GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — There's lots of movement on Market Avenue SW, where construction is currently underway for the Acrisure Amphitheater.
There was also movement at the Kent County Commissioners meeting on Thursday. With a roll call vote, excise taxes for hotels in Kent County officially increased from 5% to 8%.
This comes after voters passed a ballot initiative in August.
“Certainly it’s an exciting day. We’re thankful to the voters of Kent County,” Kara Wood, executive director for Grand Action 2.0, the nonprofit behind the developments, said.
The money is earmarked to fund major projects in the city of Grand Rapids, which include an amphitheater and soccer stadium.
The amphitheater will seat 12,000 and is located at 201 Market Avenue.
“We’re in construction of the amphitheater currently, and site work is going well. We’re on sight to open in 2026,” Wood said.
At Thursday's meeting, smaller venues in Grand Rapids asked for a piece of the pie.
“The Four Star Theater can clearly become a sustainable economic driver for Burton Heights and Grand Rapids as a whole; however, this cannot happen without your help," a public commenter said.
Wood points out that both the amphitheater and soccer stadium would be owned and governed by a public body.
“Which is unique. They’re not private entities that are being funded by public dollars, that are voted millages. This work that we’re doing is for the public and for public venues that are owned and operated maintained by government entities,” Wood said.
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