like once completed. Image courtesy of Grand Action 2.0.

But although we know what these construction projects will end up looking like based on renders and other promotional materials, what we don’t know is how they’ll impact local restaurants. Will restaurants see more walk-in customers before/after events at the new Acrisure Amphitheater? Are we going to see thousands more cars on the streets? Will the Lyon Square riverwalk and the new riverfront area near the Public Museum draw notable foot traffic? Is the Fulton/Division intersection ever going to reopen? Let’s discuss.

Are Amenities Good for Local Restaurants?

Before we get into the hypothetical effects of each of these projects, we should look at how similar projects affect other cities. Firstly, public amenities like amphitheaters and public plazas typically have very positive impacts on their communities. They often lead to less dependence on car travel and encourage more foot traffic, which is great for local businesses, including restaurants. Amenities and infrastructure improvements can even lead to lower crime rates. Visitors to these amenities might be encouraged to explore nearby restaurants, shop at local stores, and stay out later if they don’t have to worry about finding parking or traveling down dark city streets after sunset.

Amenities are also great for improving the city’s public image. Visitors coming to Grand Rapids don’t want to see empty lots and cracked sidewalks; they want to see vibrant, architecturally impressive and well-designed buildings with green space and local vendors eager to serve them. Local business owners want to see the same things, restauranteurs especially! Opening a restaurant in a cool place guaranteed to see significant foot traffic is a much better business venture than opening one in a bland area that’s only accessible by car.

So, in short, yes. Amenities are great for local restaurants! They encourage foot traffic, make cities look better, and improve the lives of people who already live in cities like Grand Rapids. And speaking of Grand Rapids, let’s get into a few ways the city’s new projects might affect our own restaurants.

Live Events and the Acrisure Amphitheater

Live events, like the ones planned to be hosted at the Acrisure Amphitheater, are huge economy boosters. Concerts and other live performances contributed billions to the U.S. economy in 2019 and led to positive impacts on job growth and city tax revenue. Live events are also huge contributors to tourism, with each out-of-town visitor spending around $334.92 per $100 concert ticket, on average. That’s an extra $334.92 per visitor going straight to local hotels, bars, retailers, small businesses, and restaurants. With the amphitheater alone projected to draw 300,000 visitors per year, Grand Rapids businesses should see a noticeable increase in customers.

The Acrisure Amphitheater also gives Grand Rapids another large-scale event venue that compliments Van Andel Arena. Van Andel seats around 12,000 people, and is the largest event venue in West Michigan. The new amphitheater gives performers and other events another high-capacity option on nights that Van Andel might already be booked. Nights with events happening at both Van Andel and the amphitheater will guarantee a lot of people near downtown Grand Rapids, many of them with strong appetites for food and, presumably, booze. We are Beer City, after all.

It’s not hard to imagine what adding dozens of live events per year will do for Grand Rapids businesses, especially restaurants. We can expect a sizable increase in visitors, especially downtown near the amphitheater. We can also expect weekends during warmer months to get busier as thousand of people attend events held at the amphitheater. Obviously, the effects won’t be quite as dramatic in the winter where outdoor events will be far and few between, if any are held at all. And, unfortunately, we can probably expect more traffic and fewer available parking spots downtown. But there might be a way around that. May I suggest… walking?

New Riverfront Walkways

Grand Rapids will see the addition of two — yes, two! — new riverfront walkways, one of which will be completed next month. The first will by nestled along Lyon Street, in between the DeVos Place and the Amway Grand hotel, while the other will be located behind the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The two projects are essentially staring right at each other and should improve foot traffic and beautify the area along the Grand River.

The spot where the new Lyon Square riverfront walkway will reside. Construction is currently underway and is estimated to continue through September 2024. Photo courtesy of the DeVos Place.

While these projects probably won’t draw too many new visitors to the city on their own, they will certainly make foot travel more enticing for people exploring downtown Grand Rapids. Currently, there aren’t many areas along the Grand River meant for, well, just hanging out. Sure, there are sidewalks and trails for those interested in walking, running, or biking along the river, but there’s not much to do otherwise. With so many new people being drawn to the city for live events, these walkways will provide space for people to mingle before and after a concert, chill while they wait for a table at MDRD or Roam, or enjoy the company of some strangers on a weekend evening.

The new riverfront walkway behind the Grand Rapids Public Museum makes the carousel more accessible and lets visitors walk closer to the Grand River. Render courtesy of MLive and the GRPM.

Overall, downtown restauranteurs should be excited about these new projects. They’ll bring people closer to nearby restaurants and bars, give them reason to stay downtown longer, and generally increase the curb appeal of the Grand River and the surrounding area. Crain’s even said the Lyon Square project could be the “first domino” that leads to future riverfront projects. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Road Construction… Again

Seems like we always end up here, doesn’t it? Another picturesque Michigan summer plagued by orange “Road Closed” signs, traffic backups, and construction sites with no workers to be found. A tradition as old as time. Luckily, this year hasn’t seen too many notable closures in the Grand Rapids area. The big one is the four-month(!) shutdown of the Fulton/Division intersection, which began in early July. 

Fulton Street is busy pretty much all the time because it runs right through the heart of Grand Rapids, and the Division intersection sees thousands of cars pass through it on a typical day. Its closure isn’t the end of the world, though, because of where the detours take drivers. 

Many Grand Rapids drivers coming from the east are turning off onto Jefferson Avenue, while drivers from the west are avoiding Fulton altogether by taking alternate routes down Michigan, Cherry, or Wealthy Street. These four roads are all packed with restaurants like Logan’s Alley, Grove, and Donkey Taqueria, which are all getting great exposure to drivers who might not pass by them on their typical commute. 

A map of alternate routes through Grand Rapids, avoiding the closed Fulton/Division intersection.

So while it might seem that the closure of a major intersection would be bad for business, it may actually be bringing customers closer to places they would normally miss. Maybe road closures aren’t so bad after all?

Conclusion

To sum it up, all the construction happening in Grand Rapids should yield some positive results for local restaurants. The amphitheater will bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city every year, the riverfront walkways will increase the downtown curb appeal and provide much-needed green space, and road closures might actually help some restaurants gain some much-appreciated exposure. 

Let’s just see if any of these projects get completed on time. 

P.S. If you’re a restauranteur looking to take advantage of the new developments coming to Grand Rapids, let West Michigan Food Equipment help you! Our goal is to supply you with the highest quality new & used equipment for the most cost effective price. Check out our website for deals on equipment, design services, and to see our recent projects.