GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A new proposal for the former Charley’s Crab site may continue the redevelopment of downtown Grand Rapids with a “very significant” design set to redefine the skyline.
Progressive Companies, the architecture and design firm connected to the currently-under-construction Acrisure Amphitheater and planned soccer stadium in Grand Rapids, shared their proposal with FOX 17 on Friday.
Located between US-131 and the corner of Fulton Street and Market Avenue, the project would turn “six-plus acres of asphalt” into three high-rises — a hotel and condos, a residential building, and an office building, respectively.
“This would be a skyline-defining project,” said Brad Thomas, president and CEO of Progressive Companies.
The property currently holds a parking lot and the former Charley’s Crab site, a restaurant that closed in 2020.
“I think most people would agree, a surface parking lot and vacant land in the core of our downtown, on the river's edge, is probably not the best use,” Thomas said.
The hotel and residential towers would share a base, together offering 671 residential units and 130 hotel keys, in addition to 32,270 square feet of retail space beneath them.
Slightly downriver, the 420,000-square-foot office building — also built upon a podium — would provide 1,600 employees with full-time jobs and offer 21,000 square feet of retail space below.
The two bases would also offer up to 2,500 parking spaces.
In its proposal, Progressive Companies called the redevelopment “an extension of the Grand Vision for one of the largest active riverfront revitalization projects in the country.”
In addition, the architecture firm plans to extend the riverwalk along the bank of the Grand River, connect to the downtown skywalk and build a public promenade, further establishing the area of the city as a “sports and entertainment district.”
“Sort of the party after the party,” said Thomas, describing the planned restaurant and retail space as a place to visit after concerts and other downtown events.
A “very significant” proposal comes with an equally significant investment — an estimated $738,538,831.
“This site in particular was previously the part of the Grand River,” said Thomas, explaining how the site’s bedrock and soil — filled in for the sake of development more than a hundred years ago — led to the higher construction cost.
In order to afford a project of such scale, Progressive Companies plans to apply for funding through the state’s Transformational Brownfield Plan Incentive, specifically designed to support redevelopment of a very large size.
If approved, a significant portion of the cost will be funded by the incentive over the course of 20 years, allowing the redevelopment to proceed.
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the firm will present its proposal to the Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, beginning the process of approval. They also plan to meet with community members and groups through the fall.
Thomas says construction could begin in fall 2025 and conclude in fall 2028 or spring 2029.
