The Grand Rapids City Commission approved selling riverfront property that will eventually become an outdoor concert venue downtown.

The Convention Arena Authority Bought The Land From The City

The City Commission approved the sale of 11.6 riverfront property to the Kent County Convention and Arena Authority, who want to build a 12,000 seat outdoor amphitheater along Market Street just south of the US 131 S-curve.

The $24.3-million sale means that the CAA can move forward on their plans to build the concert venue, a key piece of of an eventual riverfront redevelopment that will eventually include housing and recreational areas.

The sale was approved during Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting, and then officially voted on at Tuesday night's meeting.

The Plan Is To Get Construction Going On The Amphitheater Soon

According to CAA's timetable, they would love to have a groundbreaking on the Amphitheater in the next year, and have it completed by 2025.

Richard MacKeigan, the executive director for the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention/Arena Authority told FOX 17 News, “It’s another step that’s great, wonderful, progressive, moving forward, but a lot of steps still to go.”

The idea is to transform the semi-industrial area on Market Street dramatically.

“It truly will be, with the restoration of the river, something that will be probably more than once in a generation. This is going to be something that will be transformative for the entire region for, I would say, the next 50–75 years.”

The Project Will Eventually Result In Jobs And Housing

According to our news partner, FOX 17's Max Goldwasser:

CAA is hoping to redevelop 31 acres of land along the river downtown. It would reportedly be the largest riverfront site in the county, including 1,500–1,700 new affordable housing units and 10 acres of new recreation space, bringing 725 new jobs to the area.

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