GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — “It does not have an official name yet, but for now, we've just been calling it a pocket park because it's a little pocket in the city.”
Not a bad name from Grand Rapids Manager Mike Staal for what will be a four and a half acre park spread out along about a half-mile of trail here next to the new Acrisure Amphitheater.
"One of the things that we heard through the river for all master plan, the community engagement that we had, and that is, people wanted more of a natural connection to the river," said Staal.
And this could be that, in more ways than one: acting as flood protection that’s also easy on the eyes.
“Instead of having just a vertical concrete wall, like we would see across the river. We have a sloped angle into the river, which allows people to access the river during non-flooding times a year, but also will provide that solid flood protection that we need when during those few times where the river comes up.”
A lot of the park is still under construction, and they will have a temporary fence up surrounding the new grass for when Lionel Richie comes to town on Friday, May 15. But as the air starts to fill with the sweet sounds of music from the new venue, you will be able to enjoy parts of the new park if you are not parking yourself in the amphitheater.
"We really want the community feel is, that there's really like it's integrated, that, you know, you don't notice where the city part stops. And so we wanted the natural flow of this park to feel very much like the natural flow of the river.”
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