GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids' west side could potentially be home to a proposed soccer stadium, though the exact location has not been made official yet.
The proposed location is on existing city-owned "Dash" parking lots, adjacent to the YMCA. The potential site is bound by Mt. Vernon to the east, Winter on the west, Blue Ridge to the north, and Lake Michigan to the south.
The project would cost roughly $408 million dollars, and is expected to bring roughly $408 million dollars to the Grand Rapids economy over the course of 30 years.
Parking has already been considered by Grand Action 2.0, the nonprofit helping facilitate the development. Grand Action 2.0 presented that there are more than 16,000 available parking spots within a 15-minute walk of the proposed stadium location to west side leaders on Friday.
785 parking spots would be removed to construct the stadium, which would seat more than 8,000 people.
The stadium has the potential to be used for multiple sports aside from soccer, including football and lacrosse, Grand Action 2.0 presented.
Soccer games would reportedly be held on Saturday nights, up to 16 in a year. Grand Action 2.0 says the project would bring professional soccer to Grand Rapids.
For the West Side Corridor Improvement Authority, this is big news for the business community.
“What we heard is a really exciting project for us on the west side. It’s going to be in all of our business district areas, and allow us to really bring in new people to the west side,” Westside Corridor Improvement Authority Chair Dave Shaffer said.
The project is still in its earliest phases, Grand Action 2.0 Executive Director Kara Wood said.
“We are in the due diligence process of this project, with this location. Part of that due diligence includes community engagement. So having conversations with the people who live and work in the area,” Wood said.
"I think if you look at what grand rapids has done best, with Van Andel Arena, and others, is it becomes a win-win scenario," Shaffer said.
The next step for Grand Action 2.0, after meeting with members of the community, is to submit a special land use permit to the Grand Rapids Planning Commission. The West Side Corridor Improvement Authority moved to express their support for the project to the Planning Commission.
