Site work for a municipal facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Conceptual plans call for site work for a municipal facility.

Urban Greenway Development The City of Grand Rapids is seeking a qualified consultant team to develop a transformational and actionable vision for the development of greenways and adjacent neighborhoods and industrial corridors centered around two urban waterways in southeast Grand Rapids, Plaster Creek and Silver Creek. A growing coalition of community stakeholders have identified the opportunity to deliver on multiple community objectives through the development of a holistic plan of action for the Plaster Creek and Silver Creek corridor as a transformational revitalization opportunity for southeast Grand Rapids. The community aims to create an urban greenway development project that will improve economic, social, and environmental outcomes following the best practices of the Atlanta Beltline, the Joe Louis Greenway and other similar projects around the United States, while also creating innovative solutions to ensure those who reside in the Boston Square, Madison Square, Burton Heights, and Roosevelt Park neighborhoods receive the majority of the benefit. While a non-motorized trail is a significant component of the project as a unifying asset connecting several neighborhoods, this vision is much more than just a trail. Following a trail-oriented development model, the corridor will address legacy inequities in southeast Grand Rapids by making connections to green spaces offering natural areas for community gathering and outdoor recreation; connections to commercial and housing developments that prioritize local ownership, wealth building, and economic advancement; identify areas to change land use and zoning to complement the trail and environmental restoration and resiliency. The development of a holistic plan of action for the Plaster Creek and Silver Creek corridor will include multidisciplinary planning around existing and future trails and adjacent communities. While Plaster Creek Trail is a well-established community idea that needs a plan of action for implementation, Silver Creek Trail is a fairly new concept that needs significant study around routing feasibility, alignment with other community goals/plans/projects, and deeper community conversation before being positioned to a point of action. The Plaster Creek Trail project will focus on improvements to the existing trail, developing trail design guidelines and filling gaps in the trail system. The Silver Creek Corridor project will center on creating a conceptual framework for an urban greenway development project that will improve economic, social and environmental outcomes for the community.