GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — West Side Grand Rapids residents are raising concerns about noise from the Acrisure Amphitheater, saying concert sound carries far beyond downtown and into their neighborhoods.
Seth Moore, a West Side father of three, lives more than two miles from the amphitheater. He says some shows are loud enough to reach his home even with the windows closed.
"There's been a couple of shows that have been quite loud. I can hear it over a fan at our house with the windows closed. It's not loud to the point of like somebody screaming or something, but it's noise. You can hear it, you can hear the bass, you can hear the crowds, you can hear fireworks," Moore said.
This week marks the first time the venue has hosted concerts on three consecutive weeknights. Moore says the noise has woken up both him and his children, forcing his family to adjust their routine on concert nights.
"It's woken me up, it's woken my kids up, and it's just one of these things about I didn't anticipate when this started constructing three years ago that I would have to worry about that level of noise living as far away as I do," Moore said.
Annette Vandenberg, Executive Director of the West Grand Neighborhood Organization, says she has received more than 30 complaints from neighbors in recent weeks.
"I think residents just want the city to have an open, honest conversation about how we find the balance between being a city with venues and also making sure that the quality of life," Vandenberg said.
Vandenberg says many neighbors have reached out to city leaders and are hoping their concerns will lead to a discussion about possible solutions.
"Nobody's against arts and entertainment. We love the venues, everybody loves going to concerts, everybody loves being able to walk to different things, but we also have to live and work in our community, and so if we're playing, that's great, but we're also having to live and work, and there's got to be a balance," Vandenberg said.
Not everyone on the West Side is experiencing the noise the same way. Marcus, a Grand Rapids resident who lives about a mile from the amphitheater, says he can barely hear the shows.
"To me it's a benefit. I don't have to find parking, and I don't have to pay admission, so I can hear it in the background. I'm good with it," Marcus said.
As the summer concert season continues, Moore says he hopes city leaders and venue officials keep working toward solutions that work for both residents and concertgoers.
"I love what the amphitheater brings to our area. I don't want to see it go away. I think that it's a good thing, but we've got to figure out where that middle ground is," Moore said.
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