PHOTOS: GVSU’s Laker Store opens in downtown GR
The store will carry GVSU-branded swag in a 1,050-square-foot space next door to the Grand Rapids Art Museum, previously occupied by WOOD-TV 8.
Amid a late March snowstorm outside the Grand Rapids Art Museum, a ribbon-cutting ceremony heralded the latest addition to downtown’s rebounding retail landscape: Grand Valley State University’s new Laker Store on the Monroe Center Mall.
On Friday, March 22, the doors swung open to unveil the Laker Store, which is inside the Grand Rapids Art Museum building at 101 Monroe Center St. NW overlooking Rosa Parks Circle. The event attracted city officials, university trustees and members of the public, including Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella. The GVSU Laker Dance Team and the Louie the Laker mascot brought their spirited energy to the occasion.
“The positive response to the Laker Store on Monroe demonstrates the passion and excitement that is fueling our area’s growth,” Mantella says on the selection of this location. “This space will be a living, breathing entity that provides learning opportunities in line with GVSU’s place at the heart of building the Grand Rapids of the future.”
The store will carry GVSU-branded swag such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, and alumni-made merchandise in the 1,050-square-foot space that was previously occupied by WOOD-TV 8, next door to the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
GVSU has two other Laker stores, located on its Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses. The store, intended to increase GVSU’s visibility in downtown Grand Rapids, began with conversations between Mantella and Bliss about opportunities to share the Laker story with a broader audience.
“I’m thrilled to welcome the new Laker Store on Monroe to downtown Grand Rapids,” Bliss says. “Laker pride swells in this city. Grand Valley State University is synonymous with Grand Rapids. GVSU students and alumni across the country help spread the word that Grand Rapids is a great place to earn an education and build a strong foundation for lifelong success.”
The Laker Store on Monroe is open Tuesdays and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Photos by Tommy Allen
Related Articles
Under the stars, together: Don’t miss GRPM’s 9th planetarium concert series
Grand Rapids Public Museum’s highly anticipated annual live-music series Concerts Under the Stars returns in 2026. Historically, delaying ticket purchases for this series might result in missing this once-a-year event entirely.
12 days of Snowflake Break: Curiosity is on the calendar at the GR Public Museum
At a time when winter slows the city down, Snowflake Break shows how curiosity, culture, and community come together at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
West Michigan author draws hometown inspiration for new fantasy adventure
LeAnn Kelley blends childhood memories, local landscapes, and everyday moments from West Michigan into the imaginative world of her latest fantasy novel.
