GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — From the concrete grew a garden painted green with rows of raised wooden beds sprouting from the former parking lot.
On Saturday, the Downtown Community Garden opened at Las Canchas in downtown Grand Rapids, turning underused parking space on Seward Avenue into green space.
"Plant what they want, take what they want," said Bill Kirk, communications director for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI), describing the garden's agricultural audience. "The goal is for it to be downtown residents, but the garden as a space is open to anyone.”
The downtown site holds 55 beds (all already claimed by neighbors), a shed for gardening tools (all to be shared), and a full irrigation system.
"Our job is to try to make downtown as vibrant and welcoming as possible," Kirk said. "One of the ways to do that is to build spaces like this."
For the past several months, DGRI has planned the garden, which cost around $90,000 to create. The nonprofit painted its concrete base a light-colored green to help with the heat and assembled the planters together with the community, stashing a variety of fruits, flowers and vegetables in them.
These greens will be supported by composting services from Wormies Vermicompost while local group Jade Rabbit will lead educational programming. In addition, JustAir Solutions will monitor the air quality at the garden, and John Ball Zoo has worked with DGRI to plant nearby native gardens.
"Make it more people centered and people focused," said Kirk about the urban property.
In a section of the city further removed from grocery stores, the garden aims to offer accessible, affordable food.
On the Calendar at the Community Garden
June 9: Garden Party (12–2 p.m.)
June 12: Garden Party (4:30–6:30 p.m.)
June 13: Garden Health Workshop on Water, Weed and Pest Management (6–8 p.m.)
June 18: Garden Party (5–7 p.m.)
June 19: Juneteenth and Pickling Workshop (9:30–11 a.m.)
June 28: Garden Party (10 a.m.–12 p.m.)
