GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two former school buildings in Grand Rapids could soon have new life. Grand Rapids Public Schools has received multiple proposals for the former Alexander Elementary School and Stocking Elementary School sites.
This marks the next step in the district's Reimagine GRPS with us! initiative — a comprehensive plan for deciding the future of vacant, closed, and underused district properties.
The two-month request for proposals period closed on April 1. For the Alexander site, four submissions came in:
- Cross Contracting LLC
- LifeQuest Urban Outreach
- Q9 Development Co.
- The Annex Group
These proposals reflect a mix of redevelopment visions — ranging from community-focused programming to housing and mixed-use possibilities.
The former Stocking Elementary School also drew interest from community members and developers. The proposals here include:
- Anne Meyer
- Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC)
- West Grand Neighborhood Association (WGNO)
Like Alexander, details for each submission are posted online, giving neighbors a chance to explore the ideas before the district makes its recommendation. You can read more here.
Back in January, GRPS hosted public meetings and opened online input forms to collect feedback. Neighbors shared thoughts on possible uses for the sites, concerns about property preservation, and priorities for integrating these facilities into the surrounding neighborhoods. That feedback helped guide the criteria the district will now use to evaluate each proposal.
GRPS plans to present a recommendation is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Education on Monday, May 11, during the Ad Hoc Facilities Committee meeting and Regular Board Meeting. Both will be held at the Rev. Lyman S. Parks Administration building at 1331 Martin Luther King Jr. St. SE.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
