GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The former Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts building at 2 West Fulton St. has sat vacant in downtown Grand Rapids for the past five years. That, however, is set to change as Detroit-based company Bamboo will be moving into the space this year.
Richard App, retail retention attraction specialist with Downtown Grand Rapids Incorporated, said Bamboo is the third Detroit-founded business that's decided to call Grand Rapids home within the last year. The company offers collaborative work spaces for co-working.
"They do a lot of things in the tech and creative industries, and that's a great space to be in, because as you know, Grand Rapids has really invested a lot into bringing in tech into Grand Rapids," App said.
With four floors, App said the first couple of floors of the building will be reserved for office space.
"On the lower level, there is a movie theater, which they're looking to activate, possibly doing independent film, working with maybe some of the local colleges," said App. "And then on the top floor, it will be a a venue for special events, which we do a lot of and it'll be exciting."
He said it'll bring new life to the area.
"A business like that coming to Grand Rapids is going to bring a lot of bodies into our downtown," App said. "That means that I've got more people coming to my restaurants and more people checking out my retail stores."
App said Bamboo's closing date on the building will be in mid to late April.
"Grand Rapids is really on the map for when you want to expand. We have the kind of economy that you want to be in," added App.
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