GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When concertgoers visit the Acrisure Amphitheater this spring, they'll see Grand Rapids police officers at key intersections near the venue, helping direct traffic and keeping pedestrians safe.
During a press conference on Monday about the City of Grand Rapids' plan for parking and public safety at the amphitheater — set to host its first concert in May — Sgt. Jeff Dionne detailed how the Grand Rapids Police Department will handle the venue's first season.
"The goal of the Grand Rapids Police Department on event nights is to provide an environment where — with the pedestrian traffic and vehicle traffic in the area — you can get to and from the venue as safely and quickly as possible," Dionne said.
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids unveils parking strategy ahead of amphitheater opening
Dionne said the department has already secured staffing for the month of May and will determine if these staffing levels can be reduced in June, July and August.
Previously, the sergeant has said a police presence on concert nights at the amphitheater would "initially" call for at least a full, 24-person shift of officers, all of whom would be paid overtime.
"Our officers really stepped up at the request to staff this," Dionne said. "That's going to be a heavy task on our people, so we'll have to reevaluate [staffing in the future].
These shifts will be paid for by three entities:
- Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA): 36%
- Mobile GR: 36%
- City of Grand Rapids: 28%
This cost-sharing program came to be shortly after the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place began doing business and included those who stood to benefit from the increased parking revenue generated by the two venues. At the time, this included Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGRI), as well as the CAA and Mobile GR.
But six years ago, when the economic development agency sold their parking lots near Van Andel Arena so that Studio Park Tower could be developed, the city took over DGRI's portion of the bill, a cost that has ultimately been absorbed by taxpayers.
As Acrisure Amphitheater and Amway Stadium will increase demand for both parking and a public safety presence downtown, I asked about the possibility of changing who is involved in the cost-sharing agreement and how much they are committed to paying.
"We'll see after some period of operational time," Grand Rapids Deputy City Manager Kate Berens said. "If it still seems reasonably split among all the parties who are having increased costs but also increased parking revenue, we may leave it as it is."
"If there needs to be some adjustments, I'm confident we'll be able to get to those adjustments," Berens said.
Accroding to Rich MacKeigan, executive director of the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, the CAA's portion of the cost-sharing program annually amounts to an estimated $300,000 to $400,000.
"The CAA happily and willingly participated in the cost-sharing math that had been applied historically and we’re going to continue to be willing to participate," MacKeigan said.
