GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The city is looking to start reconstruction on a popular stretch of Wealthy Street. A spot where the sound of tires over brick is synonymous with Eastown.
“The brick over here, the brick needs to stay. It's super historic,” Grand Rapids neighbor Sam Ralston said.
Don’t worry, the proposal the city is looking at won’t take the bricks away.
“I think a big scary part of this is just how much of the street is going to be closed down at one time,” Asada Owner Steven Martinez said.
Martinez works and lives right on Wealthy Street.
“Eastown is all about community. I think it's if you live here, if you visit here often, you know that there's no other neighborhood like Eastown in Grand Rapids,” Martinez said.
The neighborhood Martinez has known for years is facing changes.
“This is one of those projects that will be transformational for the community,” Mobile GR Director Jessica Smith said.
I spent time looking at the construction proposal. According to city documents, work would be done on Wealthy between Fuller and Woodmere.
It would be a full reconstruction done in phases, including replacing the bricks. The city is looking to narrow the street, introduce bike lanes, and remove parking on a section of the road.
“The city's committed to going out on our city streets and getting to 70% good and fair ratings on our pavement,” Smith said.
Here’s the full detailed list of work in the “Preferred Design.'
Wealthy Street from Fuller Avenue to Woodmere Avenue
The project will:
- Place a new water main and replace lead water service lines.
- Reconstruct the street, curb, and gutter, including:
- Replacing the brick in the street.
- Installing curb extensions at intersections to shorten pedestrian crossings, better define the parking lanes, and help slow traffic speeds.
- Replace all driveway approaches.
- Install green infrastructure including permeable brick pavers in the parking lane and installing infiltration basins in the curb and gutter.
- Plant new street trees.
Wealthy Street from Fuller Avenue to Carlton Avenue
The project will:
- Move the curbs two feet on both sides of Wealthy Street from Fuller Avenue to Carlton Avenue to narrow the street and add more green space.
- Maintain the parking lanes on both sides of the street.
Wealthy Street Carlton Avenue to Lake Drive
The project will:
- Move the curbs seven feet on both sides of Wealthy Street from Carlton Avenue to Lake Drive to narrow the street
- Install raised bicycle lanes that are level with the sidewalks on both sides of the street. Space for trees will separate the bicycle lanes from the sidewalks.
- Remove the parking lane on the north side of the street.
- Maintain the parking lane on the south side of the street.
- Remove the dedicated right-turn lane from Wealthy Street to Lake Drive.
Wealthy Street from Lake Drive to Woodmere Avenue
The project will:
- Install bicycle lanes on both sides of the street.
- Maintain the on-street parking lane on the south side of the street.
- Remove the parking lane on the north side of the street.
- Remove the dedicated right-turn lane from Wealthy Street to Lake Drive.
“I have limited parking. We don't offer parking for our customers, aside from what's available on the street,” Martinez said.
Eastown is a highly walkable area. I’m often down here going to the shops and maybe grabbing a bite to eat.
“Weekend Super busy. During the week, not as much. But once the sunlight goes down. It gets super busy,” Ralston added.
A few businesses told me the idea of less parking concerns them.
The following is an email sent by a concerned business to the design and construction team.
Editorial note: FOX 17 obtained the copy of this letter through one business. We have not independently verified that all of the businesses named in the letter did sign it.
To: Wealthy Street Road Design and Construction Team
From: Concerned businesses on Wealthy Street
Re: Proposed loss of parking/ bike lane
Date: October 14, 2025
We, the undersigned businesses on Wealthy Street, are writing to share our deep concerns about the proposed removal of parking on the north side of our business corridor.
We recognize and support the many benefits of bike lanes. From enhanced air quality to improved traffic safety, bike lanes offer a host of advantages to our community. We're grateful Grand Rapids is home to a robust network of bike lanes, including those on nearby Lake Drive.
However, removing the already limited street parking available in Eastown would have disastrous effects on all businesses in this corridor, no matter which side of the street we are on. These include:We strongly encourage you to support the local businesses represented in this letter by maintaining the current parking on the north side of Wealthy Street.
- Increased frustration for customers, who already find it difficult to find parking in Eastown.
- Loss of those customers, which means lower sales in an environment where many small businesses are already struggling- and, in some cases, closing.
- Lack of loading zones which makes receiving deliveries incredibly difficult for businesses.
- Obstacles for service and emergency vehicles, which could slow police, fire and other emergency responses.
- Elimination of convenient carryout parking, which will hamper DoorDash, Uber Eats, and other delivery services.
- More traffic, congestion and crashes as drivers repeatedly cruise for the few available spots.
- Heightened conflicts over securing one of these rare spots.
- Challenges for individuals with disabilities, who will be forced to park further away.
- Traffic spillover into neighborhood streets, which will cause frustration for area residents.
"So, if there's a way to add bike lanes without having a negative impact on other modes of transport. I think that's the best thing," Martinez added.
Construction is estimated to begin in 2026 and continue until 2028.
