Stories

AirTran air service could mean more national business conferences in Grand Rapids

AirTran's recent announcement that it will soon serve the Gerald Ford International Airport has given the region another advantage to attract national business conferences. According to excerpts from the story:The only way for Grand Rapids to grow its meetings and conventions industry is for it to play at a national level. To do so requires the region to raise its brand awareness, but also make it easy for visitors and conventioneers to get to town.In that sense, the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau's job should be somewhat easier now that AirTran announced that it would begin serving Gerald Ford International Airport starting in May. AirTran's arrival will bring a much-needed low-cost networked carrier to the region, as well as place downward pressure on the price of all fares, according to airline and airport officials.Read the complete story here.

Developers may invest more in LEED-certified projects if state approves tax breaks

If passed in the Michigan legislature, several proposed tax breaks for LEED-certified new construction and building rehabs could prompt developers to invest more of their green in green buildings. According to excerpts from the story:Even though redevelopment of a former Fifth Third bank site in Eastown is ready to break ground this spring, Bazzani Associates Inc. might hold off awhile. Proposed legislation, expected to hit the floor of the state Senate by spring break, would offer tax breaks for new construction and building rehabilitations that achieve certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. "I would probably delay (the building) a bit in waiting for this," said Guy Bazzani, who helped write a package of bills introduced this month by lawmakers, including Sens. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, and Patty Birkholz, R-Saugatuck Township.Read the complete story here.

Local entrepreneurs share experiences about FastTrac program with Gov. Granholm

Entrepreneurs from around West Michigan met last week with Governor Granholm to voice their experience about the FastTrac program that puts displaced workers in charge of their own small businesses quickly, giving them the opportunity to get back on their feet. According to excerpts from the story:After a career in human resources, talent developer Scott Patchin found himself out of work. "Last April, for the first time in 20 years, I was without a job," Patchin told a crowded room at an entrepreneurial roundtable Wednesday. "Two weeks within losing my job, a friend said, 'I heard about this program.' That's where it all started." His business, The trU Group LLC, was one of five spotlighted at the roundtable, led by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Patchin said he enlisted in a veritable boot camp for entrepreneurs, the FastTrac program run by the Small Business and Technology Development Council, based at Grand Valley State University. Wednesday's session was in GVSU's DeVos Center downtown. After his experiences working for big auto suppliers, a bank, and a hospital system, Patchin figured he was primed to go out on his own. Read the complete story here.

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A World of Ideas for Grand Rapids Transit

Few people disagree that good mass transit is a key to the vitality of a metropolitan area, and The Rapid is sponsoring a series of articles and videos that promotes conversation about what will serve metro Grand Rapids best.

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Modern Movement

Dancers with DITA practice for a performance scheduled tonight at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts that celebrates the blossoming of the art form in metro Grand Rapids.  It's poetry in motion.

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G-Sync – Events + You = Spark >(Mystery)

Tommy posts a simple comment on his Facebook, and the thread turns viral.

iPhone users can more easily access GRCC information with newly released free app: GRCC Mobile

In keeping with its commitment to using cutting edge technology, Grand Rapids Community College announced last week the release of a free iPhone app called GRCC Mobile so that students can more easily tap into the latest college information.

Parents can track teen driving behavior with Holland's Crayon Interface wireless training tool

Parents worrying about the safety of their teenagers behind the wheel now have a new training tool that will monitor driving behavior on the road in real-time.

Spectrum Health granted state approval to perform heart transplants

Spectrum Health's hopes of performing the first heart transplant in West Michigan picked up steam recently with a state approval to advance plans for admitting patients needing the complicated surgery. But a number of critical steps still need to be completed before the health care system can conduct surgery on its first heart transplant patient.

Founders Brewing Co. expects to hire more workers to accommodate solid growth

Despite the Great Recession, growth at the Grand Rapids-based Founders Brewing Company continues at bottle-neck speed, with plans on tap this year to hire another dozen workers to accommodate projected sales of $10 million, up from last year's $6.8 million.

Muskegon area continues program to safely dispose of unused or expired medications

Due to an overwhelming response from its first collection, organizers of the Muskegon Area Medical Disposal Program are busy preparing for its next drop-off event April 17 where residents can safely get rid of unused or expired medications.

German cuckoo clocks a specialty of new Holland retail and repair shop

Deborah Johnson WoodTimeless design and craftsmanship has made Germany the top producer of mechanical clocks says Dan Winebrenner, owner of the Holland Clock Co. The new retail shop at 210 College Ave., Holland, will offer a selection of German-made cuckoo clocks, Dutch style clocks that originated in the Netherlands but are now made in Germany, and a few shelf and mantle styles. Winebrenner's expertise in clock repair and service will be a unique offering of the shop. Winebrenner's fascination with clocks began early in his life, pretty much when he first became aware of clocks and timekeeping. Five years ago, he learned how to repair them. Shortly after, he launched Winebrenner Clock Service in his Holland home."It's been a challenge, but I've seen some pretty encouraging growth in the last year," Winebrenner says. "I started the repair business without the retail because it wasn't as big a financial commitment as having a retail location and an investment in inventory. Now I'm at the point where I'm ready to add them."Winebrenner and his teenage children Ben and Veronica painted two walls of the small, narrow shop with murals depicting German landscapes and the Black Forest. Inside the front window is a hand-painted map of Germany and surrounding countries. "Part of the reason I chose the location in downtown Holland is because of the reputation the downtown area has, not only in West Michigan but nationally as a destination for shopping," Winebrenner says. "I sense that it's a growing, busy area and that's where I want my shop to be, where people are going to find it. I think it also fits in well with the cultural identity of the area." The shop will open March 1, with initial hours from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.Source: Dan Winebrenner, Holland Clock Company; Mimi Fritz, Downtown Holland Principal Shopping DistrictDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Have a development news tip for Rapid Growth? Contact us at [email protected].

New city park slated for former South Hill/Heritage Hill parking lot

Deborah Johnson WoodA 2.25-acre parking lot at Madison Avenue SE and Pleasant Street SE will soon be a new Grand Rapids city park. The property is in the heart of an area identified by Green Grand Rapids as deficient in green space, and is part of the 415 Franklin property (former Department of Human Services) acquired from Kent County by the city of Grand Rapids last year. A design charrette on February 20 drew 50 adults and 40 children to voice their ideas about the park's design. The purpose of the charrette, sponsored by Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, South Hill Neighborhood Association, Heritage Hill Neighborhood Association and the City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department, was to present ideas for the park to design consultants O'Boyle, Cowell, Blalock & Associates. "We held some pre-charrette meetings with a small planning team, we have a Facebook group for the park and we tapped into that energy, and we put out a pre-survey online, all to get ideas so the designers had some ideas for the meeting," says Steve Faber, executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. "The property is partly in Heritage Hill and partly in South Hill and the neighborhoods didn't want water playgrounds or basketball courts," Faber says. Faber says the neighbors want clear sight lines across the park for neighborhood safety, so most of the park will be open space. One section features a playground for kids ages two to 10; other sections have walking paths, a small slope for sledding and a proposed perennial exchange garden. Architectural elements at the entrance at Madison and Pleasant will draw from architectural influences of the surrounding neighborhoods.Four City High students studying sustainable playgrounds asked the children at the charrette to design their ideal playground. Faber hopes to incorporate some of the high school students' findings in the park design. Next steps are to add the park to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan by March 13 in order to qualify for possible state grants, brownfield tax credits and other funding. Source: Steve Faber, Friends of Grand Rapids ParksDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Have a development news tip for Rapid Growth? Contact us at [email protected].

Douglas gallery relocates to larger Holland storefront, will showcase 75 artists' works

Deborah Johnson WoodThe new Thistle Gallery opening next week in downtown Holland is more than three times the size of its former location in Douglas, and owner Mary Glinski intends to fill the extra space with original works from some 75 artists – a third more than she's ever been able to show. All of the works in the 2,500-square-foot gallery at 26 East 8th St. are original, handmade pieces from artists in the United States and Canada. "We'll have a space in the back of the store, about 500 square feet, that will be a changing exhibit of fine art," Glinski says. Called The Studio At Thistle Gallery, the space will spotlight two or three artists who work in one medium, such as watercolor, oil or metal sculpture, and will change about every 60 days. "We also have hand-painted silk, photography, textiles, some felting," Glinski says. "We have more jewelry than anything else because so many artists make jewelry, and we have some really, really cool pottery. We have an artist from Minnesota, Kerry Brooks, who's the only artist I know that does glass and pottery mixed together; we've carried her work for three years."Glinski is a glass fuser and sells her own dishes, jewelry and other pieces at the gallery."Douglas is a great town with great merchants, but it's very seasonal and it's very difficult to have a year-round business," Glinski says. "I had outgrown my space and didn't have anywhere to grow. I'm really looking forward to the move and my employees are looking forward to the change. It's going to be a new energy for us."The Studio At Thistle Gallery opens March 5. Source: Mary Glinski, Thistle Gallery; Mimi Fritz, Holland Principal Shopping DistrictDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Have a development news tip for Rapid Growth? Contact us at [email protected].

European style microbrewery will bring French, Belgian brews to East Hills business district

Deborah Johnson WoodIf Jason and Kris Spaulding have their way, local growers will drink the fruits of their labor at a new European microbrewery in the middle of the East Hills business district in Grand Rapids. Brewery Vivant, a microbrewery specializing in French and Belgian beers, is the lead tenant in Locus Development's renovation of the former Spectrum Health Childcare property at 925 Cherry Street. Three buildings – a barrel-roofed garage, a former chapel and a house – will undergo renovation. Locus Development's John Green says phase one will renovate the garage and chapel for the brewery and pub. Jason Spaulding is a co-founder and former owner of New Holland Brewing Company and says his wife, Kris, began creating their business plan for a new brewery four years ago without having a location in mind. "We wanted a vibrant neighborhood that felt small, near a populated area, a walkable neighborhood with a variety of owner-operated shops," Spaulding says. "When this property came up, it was like it was meant to be – the barrel-roofed building has an 18-foot ceiling with trusses, so there are no posts in the middle of floor which is perfect for a brewery," he says. "The former chapel has an archway that looks very Belgian, and we're going to make Belgian and French beers." Spaulding attended Doemens Brewing Academy near Munich, Germany, then he and Kris toured breweries in Belgium where they picked up ideas for Brewery Vivant. "Belgians brew more artistically and use more local fruit and spices than the Germans do," Spaulding says. He wants to do the same, using local ingredients for his beers."We don't want to be a large brewery," he says. "We want to create a sustainable neighborhood brewery."John Green says renovation of the entire project includes retail spaces in the existing house, possibly two additional buildings, and the brewery will be LEED certified. Source: Jason Spaulding, Brewery Vivant; John Green, Locus DevelopmentDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Have a development news tip for Rapid Growth? Contact us at [email protected].

Grand Rapids DDA lines up new grant programs, marketing to attract retailers to downtown

Deborah Johnson WoodThe Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority has launched a new marketing campaign and developed two new grant programs in an effort to attract more retail businesses to the downtown business district. The DDA says that more than 20 businesses opened in downtown last year, but most of them were restaurants and more retail is needed. A new flipbook brochure notes downtown's unique characteristics: daytime demographics, six distinct business corridors and key entities downtown such as cultural, medical, government and schools. The DDA developed the brochure in collaboration with area brokerage firms to create a tool they would want to use to sell or lease commercial properties downtown. "We're putting it in their hands so everyone has the same story about Grand Rapids, otherwise everyone looks at the census data and that's missing a lot about downtown Grand Rapids," says Anne Marie Bessette, DDA development specialist. "We have over 36,000 employees in the central business district, and what, perhaps, is more is interesting is that we have 31,000 college students that attend class within downtown's one square mile," she says. "Those are huge numbers that people don't realize we have and these numbers don't show up in the census numbers."The brochure, available online at www.grcity.us/departments/dda/flipbook, points readers to a central commercial properties web site where they can view all available downtown properties and the broker contact information. In addition, to the marketing, the DDA hopes that two new grant programs established late last year will encourage business owners to set up shop downtown by helping them tackle some of the costs associated with remodeling a façade or obtaining signage. The grants vary from $2,000 up to $25,000 depending on the type of business and the project. "New businesses coming in have a challenge," Bessette says. "Not only do they have to set up shop and have all the merchandising and marketing down, but if they have to renovate the building, it's really a challenge."Source: Anne Marie Bessette, Grand Rapids Downtown Development AuthorityDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Have a development news tip for Rapid Growth? Contact us at [email protected].

GRCC partners with Holland's Energetx to offer on-site training on composites


Google targets Grand Rapids for super high-speed Internet access test

Grand Rapids is one of dozens of cities in the country applying to be a test region for Google Inc.'s proposed experiment to test its super-high-speed broadband network with 50,000 to 500,000 users. According to excerpts from the story:Google Inc. is searching for a number of cities to be part of an experiment the company says would make internet access better and faster for everyone. The online media company has announced plans to build super high-speed broadband network for at least 50,000 and up to 500,000. Grand Rapids is among dozens of U.S. cities applying to be a part of the experimental test market. "This is a good thing for us. This is a good thing for our community. It is a good thing for business and economic development in our region" said Paul Klimas, the Information Technology Director for the city of Grand Rapids.Read the complete story here.