GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids city leaders are looking to partner with a developer to create a plan to redevelop about 6.5 acres of riverfront property just north of downtown — and both city leaders and business owners are now talking about the possibilities.
WATCH: Grand Rapids seeks developer for riverfront site just north of downtown
The River North neighborhood has drawn a lot of attention and upgrades lately, and the available riverfront land is turning heads.
"Any downtown area that has six and a half acres on the river available, like that's going to be a wow," Silva owner Mark Secchia said.
The city is looking for a developer to lead a 12-month due diligence and master site planning process for three city-owned properties at 1101, 1120 and 1165 Monroe Avenue NW. Those include the historic Coldbrook Pumping Station, the city's Development Center, and the current training facility for the Grand Rapids Fire Department on Monroe Avenue.
The director of economic development for the City of Grand Rapids, Sarah Rainero said the fire department's new $46 million fire training center opening up in June prompted the search.
"The fire training center will be out of this building at 1101 Monroe by June of next year, which is really prompting action so that we can get ahead of you know anything sitting there blighted," Sarah Rainero said.
The work will evaluate environmental conditions, infrastructure capacity, market demand, financial feasibility, riverfront design and an approach to development phasing.
Rainero said, whatever comes must activate the space and provide public access to the riverfront. Planning must also account for future city operations, including options for supporting or relocating the Development Center.
"It could include housing. It could include public amenities, like museums or retail," Rainero said.
Secchia, who is the owner of Silva and also serves as the president of the River North Business Association, suggested bringing John Ball Zoo's planned aquarium to the site.
"If we could ever court the aquarium harder than we're courting them, I'd be surprised. You know, we would love to see something like that come in," Secchia said.
However, overall, he said he and his fellow business owners want to see the space filled with whatever will bring more people to the area.
"In general, we all want the same thing. We all want what we think is coming, which is just activation, people on the streets, better maintenance, better lights, better landscaping, better security, and a kind of an extension of downtown," Secchia said.
The submission deadline for developers is Nov. 16, 2026.
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