One of the most historic homes in East Grand Rapids has hit the market if you want to be a part of its story moving forward The home is currently owned by Aquinas College Construction on the Blodgett Estate began in 1926 and it was built for John W. Blodgett and his wife, Minnie, according to the Grand Rapids Historical Commission READ MORE: You Could Own This Adorable Replica of Grand Rapids' Iconic Choo Choo Grill The estate stayed in the family (though it was briefly owned by Blodgett Hospital) until some time in the early '90s when it was sold to someone outside of the family Aquinas has retained ownership of the estate since but has seemingly decided to put it on the market You're not just getting a run-of-the-mill home for that $3.3 million price tag Brookby/The Blodgett Estate features eight bedrooms ten bathrooms and is a whopping 11,858 square feet I think my favorite part of the home may be the breakfast room/solarium The room has huge windows that overlook the lake And it has this amazing lattice work and 13-foot ceilings The formal dining room features a secret door (cue all of my childhood dreams after watching too many episodes of Webster) The formal dining room is also home to one of the many fireplaces located throughout the home This one is hand-carved from Italian marble Technically, it's a single-family home. In fact, it currently functions as the home of the president of Aquinas College. (Well, was, the president of Aquinas put in her resignation last week.) But the home is also large enough to host events like weddings READ MORE: AI Makes a Typical Day in Grand Rapids Look Like a Dystopian Nightmare The grounds are also home to the Brookby Gardens The gardens were originally landscaped as Chinese gardens transitioned to English gardens at some point and were changed back to Chinese gardens after the property was acquired by Aquinas College The home also comes with two additional outbuildings and sits on 5.59 acres of land that butts up to both Coldbrook Creek and Fisk Lake I suppose that depends on whom you ask, but many people have reported some spooky encounters at Brookby over the years. So many that the college highlights a few of them on their website There have been stories about a woman looking out of a second-story window and a mysterious light on a panel of servants' buttons that continues to light up to this day the one labeled '11,' corresponds to the button located in Minnie Blodgett's former bedroom It's also said to be haunted by the ghost of a former housekeeper. The home has been on the market for a few days, and with a price tag of $3.3 million, it'll probably take a bit to find just the right buyer. You can check out more details and see some more photos from Keller Williams North on the official listing page You can also learn more about the history of the home in the video below And hey - maybe Aquinas will throw some of these things in to entice buyers.. Gallery Credit: Big Joe Pesh Check out these hauntings and legends from Michigan's Upper Peninsula One of the most historic homes in East Grand Rapids has hit the market Read More One of the most historic homes in East Grand Rapids has hit the market The home is currently owned by Aquinas College Construction on the Blodgett Estate began in 1926 and it was built for John W. Blodgett and his wife, Minnie, according to the Grand Rapids Historical Commission READ MORE: You Could Own This Adorable Replica of Grand Rapids' Iconic Choo Choo Grill Technically, it's a single-family home. In fact, it currently functions as the home of the president of Aquinas College. (Well, was, the president of Aquinas put in her resignation last week.) But the home is also large enough to host events like weddings READ MORE: AI Makes a Typical Day in Grand Rapids Look Like a Dystopian Nightmare I suppose that depends on whom you ask, but many people have reported some spooky encounters at Brookby over the years. So many that the college highlights a few of them on their website It's also said to be haunted by the ghost of a former housekeeper. The home has been on the market for a few days, and with a price tag of $3.3 million, it'll probably take a bit to find just the right buyer. You can check out more details and see some more photos from Keller Williams North on the official listing page — It didn't take long for Gull Lake to show its appreciation on Military Appreciation Night as the Blue Devils powered their way to a 5-1 win over East Grand Rapids Charyle Reiner scored less than five minutes into the game before Caroline Clancy scored in the 12th minute to give Gull Lake a 2-0 lead The Blue Devils kept the good times going after the break scoring three more goals over the final 40 minutes of play to come away with the convincing win over a state power on the pitch Gull Lake moves to 12-1-1 on the year while EGR slides to 5-3-5 overall — A planned West Michigan development could see some changes The developer for the Gaslight Village project has proposed scaling it down Gaslight Village is a popular spot to enjoy a night out and East Grand Rapids is looking to expand its footprint “The community has set forth in its master plan its desire to see that area redeveloped,” Shea Charles the city unveiled plans for 55,000 square feet of commercial space a handful of new buildings and 180 new housing units But now there's a proposal to shrink that footprint “Based on some economic factors that are going on right now and some of the input that we've received from the community the developers took a step back and looked at the project and said are there opportunities to provide some revisions to it?'” Charles said Shea Charles lays out the new plan: 32,000 square feet of commercial space and the same number of buildings “Any opportunity a city has to redevelop a project like that is exciting as far as how the community reacts and that which city commission ultimately approves Developing the charming upscale strip has been in the works for decades “In the early 2000s when Jacobson went out of business the property was put up for auction,” Charles said The people behind the original plans haven't given up developing this property — despite multiple setbacks like the 2008 recession we're still several months away from seeing an actual site plan or final plans from Gaslight investors which will require some additional vetting at that time,” Charles said East Grand Rapids officials are set to hear these proposed changes next Monday The city manager tells me he isn't planning on a vote that night Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube Shults was named the 2025 UIL Boys Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year after leading Keller to a sweep of the Texas 6A state titles Maisey O’Donnell was a two-time diving champion for Concord-Carlisle High School and had plans to dive in college for Williams College Fairbanks spent the last 25 years as head coach of the girls’ program at Hutchinson and was the head coach of the boys’ program during two separate stints November 25th, 2024 High School, News The East Grand Rapids girls swam to their 4th straight Division III (small schools) state title this past weekend The team won eight out of the 12 total events Leading the way for East Grand Rapids (EGR) was senior Kate Simon The Notre Dame commit swam to two individual wins winning the 200 free in a 1:48.19 and the 100 free in a 50.06 Both times were faster than her winning times of 50.65 and 1:49.77 from a year ago Simon also helped the team at the relay level She led off the team’s winning 200 free relay in a 23.27 The relay also consisted of Nora Camfferman and Ellery Chandler as they touched in a 1:36.24 and Simon swam to a win in the 400 free relay swimming a 3:37.01 Junior Ellery Chandler also earned two individual wins for EGR Chandler swam to a personal best 56.07 in the 100 fly as well as a 1:02.86 in the 100 breast She won the 100 breast as a sophomore as well swimming a 1:03.17 then Chandler was also a member of the 200 medley relay that earned a win as she split a 24.42 on the fly leg That was a huge personal best as her previous best time was a 2:10.08 that she swam at the start of November Holland Christian’s Camryn Siegers earned two individual wins at the meet winning the 50 free in a personal best time 23.39 defending her title from a year ago in the event Divine Child’s Ella Dziobak earned the final win That defended her title from a year ago as she won in a 5:02.61 then Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" one of the best high school coaches in America Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator and 2024 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 European Championships … More from Anya PelshawSee All Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates Developers plan to dial back the scope of a mixed-use project proposed on an 8.6-acre site in East Grand Rapids based on “economic conditions” and public feedback including opposition from one of the city’s former mayors Gaslight Investors LLC expects to bring revised plans to the East Grand Rapids City Commission on March 31 for a proposed mixed-use project at the former Jacobson’s department store site at 515 Lakeside Drive SE and 2255 Wealthy St Gaslight Investors is a venture of developers Scott Wierda and Brian DeVries A spokesperson for Wierda said he was unavailable for an interview but provided a statement that said the developers “have appreciated the tremendous community interest” in the proposal and the “thoughtful comments” from the planning commission city commission and community during the past few months “We look forward to sharing a revised concept plan with the City Commission on March 31,” Wierda said in the statement Keep up with all things West Michigan business. Sign up for our free newsletters today The developers will only take feedback during the meeting and are not requesting a decision on the scaled-back plans The East Grand Rapids Planning Commission last November approved an initial concept plan  that calls for seven new buildings including one mixed-use seven-story structure that would be 94 feet high The project would add 180 units of housing along with several commercial buildings totaling almost 57,000 square feet Wierda and DeVries have worked together as Jade Pig Ventures LLC since 1996. They acquired the property, which is adjacent to Jade Pig’s headquarters, from the bankrupt Jacobson’s in 2002 and twice floated mixed-use projects for the site that included housing Their plans were derailed by the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic and they constructed just two commercial buildings on the site City Manager Shea Charles said in a memo to the city commission Wednesday that the developers are considering the revisions now because of “current economic conditions” and community feedback He added the changes are expected to include a “scope reduction.” “We know that they are working on a revised scope,” Charles told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business on Wednesday but we do know that it’s going to be different.” Charles said the city has received “a mix” of feedback on the development since Wierda and DeVries revived the plans last year There have been a few community open houses and two formal public hearings on the project including more than 40 speakers who were almost evenly divided for and against the project “We’ve heard a myriad of concerns,” Charles said One of the two letters of support included with the March 17 city commission agenda packet was from Diane Maher a longtime East Grand Rapids resident and president and chief strategy officer of DeVos-owned DP Fox Ventures Maher called the project “exciting” and said it will “enhance the community for the better.” She urged the city commission not to “fear” growth There were 14 letters of concern in Tuesday’s agenda packet including one from an emerging opposition group led by Nyal Deems former mayor of East Grand Rapids from 1985 to 1995 Deems is also a semi-retired real estate attorney for Varnum Deems has spoken against the project at previous public hearings He signed his four-page letter on behalf of “Concerned Citizens of East Grand Rapids.” estimates that group numbers between five and 20 people Deems said he doesn’t think Gaslight Investors’ proposal is appropriate for the site and the supporting documents that would show whether it can be put in there without too much trouble and too much negative effect on the rest of the commercial area or residential areas just isn’t there,” he said “It’s just some developers that want to make a lot of money.” Deems said he would like to see the residential density scaled back to about 100 units similar to what the developers’ 2004 proposal called for with building heights of three or fewer stories He also would like to see more detailed parking and traffic studies as well as a substrate study to prove that the soil on the development site can accommodate heavy buildings Deems said when Blodgett Hospital was constructed in the 1960s a half-mile from this site the soil was of poor enough quality that concrete pilings had to be installed down to the bedrock to support the weight and the drilling caused damage to surrounding residences “I happened to move into that area … a decade after Blodgett was built (and) they were still settling the lawsuits for all the damage that the construction had caused,” he said “Perhaps there’s more updated ways to put in a foundation in loose soils than there were in the mid-’60s they have no soil borings to show the damage they will or won’t cause.” LaFave said he thinks much of the community feedback shared so far would be addressed in the more detailed final site plan review stage if the developers want to intensify the density the concept plan would need to go back before the planning commission “If it’s less intense (than what) the planning commission approved then our process would allow that (concept plan) to stay at the city commission level,” LaFave said noting it’s important to avoid rushing through this “iterative” process “(We want) to make sure that everyone’s heard and that there’s plenty of time to think things through and the developer down the line with whatever happens or doesn’t happen.” Traverse City energy firm with deep West Michigan ties sells in $375M deal Haworth CEO: Flat sales of $2.5B in 2024 a ‘great sign’ of resilience Developer backs out of 250-unit apartment project, lists property for $5M Staying current is easy with Crain's Grand Rapids Business news delivered straight to your inbox Click below to see everything we have to offer — A Planned Unit Development (PUD) dusted off last November after 12 years may see more changes as East Grand Rapids' Gaslight Village prepares for updates The City of East Grand Rapids will hold a public hearing about revisions to the plan on Monday night during their regular meeting at 6 p.m DETAILS ON THE PLAN; APPROVED IN 2004, SHELVED IN 2008 FOX 17 found the city's agenda for the meeting which also includes consideration of the Gaslight Village parking analysis which could cost up to $35,700 East Grand Rapids - 02 17 2025 Agenda Complete3 by WXMI on Scribd Pontiac Notre Dame’s Maren Studt won state titles in both the slalom and giant slalom in the Division 2 girls state skiing finals Monday .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Hugh Bernreuter | hbernreu@mlive.comQuinn Irwin did most of the heavy lifting But East Grand Rapids needed a little push from below to break a 25-year drought East Grand Rapids claimed the Division 2 boys skiing state title Monday at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs earning its first boys skiing state title since 1999 especially with five-time defending state champion Petoskey matching East Grand Rapids point for point East Grand Rapids and Petoskey were tied for first place with 94 points Irwin gave the Pioneers a fourth-place finish in the slalom and a championship in the giant slalom But the skiing tiebreaker goes to the fifth skier – or first non-scorer – on each team with the championship going to the team with the best fifth skiers in the slalom and giant slalom Whit Norden gave East Grand Rapids a 45th-place finish in the giant slalom while Asher Sage came up big with a 20th-place finish in the slalom to give the Pioneers the spot they needed East Grand Rapids finished with 65 points to beat out Petoskey with 71 Irwin’s state championship made up for a disappointing finish in 2024 Irwin finished 65th in the giant slalom after a disastrous first run of 1:00.02 East Grand Rapids won skiing state titles in 1997 and 1999 under coach Tom Winquest before KC McGovern took over the program Great North Alpine was third with 108 points and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep fifth with 162 with Great North Alpine’s Benjamin Dyste second and Petoskey’s Elijah Dettmer third East Grand Rapids also had a good showing in the girls state meet finishing second to defending champion Harbor Springs Bloomfield Hills Marian third with 149 and Cadillac fourth with 174 The individual star of the meet was Maren Studt from Pontiac Notre Dame Prep winning the slalom in 76.10 seconds and the giant slalom in :66.79 Sophie Hicks from East Grand Rapids was second (:76.30) with Avery Kita from Charlevoix fourth in :76.94 Tara Shouldice of Harbor Springs was second (:67.16) and Anna Hoogerheide from Mattawan/Paw Paw third (:67.23) Mary Irwin from Grand Rapids Catholic Central was fourth and Hanna Darooge from East Grand Rapids was fifth Two new state champions were crowned Monday in the Division 1 state meet at Nub’s Nob in Harbor Springs Marquette claimed the boys title for the first time since 2020 beating out Traverse City West and Traverse City Central Marquette’s Samuel Dehlin dominated the individual events claiming titles in both the slalom and giant slalom after winning the slalom and finishing second in the giant slalom in 2024 with teammate Conner Henry second (:72.99) and Central’s Jace Rowell third (:74.27) followed by Lake Orion’s Broden Janczarek (:53.55) and Central’s Rocco Elkins (:53.91) Traverse City Central won the girls state title with 60 points to knock off defending state champ Traverse City West Quinn Gerber carried Central to the title with a state title in the giant slalom in 54.18 seconds after finishing fourth in the event in 2024 Gerber also took second in the slalom (:73.58) Grand Haven’s Neave Rewa finished fourth in the slalom in 2024 but came through with a state title in the event Monday in 72.05 seconds Avery Taggert of Traverse City Central was third in :74.13 Traverse City West’s Summer Lewandowski followed Gerber in the giant slalom (:54.43) with Marquette’s Estelle Dehlin third (:54.47) If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters Love reading about local sports? 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All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices — The Gaslight Village district in East Grand Rapids could be on the cusp of significant change as city leaders unveil plans for a massive mixed-use development project The initiative aims to enhance walkability connectivity and give families more reason to wander around On Tuesday, the East Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved a preliminary project plan The City Commission will next take up the project They will introduce the current plans at an initial meeting After hosting an opportunity for public comment they could potentially give the project the go-ahead There is also the possibility that city commissioners will want the plan to be revised in some fashion we got those who are just thrilled beyond words,” City Manager Shea Charles told FOX 17 Friday “And we've got a few people who are not so sure about it At the heart of the project is the redevelopment of a vacant site on Wealthy Street The goal is to take advantage of the underused space hoping to transform it into a dynamic mix of retail The preliminary plans include approximately 180 new housing units with 14 three-story town homes and roughly 55,000 square feet of commercial space will be replaced or renovated to increase capacity Meant to address parking concerns in the area Bringing some extra excitement to the heart of East Grand Rapids a pop-up event space will be created in a nearby flat lot inviting a host of family entertainment: farmers markets The project looks to make the area more walkable making the process of getting from Wealthy Street to the trail around Reeds Lake much easier “East Grand Rapids is known for its walkability; it's really one of our strengths,” Charles explained “The developer in the plan made a point to really focus on and work to build connections so that we have a safe development for all modes of transportation.” city leaders will first have to address questions around things such as traffic flow If you are interested in keeping up with project updates, you can check the website for the East Grand Rapids Planning Commission HERE. The East Grand Rapids City Commission may revive a plan to develop more housing and commercial spaces in the iconic Gaslight Village area—with a few updates the Planned Unit Development (PUD) got through its first phase a year later (putting up 2 buildings) then was amended in 2008 before fading into obscurity for 12 years the next attempt to revisit this plan came in 2020 And we all know what that meant for the project Fast forward to June of this year; the 20-year-old project might be coming back to life as a starting point and the changes are said to bring the concept into the modern era The East Grand Rapids City Planning Commission continued a public hearing on the issue on November 12 going over the adjustments the new plan entails the updates (at least at the concept stage) comply with the city’s zoning ordinances One concern is the height of the new buildings Some of them are to be 94’ tall— 15’ taller than the original plan for the same number of stories The city’s planning commission agenda minutes noted the new buildings would be comparable in height to portions of Blodgett Hospital and East Grand Rapids High School There’s also concerns over traffic and parking This new plan is shy of what’s provided in the old one by over 100 spaces they need to figure out where the main access road would be—ideally a north-south connection between Wealthy and Lakeside Sts— and they want to design the area to keep the pedestrian-friendly feel the area is known for the city says a traffic study may be in order considering things like new signals and roundabouts—though those were ‘not favored’ according to the minutes from the meeting You can see every detail of the plan and hearing notes here It’s now in the hands of the East Grand Rapids City Commission to decide whether to move forward The next City Commission meeting is Monday A 13-year-old girl was rescued after she fell through ice Saturday afternoon in East Grand Rapids according to the East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety — A 13-year-old girl was rescued after she fell through ice Saturday afternoon in East Grand Rapids A caller contacted the Kent County Dispatch Authority around 4:20 p.m after seeing the girl fall through the ice near Lakeside Drive SE and Reeds Lake Boulevard SE An officer was able to get to the location within two minutes; the caller then pointed out that the girl was about 15 feet from the shore and in waist-deep water police said responders were able to get the girl safely to shore by 4:33 p.m She was then evaluated by a medical team before being released to her parents "Public Safety reminds community members to exercise increased caution when venturing out on the ice and provides these safety tips," police said in a news release and for non-emergency questions or concerns — A city in Kent County is taking steps to fight climate change and achieve carbon neutrality The city commission of East Grand Rapids adopted the city's Climate Action Plan on Monday which provides an outline for how city operations can achieve a transition to carbon neutrality by 2040 The plan provides city leadership a clear path to reduce its emissions from natural gas combustion from all city-owned buildings and operations gasoline and diesel fuel combustion from the city's vehicle fleet and purchased electricity from city buildings Some of the recommendations include converting streetlights and building lights to LED ensuring a decarbonization of the electric grid and implementing a smart-sensing technology to increase building efficiency “Climate change is a serious threat to all communities and our climate action work is a commitment that the City of East Grand Rapids will do its part in the global effort to combat it,” said Mayor Katie Favale other sustainability efforts from the city include: The city's 2040 goal is a full decade ahead of the state of Michigan's carbon neutral goal of 2050 View the city's Climate Action Plan here The developers behind a major mixed-use project in East Grand Rapids will present a revised concept to the city next week that cuts 17% of the proposed housing units and scales back commercial space Gaslight Investors LLC submitted a revised concept plan to the city on March 21 for a proposed mixed-use project at the former Jacobson’s department store site at 515 Lakeside Drive SE and 2255 Wealthy St A spokesperson for the developers did not immediately return a request for comment. The development team previously said they would scale back the project in response to “current economic conditions” and public feedback The developers will introduce the revised plan at the East Grand Rapids City Commission meeting on March 31 seeking initial feedback but no immediate decision City Manager Shea Charles said it’s “yet to be determined” whether the city commission will take a vote on the concept plan or send it back to the planning commission for another layer of review Gaslight Investors has reduced the intensity of the project and we are looking forward to seeing what city commissioner feedback is on Monday night,” he said The new plan reduces the residential component of the project from 180 units to 149 units (a 17% decrease) shrinks commercial space by 44% and scales back building heights The tallest proposed building in the development would now be five stories whereas the previous plan called for a seven-story building that would have been 94 feet high several community members expressed concerns about the density and the building heights noting a seven-story building would have cast a shadow over John Collins Park at Reeds Lake across the street Charles said it’s tough to say how the new plan will be received Monday night’s meeting will not include a public hearing though there likely will be additional public hearings later on “As this project has moved through the process we have gotten both comments of ‘We really like it,’ or ‘We really have concerns,’ and we’ll see what we get Monday night,” he said The new plan also calls for seven buildings instead of six with one of the residential buildings cut in favor of green space and outdoor amenities 132 would be apartment units spread across four buildings There would also be a total of 17 townhomes — 10 in one building and seven in another The plan also reduces the number of proposed parking spaces from 583 to 525 although the partners noted in the revised proposal that the development would still exceed the city’s parking requirements the proposed parking garage would be a maximum of two levels down from the three to four levels that had been floated the new plan calls for just less than 32,000 square feet of new commercial space down from nearly 57,000 square feet in the former concept Including the existing two commercial buildings that were constructed as part of the planned unit development approved in 2004 the development will have just more than 109,000 square feet of commercial space Grand Rapids scrutinizes business owners’ growing use of pay-to-park lots Treasury ends ownership reporting mandate for nearly all U.S. companies Grand Rapids considers $20M indoor golf entertainment center at city-owned course — Northview football breaks the 25 year long drought of losses to East Grand Rapids with a 31-27 win over the Pioneers EGR led 19-14 at the break but the Wildcats came out firing in the third quarter Quarterback Armaan Irving connected to AJ Johnson to take their first lead of the game East closed the gap late in the third with a touchdown from Tyler Blake But the Wildcats finished it out with one final score 25 years it's been (since Northview won) and to be 4-0 in who knows how long it feels amazing," said senior running back Will Senuira For more scores, highlights, and the latest news on high school sports in West Michigan, go to the FOX 17 Blitz page Follow the FOX 17 Blitz on social media: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) Traffic and parking concerns took center stage Tuesday night as a massive plan for 180 units of housing and several commercial buildings in downtown East Grand Rapids cleared its first hurdle After more than two hours of discussion, the East Grand Rapids Planning Commission voted 8-1 Tuesday night to recommend city commissioners approve Scott Wierda and Brian DeVries’ initial “concept plan” for redeveloping the mostly vacant former Jacobson’s department store site in Gaslight Village into housing and commercial space Planning Commissioner Matt Feyen was the lone “no” vote on the plan citing what he perceived as a lack of bike- and pedestrian-friendliness within the development “I feel like we’re going to get locked into stuff once we approve building locations,” Feyen said and I know we’re all anxious to get going on it which Wierda and DeVries are developing under the banner Gaslight Investors LLC calls for seven new buildings on an 8.6-acre parcel they own at 515 Lakeside Drive SE and 2255 Wealthy St The concept calls for 180 units of apartments and townhomes at least 56,970 square feet of commercial space and a new parking garage to replace the current one that Jacobson’s built in 1991 The main entrance for the development would be off Shopping Center Drive on the northwest side of the property That road also is used by delivery trucks heading to the D&W grocery store which Feyen cited as a concern because it could cause congestion The applicants are required to go through conceptual and final site plan review at both the planning and city commission level The concept plan will next proceed to the city commission for review the applicants can then move ahead with a final site plan which the developers have hired Grand Rapids-based Integrated Architecture to design the planning commission attached a list of eight conditions the developers must fulfill as they move into final site plan design These included performing a full mobility study that will examine peak season bicycle pedestrian and delivery truck traffic and recommend mitigation measures such as traffic signals Planning Commission Chair Mary Mapes repeatedly stressed to the board that Tuesday’s review concerned high-level details such as building heights and positioning and that finer points of traffic management will be addressed later “Tonight is a concept plan only,” she said “We’re not looking at all the fine details that we are all anxious to hear.” executive vice president at Integrated Architecture spoke on behalf of the developers at Tuesday’s meeting and there are significant investments to go into the next stage of things that we need to do Can we feel confident moving forward so that we can work this through together with you in the future That’s what we’re looking for today,” he said Wierda and DeVries have worked together as Jade Pig Ventures LLC since 1996. They acquired the property, which is adjacent to Jade Pig’s headquarters, from the bankrupt Jacobson’s department store chain in 2002 and twice floated mixed-use projects for the site that included housing Only two commercial buildings were ever constructed from a planned unit development approved in 2004 located on Wealthy Street SE flanking the Bagley Avenue terminus are today anchored by Bowdie’s Chophouse and Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen In June, Wierda and DeVries presented a third proposal to the planning commission to amend the PUD approved in 2004 into the current plan the planning commission held off on a vote on the concept plan requesting more information on the project’s potential effects on traffic Gaslight Investors hired Cascade Township-based civil engineering firm Fleis & VandenBrink to conduct a trip generation and parking analysis that determined projected weekday demand for parking within the development would be about 838 spaces and projected weekend demand would be 572 spaces The firm concluded the development would have adequate parking to meet demand the planning commission noticed Fleis & VandenBrink’s report made an error in the tally of proposed parking spaces in the development — 997 spaces instead of the proposed 583 — which means the development could have a projected deficit of about 255 spaces Corby responded that more detailed studies including an analysis of what actual parking demand would be at various times of day based on the mix of uses in the development would be conducted by Fleis & VandenBrink in the final site plan stage which is currently planned to be two stories could have levels added to it in the final site plan stage though he said they’d prefer not to go higher than three floors “We didn’t want (Fleis & VandenBrink) to focus on too much (detail) because we don’t know exactly the mix of uses and the sizes of (buildings) yet,” he said “ … I want to just assure you that we’ve done a lot of thinking We’re in the part of the process where all of that thinking isn’t yet resolved.” transportation practice leader with the city’s traffic consultant Plainfield Township-based Progressive Companies said in a report appended to Tuesday’s agenda that he believes Fleis & VandenBrink significantly underestimated the number of trips that would be generated by the development Mapes said it’s important to remember that this site has been underused for more than 20 years and so East Grand Rapids residents have gotten used to less traffic less traffic than we would have if Ramona Park was here or Jacobson’s for all those years,” she said “… It became the new normal for people here without (them) realizing it.” Zull concurred at the meeting that the development undeniably will increase traffic in downtown “We definitely have arrived at a new normal,” he said It is inevitable that is what is going to happen We just need to make sure that we’re able to appropriately manage that traffic.” The East Grand Rapids City Commission expects to consider the concept plan in December or January Kalamazoo State Theatre to close this month as current owners seek venue’s ‘next stewards’ Local pickleball gym aims to fill industrial space in Grand Rapids with expansion Detroit firm eyes former UICA building for coworking space East Grand Rapids has created a brownfield authority that could provide tax incentives for a massive plan for housing downtown and other similar future projects The East Grand Rapids City Commission voted 6-1 on Monday to create the East Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority after hiring consultants in October to explore the possibility The mayor and city commission will now be tasked with appointing board members electing officers and establishing bylaws and policies for the authority Then the board can start considering developers’ applications for local and state incentives known as brownfield tax increment financing to support new development City Commissioner Bradley Hunter was the lone vote against establishing the authority, citing concerns that the body would prematurely support Gaslight Investors’ proposed 180-unit housing and commercial project downtown without first ensuring sufficient public benefit City Commissioner Abbie Groff-Blaszak also expressed unease that the city was moving to set up the authority before establishing specific goals for affordable housing Mayor Katie Favale said the brownfield authority simply gives the city another tool in its toolbox to incentivize development She said staff and elected officials will have the opportunity to establish policies for the authority that will govern the affordability levels the city wants to see in projects before awarding incentives we could have very little say in the ways in which our community properties are developed,” Favale said “I just think it’s reasonable to have all potential tools available for our community to use we’re simply deciding whether or not to put this tool in our toolbox.” City Manager Shea Charles previously said the city has been considering establishing a brownfield authority since the state expanded its brownfield law in July 2023 to include tax increment financing for housing He said it also was prompted in part by funding needs for Gaslight Investors’ project, which would rise at the mostly vacant 8.6-acre former Jacobson’s department store site along Wealthy Street and Lakeside Drive SE. The East Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved the concept plan for the project in November The city commission is expected to consider it sometime early this year Gaslight Investors developers Scott Wierda and Brian DeVries have said they hope to reserve up to 10% of the housing units in the project for people making 100% to 120% of area median income Hunter and several community members who spoke during Monday’s public hearing said they hope the city will either ask the developers to include more affordability before awarding brownfield incentives or negotiate a tax capture plan that is commensurate with the project’s 10% affordability who was one of the two consultants hired to help East Grand Rapids explore creating a brownfield authority said at Monday’s meeting that local brownfield authorities can choose to set specific policies around what affordability levels they will require in projects because of its extreme housing shortage for the tourism workforce Grand Traverse County’s brownfield authority decided it would only subsidize projects with rents targeting 100% or less of area median income East Grand Rapids City Commissioner Chris Wessely said it’s important to remember that the authority would review each developer’s brownfield plan application on its own merits and that no projects on the horizon are a shoe-in for incentives at this point He added that it behooves the city to take advantage of any strategy that could add attainable housing while drawing more diverse residents and more students to East Grand Rapids’ schools “I like the idea that you could almost use this as a bargaining chip with developers … and again just reiterating that we do have a high housing crisis and I think that these TIFs would be able to help move more people into our city,” he said noting adding residents would expand the tax base Tax increment financing is an instrument that allows local authorities to capture the difference between pre- and post-development property taxes to reimburse developers for eligible activities for a certain number of years provided a brownfield plan has been approved The law was originally designed as a remediation tool for contaminated blighted or obsolete industrial or commercial properties but was expanded to account for the housing shortage and the increased cost of construction Local brownfield authorities can create brownfield plans that contain either local or state property tax captures For a municipality that approves a brownfield plan local property tax revenues would stay the same during the TIF period and increase after the developer is fully reimbursed for eligible activities The state expanded the law to allow tax revenues captured through local brownfield redevelopment authorities to fund housing development activities provided a portion of the units are designated for households whose income is no more than 120% of their county’s area median income That’s about $80,600 to $96,720 for a two-person household in Kent County according to the latest guidelines from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development Though East Grand Rapids’ median income is roughly double the county’s any brownfield plans it approves would be based on the county’s AMI VanGessel steps down as longtime Rockford Construction CEO amid succession plan Blackford Capital sells health care equipment company to Chicago PE firm Southwest Michigan entrepreneur sees state as ‘incubation ground’ for startups Your Dream is Our Dream: Katherine Wendling East Grand Rapids — Theater is everything for Katherine Wendling an East Grand Rapids Middle School seventh-grader Her interest in acting was ignited during her time at Wealthy Elementary taking on roles in productions led by the school’s musical director Katherine is now spending her afternoons back at Wealthy volunteering to assist Siegel with the upcoming production of “Finding Nemo Jr.”  Katherine was at the front of a chorus of kindergartners and first-graders coaching them through musical numbers with animated hand gestures fun dance moves and words of gentle encouragement for the more shy students in the group “You’ve gotta keep smiling,” Katherine reminded them “Your parents are going to be taking pictures.” Katherine loves helping out with Siegel’s productions because she found a calling and a purpose through her involvement in theater and she wants to make sure younger students have the same opportunities she did “I think it’s just so important for younger kids to keep getting involved with (theater),” Katherine said with scores of young thespians filling the auditorium to run through songs Katherine spoke to SNN about her love of theater and where she hopes it will take her in the future “I would really like to be on Broadway at some point One of the biggest lessons she’s learned is: “Even when it gets hard “There’s always going to be ups and downs in theater,” she said but there’s also good moments if you keep pushing through it.” and I think younger kids will really like it too “The first time I was really involved in theater was my fourth-grade musical We did ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ and I was the Scarecrow I really learned to love it because I loved the classmates and I just loved the opportunities I could have.” How are school and your teachers helping you achieve your dream “They’ve really just helped me discover it and they’ve given me opportunities to do that and explore that passion.” Others in her life have also been encouraging and supportive of Katherine’s passion: “My mom absolutely helps me so much my dad and my younger sister — they all come and support me through every show.” She commended the seventh-grader’s acting chops as well as her patience and knack for interacting with younger students Performances of “Finding Nemo Jr.” are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m Read more from East Grand Rapids: • Budding birder brings energy, passion to job tending school’s bird feeders• Democracy in action: Leading Lions tackle Lakeside’s big questions This series brings you conversations with students from all levels of education about their dreams and the educators who ignite and inspire them. You can also listen to students talk about their dreams via the Your Dream is Our Dream podcast School News Network reports on the 20 public school districts in Kent ISD Founded in 2013 as an initiative of Kent ISD we are supported by local districts and community sponsors and powered by an experienced team of reporters We specialize in covering classroom teaching and learning analyzing the many issues facing students and highlighting the education magic that happens each day in our public schools Contact us: snn@kentisd.org © Kent ISD | 2930 Knapp NE | Grand Rapids MI 49525 Privacy Policy East Grand Rapids city officials are taking steps to create a brownfield authority to provide tax incentives for a massive plan for housing downtown and for other similar projects in the future The East Grand Rapids City Commission on Oct 21 voted to spend about $15,000 to hire Varnum LLP attorney Fred Schubkegel and Fishbeck consultant Susan Wenzlick to assist with the “potential establishment” of a city brownfield redevelopment authority The authority would consider awarding local and state incentives known as brownfield tax increment financing to eligible housing projects City Manager Shea Charles said the city has been considering the move since the state expanded its brownfield law last year to include tax increment financing for housing “Affordable housing has been a priority within the city commission’s goals and objectives for the last few years so when the tool became available in summer of 2023 it was something that we started looking at at a staff level going He said it also was prompted by funding needs for Gaslight Investors’ proposed 180 units of mixed-income housing and commercial space The developers’ project would rise at the mostly vacant 8.6-acre former Jacobson’s department store site along Wealthy Street and Lakeside Drive SE Charles said that because of the city’s socioeconomic status with household incomes at roughly double the county’s area median income East Grand Rapids is generally ineligible for other state and federal grants or funding opportunities “This is really the first tool we’ve seen in a number of years that the city could even consider looking at potentially utilizing for a project of this type,” he said Gaslight Investors developers Scott Wierda and Brian DeVries have previously said they hope to reserve up to 10% of the housing units in the project for people making 100% to 120% of area median income The East Grand Rapids Planning Commission has said it will wait to vote on the plan until the developers complete parking and traffic studies Charles said during last week’s city commission meeting that creating a brownfield authority would ensure “local flexibility” to address the city’s specific needs — housing or otherwise — as it evaluates potential projects moving forward “While we’re looking at this from a housing lens at this point having a BRA just as a tool in your back pocket … (is) a very effective tool for helping bring projects to fruition if it’s deemed appropriate by the community,” he said City Commissioner Chris Wessely said during the meeting that he supports setting up a brownfield authority “I don’t really see any justifiable reason why our city wouldn’t want to create a BRA “East (Grand Rapids) is a great place where we want to raise families and we need more kids in our school district Tax increment financing is a tool that allows local authorities to capture the difference between pre- and post-development property taxes to reimburse developers for eligible activities for a certain number of years A plan containing a state TIF component would require approval by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Michigan Economic Development Corp provided a portion of the units are designated for households whose income is no more than 120% of the area median income During a presentation to the city commission Fishbeck’s Wenzlick noted that a newly built home in Kent County costs about $350 per square foot as of 2022 per data from Ada-based Christin Homes and Grandville-based Snowden Builders The price tag for new homes has only risen since then Wenzlick told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Monday that cities can choose to work with their county’s brownfield authority or establish their own but the latter is often more advantageous if the city has numerous or complex projects in the pipeline “East Grand Rapids doesn’t have a lot of developable property but for a project as big as what they have (proposed) … I would rather see the control kept in East Grand Rapids so that they have a say over all the different phases of that project,” Wenzlick said “They would still have a say in it if it was going through the county brownfield authority Charles said he doesn’t envision the brownfield authority would be used a lot outside Wierda and DeVries’ project but could be helpful again in the future if properties in Gaslight Village — like the D&W grocery store — ever come up for redevelopment Varnum’s Schubkegel and Wenzlick will work with city staff to help establish a board bylaws and policies for the brownfield authority if the city commission votes to establish it She said the brownfield authority could be up and running within about three months Mitch Lyons Wealth inks NIL deal with Ferris State women’s basketball team Spring Lake concert, event venue comes off the market as owner expands concept Federal judge orders Trinity Health to recognize union at Grand Haven hospital — A former Kent County sheriff’s deputy is facing criminal charges after being accused of exposing himself to a woman on a walking trail Former Deputy Troy White was arraigned on two misdemeanor counts Monday afternoon: providing false information to an officer and indecent exposure The charges stem from an incident on the afternoon of Oct when White allegedly exposed himself to a woman on a walking trail around Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids The woman told investigators she was walking on the trail across from Waterfront Park near a dog waste trash bin when she encountered White She claimed he was walking from the opposite direction While she said White never said anything to her as they crossed paths she said she was “100% sure” he was exposing himself officers arriving on scene saw a man matching White’s description walk into a nearby wooded area They later saw him exit the woods near the corner of Lakeside Drive and Reeds Lake Boulevard Investigators say that White initially claimed to officers on scene that his name was Dennis Williams and that he did not have identification on him after allegedly being positively identified by the victim he provided his correct name and information A search of his person allegedly revealed a switchblade and a loaded 9 mm handgun White was placed on administrative leave with the sheriff’s office on Oct 21 while they began an internal investigation into his alleged actions Prior to the conclusion of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office investigation White decided to resign from the department on Oct White was transported to the Kent County Jail for processing lodged on charges of obstructing police and indecent exposure he faces just over a year in jail and fines White is prohibited from being around any sort of trails or walking paths He is also required to surrender any firearms or ammunition that may be inside his home White will remain out on bond for the time being The Kent County Sheriff's Office released a statement Monday expressing disappointment and concern over the allegations: Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids students play pond hockey on a makeshift rink on Tuesday The group started work on the rink early that morning to capitalize on a snow-day cancellation “Just four of us shoveled it out,” said Brogan Bernard “We made a homemade Zamboni—more [classmates] came and we built the walls Right before dark we bought lights from the hardware store wired those up and started playing,” he said Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids student Luke VanGessel (right) blows steam at Sean Washington during a pond hockey night with their fellow upperclassmen on Tuesday 2025 at a makeshift rink on Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids students—including Patrick O’Malley (center-left) and Myles Gabridge (center-right)—play pond hockey on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids student Brogan Bernard fiddles with an electric light on a makeshift pond hockey rink he built with some fellow upperclassmen on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids student Will Cannon (center) celebrates a goal with teammate Will Backus (center-right) during a pond hockey match with their fellow upperclassmen on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids student Patrick O’Malley takes a breather by the fire during a pond hockey match with a group of his fellow upperclassmen on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey night on Reeds LakeAn East Grand Rapids student heats up his boots over the fire during a pond hockey match with a group of his fellow upperclassmen on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids student Luke VanGessel celebrates a goal during a pond hockey match with a group of his fellow upperclassmen on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeTwo East Grand Rapids students collapse into the snow after one took a puck to the forehead during a pond hockey match with a group of their fellow upperclassmen on a makeshift rink on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeWill Zyskowski shows off a goose egg after taking a puck to the face during a pond hockey match with a group of his fellow East Grand Rapids seniors on a makeshift rink on Tuesday Trickett-WileEast Grand Rapids pond hockey on Reeds LakeEast Grand Rapids student Bennett Winkel (right) warms up over the fire alongside John Poortenga (center) and Sean Washington during a pond hockey match with a group of fellow upperclassmen on Tuesday — East Grand Rapids has become a household name when it comes to high school hockey The Pioneers have played in the D3 state title game for the past two years their head coach’s health took a rapid decline After a double lung transplant in December Chris Newton has already made his return to the bench “In the spring I was coaching a little bit but it became hard to stand behind the bench for two hours and move around the rink,” said Chris Chris has lived with Cystic Fibrosis all his life It’s a genetic disorder that causes mucus to build up in your lungs making it difficult to breathe and can lead to other health complications After being on the transplant list for just 14 days back in December “I looked at the number and I was like ‘no way’ But this wasn’t the first time Chris had ever gotten that kind of call He received his first lung transplant eight years ago in Metro Detroit while coaching along side his dad who together led Farmington High School to a state title in 2014 Chris and his wife Jessica dropped their two boys off at school and then went and broke the news to his team before headed to Corewell Hospital “He stood in front of them and it was the most confident I had ever seen him I’m going to go do this (surgery) it’s going to be good Grant is going to be in charge and I’ll be back And that kind of confidence transfers over to our kids,” said Grant “They’re smart enough to understand the situation and how serious it is but at the same time Chris had a successful double lung transplant for the second time in a decade on December 10th and just days before Christmas was able to be home to see his boys open their gifts I didn’t think he’d be able to (come back that quickly) I was looking back like ‘are you okay’,” said Bennett Winkel “Breathing wise I already tripled my lung capacity from where I started to where I am now He is still taking it easy being only seven weeks post op Chris wears a mask and avoids large crowds in hopes of not getting sick with his new lungs But he knew he couldn’t stay away from the bench A place where he feels the most comfortable You know this was a big motivator for me of why I keep going It’s to be with the team and coach and do these kinds of things And that’s a big driver for me,” said Chris Read more stories about Sports In Motion below: 1/69East Grand Rapids hosts South Christian in high school football 2024.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Charlie Nick | cnick@mlive.comGRAND RAPIDS MI -- The air was brisk as fans filled the stands at East Grand Rapids’ Memorial Field as the East Grand Rapids Pioneers faced the South Christian Sailors on Friday The Pioneers and the Sailors were neck and neck throughout the entire game but the Sailors pulled through at the end defeating the Pioneers MLive was there to document the action, both on and off of the field. Check out photos from the game in the gallery above. Click here for a direct link to the gallery. You must be a subscriber to view the photo gallery. Subscribers click the “Get photo” link to download high-resolution images right to their device for free as part of their subscription. To subscribe, click this link Spring Sports Stars: Who are the top juniors around Grand Rapids your votes.Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Patrick Nothaft | pnothaft@mlive.comGRAND RAPIDS MI - From future Division-I college athletes to state champions the Grand Rapids area is loaded with prep standouts during this spring high school sports season we’re highlighting some that have elevated their game to elite status as part of a multi-week project recognizing the area’s best athletes by graduating class then giving readers a chance to vote on the one they think stands out above the rest who are looking to take their performances to another level in the month of May Follow along as we look at 24 of the Grand Rapids area’s best spring sports athletes from the class of 2026 and we’ll publish the winner later in the week Voting has no bearing on postseason honors such as the all-conference or all-state teams May 5 with the area’s top freshman and sophomore spring sports athletes To nominate a standout spring sports athlete from the sophomore or freshman classes you can email Patrick Nothaft at pnothaft@mlive.com with that athlete’s stats and accomplishments If the poll does not appear at the bottom of the story, click here to view it Bracey has reached the podium at the track and field state finals three times highlighted by a sixth-place finish in last year’s 300-meter hurdles and she has also impressed on the national stage placing ninth in the 100 hurdles and eighth in the 400 hurdles at the 2023 New Balance Nationals her personal-best time of 14.71 seconds in the 100 hurdles ranks eighth in the state and her season-best time of 45.31 seconds in the 300 hurdles is seventh Bracey also leads off a 400 relay team that has posted the state’s fourth best time (48.33 seconds) with her only loss coming to Portage Central’s Margie Glynn in a three-set thriller Among Burns’ notable victories are a three-setter against Grand Haven’s Zoe Rant in which she came back after dropping the first set 0-6 plus wins over opponents from state-ranked Forest Hills Central An honorable mention all-state pick as a sophomore Cox has continued her impressive career this season by posting a 9-4 record at No All four of Cox’s losses have come to opponents at state-ranked teams Among her best wins are against Rockford’s Maya Clark Birmingham Seaholm’s Devin Rusk and East Grand Rapids’ Lucy Custer After starring at Hamilton during her freshman and sophomore seasons Davison transferred to Unity Christian ahead of her junior campaign and has bolstered an already potent batting order Davison is hitting .450 with five doubles and one home run while driving in 19 runs and scoring 13 more for the 11-2 Crusaders she’s splitting time at catcher with freshman Makenna Bareman and has thrown out 1 of 4 baserunners in 26 innings The star shortstop has been on fire during Byron Center’s 8-1 start that includes series sweeps over Zeeland West while the lone loss was in a doubleheader split with top-ranked Hudsonville while driving in 12 runs and scoring 11 more Duflo wrapped up his sophomore season with an eighth-place finish at the Division 1 state finals after shooting rounds of 77 and 72 and that helped earn him first team all-state honors from the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association he holds a scoring average of 39.6 strokes for nine-hole rounds and 81.0 per 18 holes for the Huskies who are currently ranked ninth in Division 1 Emeott placed fourth in the pole vault at New Balance Nationals by clearing 12 feet and he showed impressive growth throughout his sophomore season then matching that mark and winning a Division 1 state title two weeks later he has already cleared 15 feet three times and his knack for stepping up on the big stage makes him one of the favorites to take home another state title The Purdue Fort Wayne commit is putting together a strong year at the plate and in the pitcher’s circle despite facing a grueling early season schedule 1.567 WHIP and 43 strikeouts across 30 innings 13 RBIs and three runs scored for the 5-6 Red Hawks The versatile GVSU commit has played catcher and shortstop and has batted in a few different spots in the order this season while stealing 15 bases without getting caught she boasts a .953 fielding percentage for the 5-7 Wildcats The star shortstop and pitcher is enjoying another strong season for the 9-6 Vikings batting a team-high .524 with four doubles while driving in 17 runs and scoring 13 more He has also stolen 17 bases in 18 attempts and boasts a .971 fielding percentage with just one error and two doubles plays 0.659 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings The Michigan State commit enjoyed a breakout sophomore season which helped Hudsonville go 42-0 and win a Division 1 state championship and she has picked up right where she left off this spring Heffelbower is batting .514 with seven doubles and three home runs while scoring 18 runs and driving in 16 more from the No 2 spot in the batting order for the 9-2 Eagles Kotowski earned first team all-state honors in Division 3 last season after leading West Catholic to a third-place finish at the state finals where he placed 12th individually with rounds of 73 and 87 he’s averaging 37.7 strokes per nine-hole round and 76.0 per 18 for the Falcons Larva is coming off a sophomore season that saw her earn first team all-state honors in Division 1 as a midfielder while leading Rockford to a state runner-up finish A versatile player with an ability to make an impact all over the field 36 caused turnovers and 32 ground balls last year The Grand Valley State commit tied Wayland’s single-season home run record with 12 dingers last year and she’s off to another strong start this spring while driving in 29 runs and scoring 29 more for the 11-3 Wildcats She has also drawn five walks and struck out just twice in 53 plate appearances she boasts a 3.11 ERA and 1.400 WHIP with 51 strikeouts in 45 innings The junior midfielder and future WMU Bronco was part of a talented all-state trio of EGR juniors alongside twin sister Gracie Lynn and defender Caitlin Brown but those two players went down with injuries in the third game of the season and are expected to miss at least another week leading EGR to an undefeated 3-0-5 record in the Pioneers’ last eight games Mathis entered high school with sky-high expectations after winning a middle school national championship in the pole vault and she has largely lived up to the hype after finishing second at the Division 2 state finals her freshman and sophomore seasons and this could be the year she soars to the top of the podium as her season-best jump of 12 feet is currently No A third team all-state selection as a sophomore McCullough has been part of an impressive run for Northview girls lacrosse as the Wildcats have won 51 consecutive conference games dating back to the 2019 season the Grand Valley State commit has 80 goals 117 draw controls and 25 caused turnovers for the 10-2 Wildcats Olgilvie helped Forest Hills Northern win last year’s Division 2 state title by winning an individual crown at No with her losses coming to Portage Central’s Margie Glynn and Forest Hills Eastern’s Caroline Dempsey while her best wins are against Grosse Pointe South’s Olivia Kowal and Birmingham Seaholm’s Jada Josifovski Orme is coming off a first team all-state season after he led Calvin Christian to a state runner-up finish at the Division 4 finals by carding rounds of 87 and 75 which was good for seventh place individually he’s averaging 39.8 strokes per nine holes and 82.5 strokes per 18 for the Squires The younger brother of current Hillsdale College standout Jacob Pallo Cam has made a name for himself over the past two seasons and is playing a big role in Eastern’s 13-1 campaign that has the Hawks ranked No 2.38 ERA and 1.245 WHIP with 31 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings including an 11-strikeout one-hitter against Forest Hills Northern Michigan’s 2024 Junior Golfer of the Year is picking up where he left off last summer with a stellar spring season for the Eagles Reitsma is averaging 36.5 strokes in 10 nine-hole rounds and 75.3 strokes in his three 18-hole rounds He was a Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association Super Team selection last spring after placing fourth at the Division 2 state finals with rounds of 74 and 71 With six state titles and 10 championship game appearances EGR is one of the state’s powerhouse boys lacrosse programs and players like Starck are why the Pioneers have been able to sustain that level of success After earning first team all-state honors as a defender last year Starck is compiling another strong season that has seen him collect three goals while leading an 8-2 Pioneer team that is allowing 6.7 goals per game The only sophomore to earn a spot on last year’s Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association Dream Team Steen is one of the best defenders in the state and is looking for her third consecutive state title this season After tallying three goals and seven assists last season Steen already has three goals and three assists in addition to anchoring a Unity Christian defense that has allowed two goals in 12 games The speedy center fielder and leadoff hitter is batting .463 this season with a double while also drawing eight walks without a strikeout She has put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses by stealing 14 bases in 15 attempts and boasts a .885 fielding percentage with three outfield assists 1/5East Grand Rapids football 2024.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By By Steve Vedder | Special for MLive.comEAST GRAND RAPIDS MI – East Grand Rapids’ football team is all for taking another step forward the Pioneers could be one of the surprise teams of this season The Pioneers improved from three wins to four in 2022 then took three more steps forward in finishing 7-3 a year ago Fourth-year coach Josh Shattuck said the combination of 27 seniors on the roster help from an undefeated junior varsity team and the return of a half-dozen full-time or part-time starters makes another jump forward a good proposition but we need to win at the next level,” Shattuck said “I feel like we’re a confident team and taking a step forward from last year means there is an opportunity to make that step.” which offensively includes running back Will Cannon wide receivers Gavin Buck and Isaac Mulder quarterback Carson Thornton and linemen Zac Fouch The Pioneers lost some key players on offense but Thornton completed 64 percent of his passes for 970 yards Buck caught eight passes in just four games has run for more than 400 yards in his first two seasons He showed promise a year ago by averaging 6.7 yards per carry Linebacker Will Zyskowski averaged 5.7 tackles per game and five of the team’s top eight tacklers are back Senior interior lineman Matthew Rose is also back from a defense that allowed less than 12 points per game in 2023 Shattuck likes the balance and the team’s depth while the current seniors were a combined 14-2 as junior varsity players two years ago and with varsity last year Among the JV’s nine wins last year were three running clocks “Records on JV don’t necessarily mean that much The players are thinking along the same lines as their coach in that a couple steps forward is definitely possible “With the work we’ve put in and the chemistry we have We know we have to focus on what we need to do who steps into a full-time role at quarterback after splitting snaps last year with Scotty Millman said much of the cohesiveness revolves around those 27 seniors but I think the seniors and I have to take a larger leadership role,” he said Buck said chemistry and experience head the team’s strengths experience in the line and some good receivers,” he said “We’ve all been in the same system for years and now it’s time to go Follow along for more info on this year’s East Grand Rapids football team 2023 in review: The Pioneers’ seven wins were the most since 2019 and snapped back-to-back losing seasons EGR started the year with five straight victories but fell to eventual state champ Forest Hills Central The Pioneers were only able to split their last four games the fewest allowed since giving up 111 in 2017 EGR fell in the first round of the playoffs 2024 outlook: Gone are the team’s top two offensive players in running quarterback Scotty Millman and receiver Ian MacKeigan Returner Will Cannon has rushed for over 400 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons The Pioneers’ 2024 schedule is all over the road They open with longtime rival Lowell and play only three other teams that had winning records in 2023 though two of them (Catholic Central and Forest Hills Central) won state championships and are the final two games of the regular season If everything is clicking for the Pioneers there’s a good chance they’ll carry an undefeated league record into the OK Black finale against Catholic Central in Week 8 2024 schedule (conference games indicated by *) Greg Gilmore remembers growing up in East Grand Rapids visiting the Rose’s hamburger stand and marina in the 1960s when his father was hard at work trying to bring a Jacobson’s department store to town second-generation owner and CEO of the Grand Rapids-based Gilmore Collection restaurant group is watching plans roll back into motion that could inject new life into the site where Jacobson’s once stood Keep up with all things West Michigan business. Sign up for our free newsletters today who owns Rose’s Restaurant across the street overlooking Reeds Lake said he’s eager to see how the housing plan could unfold His elderly mother lives adjacent to the proposed site at Lakewood Hills Apartments where there’s “always a waiting list” to get in “More (housing) in East Grand Rapids would keep a lot of people from moving out of the community — empty-nesters and such — and I think it’d be great for the community to have more residential right in that area,” he said The developers, who have long worked together as Jade Pig Ventures, want to construct seven new buildings that would include 180 units of apartments and townhomes and a new parking garage to replace one already on site This proposal marks the third time the pair has devised housing plans for the site since acquiring it from the bankrupt Jacobson’s in 2002 Wierda and DeVries constructed a number of commercial buildings there between 2002 and 2005 as part of a larger plan But the original housing element — more than 100 condos across several tall buildings — was derailed in 2007 by the financial crisis and resulting Great Recession A later proposal for senior housing and a hotel was put on ice when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 The planning commission on Tuesday could vote on Gaslight Investors’ planned unit development amendment or table it for further discussion it basically enhances the community by increasing the walkability the business neighborhood and the residential neighborhood,” Gilmore said who also grew up in East Grand Rapids before leaving for college in 2001 came back to town in 2011 and purchased Big Bob’s Pizza which he continues to own and operate in Gaslight Village He said he believes “the timing is right” for a mixed-use multifamily development on the developers’ property While East Grand Rapids may be known as a community of single-family homes multi-unit buildings like one he owns on Lovette Avenue tend to fill up quickly “I would love to see more development go into the area and allow for more people to experience this community,” he said “I think it could continue to make Gaslight a destination for people.” Wierda and DeVries declined to comment for this story ahead of the July 9 planning commission meeting. But Wierda previously said he believes their proposal has “the critical mass” of retail and rental units that the city needs “I believe what we’ve proposed and what we’ve started working through can and will be transformational to Gaslight Village,” he said While the mostly vacant project site has sat neglected for years it also has a storied history of providing entertainment and retail a more than 20-acre amusement park established in the 1880s by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company the Jack Rabbit Derby wooden roller coaster and other rides The Ramona Theatre Pavilion on its grounds also drew touring vaudeville acts with performers including Buster Keaton according to historian Gail Snow in her 2013 book Ramona Park evolved out of East Grand Rapids’ status as a resort town according to East Grand Rapids History Room curator and longtime resident Mary Dersch out-of-town guests and Grand Rapids residents alike would hop on the Grand Rapids and Reeds Lake Railway that ended on the west shore of the lake and spend the day picnicking and Dersch said the proposed development site was at the center of the action John Gilmore was successful in convincing Jackson-based Jacobson’s executives to open a store in East Grand Rapids at 2255 Wealthy The store thrived in Gaslight Village for more than three decades The chain added a parking garage in 1991 that’s now the last vestige of the sprawling store complex Jacobson’s declared bankruptcy in January 2002 and Jade Pig bid $3.75 million to acquire the property at auction that September The developers earlier that year had also acquired the former Ramona Medical Center that was built next door at 515 Wealthy in 1960 Wierda and DeVries soon went to work devising plans for the former Jacobson’s they hoped to save the building by securing a retailer for some of the space and moving the East Grand Rapids public library off the lakefront and into the store’s core That pitch met stiff resistance from a local task force and the city determined it would cost too much to reconstruct the floors to support the weight of thousands of books The developers also were unable to secure retail tenants for the space so they demolished the 150,000-square-foot building in late 2003 the developers had devised the first of three successive mixed-use playbooks for the vacant Jacobson’s and Ramona Medical Center sites Their first iteration included 117 condos across six buildings — one of which was to be 12 stories — plus four commercial office and retail buildings fronting Wealthy Street that were built and are now managed by CWD Real Estate Investment Services dubbed “The Derby,” proved controversial when residents learned the tallest building was to be 150 feet high Residents complained it would block the lake views and too drastically change the character of the quaint Gaslight Village “It’s always been a small town with big politics,” Dersch said which local newspapers chronicled in great detail over the course of several years Jade Pig ultimately cut the tallest building height in half and the density to 107 units winning its planned unit development rezoning approval from the city But a group of outraged citizens under the moniker “Save East Grand Rapids” organized a referendum to overturn the rezoning The opposition was ultimately unsuccessful The late philanthropists and business leaders Peter Secchia and John Canepa backed a “Reignite Gaslight” advocacy push and voters ultimately upheld the rezoning on a vote of 2,605-2,055 Dersch recalls it as a time when “tempers flared,” and it “created a rift” in the community Jade Pig still planned to build the condos But their plans fizzled when the housing market crashed in 2007 they brought a new proposal to the city for 91 units of senior living The developers introduced that concept at the March 11 just days before COVID-19 hit Michigan and the state locked down The planning board didn’t meet again until November as the city dealt with the health crisis Wierda and DeVries had put their proposal on ice Meanwhile, the newest project design is emerging against the backdrop of a massive housing shortage in West Michigan, with the region projected to need an additional 35,000 units by 2027 to keep up with demand, according to a 2023 study by Housing Next Wierda and DeVries said in documents filed with the city last month that they believe the mix of 180 units of residential alongside commercial better meets the current market demand They hope to reserve about 10% of the housing units as attainable to those making 100% to 120% of the area median income Median household income in East Grand Rapids in 2022 was $160,417 Wierda said last month that he plans to move to East Grand Rapids in the fall and wants to see the younger generation be able to afford to live in the community “I don’t want to completely gentrify the area,” he said Miller-Davis construction firm CEO retiring after nearly 50-year career Up North condo owners accuse ski resort of rental property management fraud Uncommon Coffee Roasters opens new Saugatuck brunch concept the vibrant streets of Gaslight Village will come alive with the flavors Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the East Grand Rapids Library the event promises entertainment for all ages and live performances by the Jake and Jimmy Band at Regatta Plaza “This is a great event to connect with friends and neighbors before the start of the school year,” said Rob Lutz event organizer and owner of Big Bob’s Pizza sample delicious food Gaslight Village has to offer all while supporting the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital “We have something for everyone of all ages to enjoy – from food and shopping to artisan goods live entertainment and children’s activities.” This year’s Taste of East Grand Rapids brings together a vibrant mix of local restaurants all contributing to the rich tapestry of the community Food & DrinkIndulge in the diverse culinary offerings from some of Gaslight Village’s favorite spots Savor the mouthwatering creations from Agate & Herb and Bagel Kitchen or grab a slice from the beloved Big Bob’s Pizza or treat yourself to the upscale fare at Bowdie’s Chophouse Cool down with a sweet treat from Jersey Junction or Kilwins and don’t forget to try something refreshing from Kona Ice If you’re in the mood for a casual dining experience Olive’s Restaurant & Bar and Pera Pizzeria have you covered Shopping & ArtisansExplore unique handmade crafts and goods from local artisans keep an eye out for special sidewalk sales that make back-to-school shopping a breeze Services & CommunityLearn more about the valuable services offered by community-minded businesses and organizations Bovee Pilates and StretchLab provide wellness options for those looking to stay fit while The Dental House ensures your smile stays bright Rogan Financial Services and Greenbridge Realty offer expert advice in their respective fields and Fifth Third Bank is on hand to discuss financial solutions The East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation and the City of East Grand Rapids are both participating showcasing their ongoing contributions to the community The event is as much about giving back as it is about gathering Half of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital with the other half supporting the Gaslight Village Business Association with most items ranging from three to five tickets Tickets can be purchased at the event until 8 p.m From savory bites to unique shopping experiences, and from artisan goods to live entertainment, there’s something for everyone.For more details, including a full menu of offerings, visit gogaslight.com/tasteofeast for more than five years has transitioned to living full time in Florida and is selling his home on Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids five-bathroom home on 1.58 acres on the south shore of Reeds Lake on Oct a broker with Greenridge Realty of East Grand Rapids Pant was the first non-family CEO of Amway since its founding by Richard DeVos and Jay Van Andel in 1959 He led the company from January 2019 through September 2024 and was succeeded by longtime Amway executive Michael Nelson last month The company did not give a reason for Pant’s departure Pant’s exit came after consecutive years of declining sales for Amway The direct-selling giant recorded $7.7 billion in sales for 2023 a 5% decline from revenues of $8.1 billion in 2022 The company recorded $8.9 billion in revenue in 2021 down from Amway’s peak revenues of $11.8 billion in 2013 The Pants, who declined to be interviewed for this report, acquired the East Grand Rapids estate for $4 million from DP Fox Ventures President Diane Maher and her husband is currently the highest-priced residential offering in Kent County and would be the highest-dollar sale in Grashuis’ career so far Grashuis said the Pants’ former residence stands out for several reasons “The thing that makes the property special is both the size of the site its location on one of the most prestigious streets in East (Grand Rapids) then it expands down in the direction of the water with all this privacy manicured landscaping and this whole other area on the waterfront.” Situated on one of the wealthy suburb’s most exclusive streets the property features nearly 200 feet of road frontage a brick paver auto court and four-car attached garage as well as a sprawling manicured front lawn A tree-lined hill on the lake side of the house slopes down to the waterfront where the property boasts a second four-car garage a private boat ramp and dock on more than 100 feet of water frontage and a luxury beach house with a full kitchen “You have the additional four-car garage down at the water so it’s perfect for somebody that really likes to entertain,” Grashuis said it would be great for somebody that had a car collection.” The main house also includes an expansive multilevel back patio system with a hot tub the house offers “unparalleled views” of the lake from every room Maher and her husband renovated the house during their ownership tenure between 2012 and 2019 added onto the original footprint to enlarge the home The gourmet kitchen features professional-grade appliances The primary suite is located on the main floor and features a huge lakeside bedroom Upstairs are three more bedrooms and two baths plus an office that could be kept as-is or converted to a fifth bedroom Grashuis said he had done one showing as of Tuesday but does not yet have written offers in hand He said in a location where plenty of wealthy buyers are acquiring property to tear it down and start over “… People can simply move in and start enjoying it.”