EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A planned West Michigan development could see some changes. The developer for the Gaslight Village project has proposed scaling it down.
Gaslight Village is a popular spot to enjoy a night out, and East Grand Rapids is looking to expand its footprint.
“The community has set forth in its master plan, various reiterations of the master plan, its desire to see that area redeveloped,” Shea Charles, East Grand Rapids city manager, said.
Back in November, the city unveiled plans for 55,000 square feet of commercial space, a handful of new buildings and 180 new housing units.
But now there's a proposal to shrink that footprint.
“Based on some economic factors that are going on right now and some of the input that we've received from the community, the developers took a step back and looked at the project and said, 'You know, are there opportunities to provide some revisions to it?'” Charles said.
Shea Charles lays out the new plan: 32,000 square feet of commercial space and the same number of buildings, but some are shorter.
“Any opportunity a city has to redevelop a project like that is exciting as far as how the community reacts, and that which city commission ultimately approves. That's something that will defer, honestly, defer to them,” he said.
Developing the charming upscale strip has been in the works for decades.
“In the early 2000s when Jacobson went out of business, the property was put up for auction,” Charles said.
The people behind the original plans haven't given up developing this property — despite multiple setbacks like the 2008 recession.
“Even if the city commission, in the near future, approves the concept plan, we're still several months away from seeing an actual site plan or final plans from Gaslight investors, which will require some additional vetting at that time,” Charles said.
East Grand Rapids officials are set to hear these proposed changes next Monday. The city manager tells me he isn't planning on a vote that night.
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