Forward Progress: Nurturing Our Destination Assets

In 2016, at the urging of Experience Grand Rapids and Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc., CSL International was engaged to conduct a city-wide Grand Rapids Destination Asset Study. The study was commissioned by Grand Action, a local not-for-profit economic development organization that was instrumental in shepherding a number of the city’s highest-profile infrastructure projects.  

The study’s findings were released in December of that year and included recommendations for infrastructure investments that could elevate Grand Rapids and Kent County to the ranks of top-tier visitor destinations. Proposed investments included:

• Leveraging the Grand River experience as a focal point for visitors
• Showcasing the area’s outdoor and adventure opportunities
• Expanding downtown transportation for visitors
• Prioritizing destination awareness, inclusion and diversity
• Attracting professional sports
• Enhancing amateur sports offerings
• Expanding convention center and hotel opportunities

Nearly 10 years later, we’re pleased to report that significant progress has been made on most every front. Here is a brief update on each proposal:

Leveraging the Grand River

A river restoration project led by Grand Rapids WhiteWater was already in the planning stage at the time of the study, with a goal to restore the city’s namesake rapids in downtown’s Grand River, expand recreation opportunities, improve water quality and act as a catalyst for future development.

After several bumps in the road, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy approved a final plan for the restoration, and the City of Grand Rapids has issued a call for construction bids. The project, which will be completed in two phases, could begin as early as summer 2025.

Other Grand River enhancements are already well underway. Lyon Square, a public gathering place between downtown’s DeVos Place Convention Center and the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, has been rebuilt to include thoughtfully planned pathways ensuring that all visitors can enjoy river views.

An ongoing $55 million project is modernizing and extending trails along the river, from downtown to adjacent cities and counties. The riverfront Grand Rapids Public Museum is in the midst of a $50 million expansion that includes an outdoor universal classroom, ramps and stairs to provide better access to the river, and accessible trail connections along the river banks.

The Acrisure Amphitheater is currently under construction on the east bank of the Grand River at the southern edge of downtown. The 12,000-seat outdoor amphitheater is being built on 31 acres that will also incorporate a mixed-use development with housing, recreation, trailways and retailers. The $184 million venue is projected to open in 2026.

Showcasing Outdoor and Adventure Opportunities

The Destination Asset Study recommended establishing a first-class interconnected trail system and developing unified marketing and mapping for outdoor adventures. In 2023, Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. catalyzed the project with a $45 million investment, and it has partnered with the State, Kent County and local governments to build trail connections for the Grand River Greenway, which contains 9,000 acres of public land between Grand Rapids and the Lake Michigan community of Grand Haven. The main feature of the Greenway will be a 36-mile trail following the Grand River from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven. The trail will also extend to Lowell, about 20 east of downtown GR. The Greenway can be explored on foot, by bike or by kayak.

In a separate but related development, the Lower Grand River – a 96-mile stretch that passes through downtown Grand Rapids on its way from Portland to Grand Haven and features 35 public access points along the way – was designated a State Water Trail in 2024. Administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the program recognizes navigable waterways that are designed and managed to create a positive outdoor experience for users.

Experience Grand Rapids has made outdoor recreation a greater focus of its marketing efforts in the past few years, emphasizing the proximity of the city’s outdoor assets to the big-city excitement of downtown. Visitors can hike, bike, paddle, fish and golf as close as five minutes from the city center, a benefit few other destinations can match. Outdoor recreation opportunities are prominently featured on the Experience Grand Rapids website and highlighted in marketing materials. In 2024, Grand Rapids was named America’s #3 Most Outdoor-Friendly City by Cairn Consulting Group.

Downtown Transportation for Visitors

The Destination Asset Study proposed changes to the Downtown Area Shuttle – nicknamed the DASH – which was established long ago to offer free transportation around the downtown area. Since the study, routes and hours for these bright pink buses have been adjusted several times in search of an optimum solution for visitors, residents and downtown workers alike. (The COVID pandemic wreaked temporary havoc on the DASH schedule, just as it impacted most other projects on this list.)

DASH routes were refined and extended to seven days a week in 2024, and later operating hours were instituted, resulting in a 105% increase in year-over-year ridership (January 2024 to January 2025).

A few years back, the city also began offering micro-transit options for shorter trips and off-hours travel. San Francisco based micromobility company Lime maintains a fleet of e-scooters and e-bikes that local residents and visitors can rent. Grand Rapids boasts the lowest rental rates of any Lime city in North America.

Prioritizing Destination Awareness, Inclusion and Diversity

Experience Grand Rapids continues to reach out to diverse audiences, raising awareness of the region as a welcoming and inclusive destination for all. For example, we collaborated with Grand Valley State University and Grand Rapids Public Schools to establish the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Ottawa Hills High School, where more than 90% of students are from minority groups. The Academy prepares students for careers in the local industry, fueling a pipeline of future talent for local employers and ensuring that visitors to the region will see people that look like them in hotels, restaurants, attractions and other tourist-facing businesses.

We are now looking to give other schools and students access to Academy offerings. This support for recruiting and training a more diverse hospitality workforce addresses a specific proposal of the Destination Asset Study. 

In 2024, Experience Grand Rapids launched an effort encouraging local residents of all ages, shape, sizes, races, ethnicities, abilities, genders, cultures and sexual orientations to join our Model Team. We feature different models in print and video marketing materials to connect with the widest possible pool of potential visitors.

Accessibility is a major focus for us in 2025. We are educating local tourism stakeholders in the best practices to improve accessibility, teaming with Disability Advocates of Kent County to evaluate accessibility features at our 350+ local partners, and working with online travel booking platform Wheel the World to showcase our accessible travel experiences and ease planning.

Attracting Professional Sports

The Destination Asset Study specifically mentioned professional soccer as an asset to be pursued. This year, construction will start on an 8,500-seat downtown soccer stadium that will serve as the home of an MLS Next Pro League soccer team. Amway Stadium is set to host its first game in 2027.

In 2024, Grand Rapids welcomed the Grand Rapids Rise, the city’s first major league women’s sports team. Competing in the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Rise plays in downtown’s Van Andel Arena – also the home site of the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team and Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team. The West Michigan Whitecaps, a Detroit Tigers affiliate, play in a newly renovated stadium 10 minutes north of downtown.

The city is also looking forward to professional arena football, as the new National Gridiron League has announced that the Grand Rapids Rampage will take the field in 2026.

Enhancing Amateur Sports Offerings

Our sister organization, The West Michigan Sports Commission, broke ground in late 2024 on a $13.5 million project to expand an existing sports complex with new softball and baseball fields, 20 pickleball courts, a new concession building, restroom facilities, expanded parking and more.

Since opening in 2014, the Meijer Sports Complex has hosted hundreds of traveling baseball and softball tournaments. With the new enhancements, the Complex will be able to accommodate an additional 200 teams annually, and is expected to generate $1 million in new spending each year. The project should be completed later this year.

Expanding Convention Center and Hotel Opportunities

High-level discussions continue on expanding the city’s DeVos Place Convention Center, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2025, and building a convention hotel.

In 2024, a consultant hired by the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA) recommended building a 475-room hotel and additional meeting space atop the convention center. DeVos Place is turning away a lot of business due to lack of space, the consultant concluded, and an expansion would significantly improve its competitive standing. The CAA has said that due diligence and further discussion is needed before any decisions are made.

In the meantime, convention visitors and tourists can check in to 13 downtown hotels, six more than we had in 2016, when the Destination Asset Study was released. There are now 2,500+ hotel rooms within a 10-minute walk of DeVos Place.

Grand Rapids is also nurturing other destination assets beyond those highlighted in the 2016 study, including an ongoing $600 million expansion of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. The city has come a long way in the last decade, and the best is yet to come.