Grand Rapids

 

Where do big ideas, bold investments and a great quality of life come together? Look no further than Grand Rapids, where the state’s ‘Make It in Michigan’ strategy comes to life. Grand Rapids is a place that embraces people, activates places and attracts high-impact projects – and has a great time doing it.

With a strong talent pipeline, thriving industries from advanced manufacturing to life sciences and a commitment to community vibrancy, Grand Rapids reflects the strategy’s core values. It’s also one of the top destinations in the state for residents and visitors alike, with award-winning craft beer, world-class art and dishes that draw foodies from all over.

It’s no wonder that CNN named Grand Rapids one of America’s Best Towns to Visit this past year, or that the city consistently ranks as a Grand place to live, raise a family and build a business.

Learn more about how the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is supporting the success of the state’s second-largest city.

 

Placemaking Efforts in Grand Rapids

From a toolkit that will help add critical housing in the region to crowdfunding and community development projects adding vibrancy throughout the city, the MEDC is supporting Grand Rapids’ continued growth and prosperity.

In October 2023, the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) Board approved support for a Transformational Brownfield Plan valued at $102.9 million for a series of redevelopment and new construction projects in the Godfrey Corridor. When finished, the Factory Yards project is expected to create approximately 467 new housing units, addressing housing needs and bringing commercial activity to the area.

The MEDC is also addressing housing needs by partnering with the City of Grand Rapids on the Permit-Ready Plans toolkit, a resource that will streamline the process for communities to add housing in existing neighborhoods. Permit-Ready Plans, a collaborative partnership between the City of Grand Rapids, MEDC, Michigan Municipal League and Driven Design, LLC, lowers barriers for infill housing development, decreases construction costs and shortens permit processing timelines. While the tool is being piloted in Grand Rapids, the housing plans and streamlined permitting process can be implemented in communities across the state.

The MEDC’s Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program is also creating impact throughout the Grand Rapids community; in May 2025, Grand Rapids Economic Development received $775,000 in RAP grant funds as part of a total $25 million in funding for projects across the state. The RAP program provides access to gap financing for place-based infrastructure development, real estate rehabilitation and development and public space improvements.

Most recently, the RAP program supported the rehabilitation of a functionally obsolete building in Grand Rapids through a $874,000 RAP grant in March 2025. The project at 1516 Cesar Chavez will create 17 new residential rental units and generate a total capital investment of over $3.9 million.

In addition, a $1,250,901 RAP grant will help transform a former art gallery into a modern coworking hub from Bamboo to support entrepreneurs and small businesses, becoming a center for innovation and providing key amenities to the community including flex office spaces, private offices, high-tech meeting rooms, a 200-person movie theater and outdoor event venue. The redevelopment project will bring a total anticipated capital investment of $10,179,635. 

The State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) is also supporting the project. Through SSBCI’s collateral support program, the MSF is pledging up to $2.4 million through a cash deposit at Bank Michigan; this loan to Bamboo will help fund the cost of the building’s renovation. 

In addition to projects that create new housing in Grand Rapids, the MEDC supports the beautification of the city through its Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program, which provides matching funds for crowdfunded public space projects. Most recently, the PSCP program has hosted successful campaigns for the Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival and Dragonflies Downtown, a public art discovery installation.

The Grand Rapids area is poised for continued growth and vibrancy thanks to its vision for the future. In March 2023, East Grand Rapids earned Essentials status with the MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program for its efforts to establish a more streamlined development process and overall community development vision. Launched statewide in 2013, RRC promotes communities to be development-ready and competitive in today’s economy by actively engaging stakeholders and proactively planning, making them more attractive for projects that create places where people want to live, work, and invest.

MEDC-Supported Business Projects

With industry strengths in manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and education, Grand Rapids is home to many global consumer brands, from Meijer and Steelcase to MillerKnoll. With its innovative spirit, public-private collaboration and can-do philosophy, Grand Rapids has the perfect culture for business success.

Global insurance provider Acrisure established its global headquarters in Grand Rapids, while the city’s Medical Mile – home to leading self-care products provider Perrigo – is strengthening the life sciences sector in the state. In 2020, the Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a $2 million Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP) performance-based grant for the company’s new North American corporate headquarters.

Building on the region’s advanced manufacturing leadership and design heritage, companies like personal protective products manufacturer HexArmor are continuing to invest their growth in Grand Rapids. In January 2025, the company announced plans to expand its Grand Rapids headquarters, increasing its manufacturing capabilities and creating at least 100 new jobs with the support of an MBDP performance-based grant.

Learn more about why businesses choose Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids’ Small Business Community

In addition to bringing in large business projects, the MEDC contributes to the City of Grand Rapids’ strong business climate through the support of its small business community. This includes resources provided through SmartZones and Small Business Support Hubs throughout Grand Rapids.  

SmartZones:

• Spartan Innovations, the MSU Research Foundation's venture creation entity, drives MSU entrepreneurs to develop their ideas, create business plans and successfully launch high-tech startups.
• Start Garden (also a Small Business Support Hub) is an innovative nonprofit that creates opportunities for Michigan entrepreneurs working toward their first $1,000,000 in revenue by providing resources, community space, networks and leadership.

Small Business Support Hubs:

• Start Garden
• The Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation administers and cultivates an ecosystem of partnering support organizations, designed to help entrepreneurs navigate services throughout their entire life cycle within the city of Grand Rapids:
• The West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to working with all members of the community to increase the economic advancement of Hispanic owned businesses and to assist the professional growth of Hispanics in West Michigan.

The MEDC also celebrates the successes of Grand Rapids’ small businesses that utilized its various resources, from the Collateral Support program and Tribal Grant program to matchmaking services from the Supply Chain Resiliency team (formerly Pure Michigan Business Connect).

Learn how the MEDC supported these small businesses: Buell Motorcycle Co., Long Road Distillers, Daddy’s Dough and Waseyabek Development Company.

Grand Rapids: A Work of Art

Since 2009, the City of Grand Rapids has hosted ArtPrize, an international art competition and cultural festival held annually each fall. Over the course of 16 days, artwork is displayed throughout the city – from galleries and storefronts to parks, breweries and public spaces – and draws in hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Over the years, the event has evolved. It became a public/private partnership among the City of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. and Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University in 2022.

As ArtPrize’s executive director, Catlin Whitington is building on his experience of bringing large-scale events to life, including Austin’s South by Southwest Conference, to help lead this new evolution.

“It was interesting to think what ArtPrize could be for the community – this decentralized, open, global event that was free and open to the public. It's not a traditional art fair or traditional event. ArtPrize is not curated by us; it's curated between the artists and the venues predominantly. I felt this was a dynamic that was really missing from the cultural world right now, because a lot of times art is inaccessible to the community at large.” – Catlin Whitington

Learn more about Catlin’s journey to Grand Rapids in his Voices feature.

 

Visiting Grand Rapids

Once considered America's Furniture Capital, Grand Rapids has been affectionately known as "Beer City USA" since 2012 and is home to over 40 breweries, including Founders Brewing Co., The Mitten Brewing Company and Greyline Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids is also a culturally rich city with many attractions like the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the world’s 45 most visited art museums, as well as the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum and the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

Whether you want to listen to live music, shop local in the city’s specialty stores or enjoy the nightlife, Grand Rapids is worth a visit any time of the year.