Grand Rapids OKs plan for parking ramp at amphitheater

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — As construction continues full speed ahead on the new amphitheater in Grand Rapids, project leaders have unveiled a plan for where people will be able to park.

The city is now planning on borrowing up to $30.5 million to build a multistory parking deck on site at 201 Market Ave. SE near US-131. The city commission approved a resolution Tuesday afternoon, signaling its intent to go forward with the proposal.

The old public works buildings at the site have been demolished. Foundation work is underway for the $184 million project dubbed the Acrisure Amphitheater.

In an interview Tuesday morning with News 8, Deputy City Manager Kate Berens said there was always a plan to provide parking on site. It was originally aimed to be a surface lot south of the amphitheater. Now they want to keep that space open for potential housing.

“There has always been some number of parking stalls anticipated,” Berens said. “This configuration makes it easier to come back later with housing.”

The amphitheater is expected to seat 12,000 people. The parking deck will only have 340 parking spots, mainly aimed at making the amphitheater accessible for all. The goal is to draw most people to and from downtown.

“We also want to maintain that idea of, ‘You’re coming downtown, you’re staying a little bit longer,'” Berens said. “We’d like to capture you in our downtown and ensure you visit some of our other opportunities as well. That’s why you don’t see 12,000 parking spots right there at that facility. We want to rely on everything that’s downtown and invite users in and make it a gracious place to walk to on a nice summer night.”

The amphitheater, along with a proposed soccer stadium , are part of the city’s goal of building attractions that encourage visitors to stay for a long period of time and support the local economy.

“Allow them to stay not just a day, maybe not even just a weekend, but start to get into that week,” Berens said. “Like, ‘There’s a performance coming here later in the week, so I want to stay a little bit longer.’ Those things allow us to present more and more possibilities. It also brings a higher quality of performance to us as well.”

The parking ramp would be built in a way that allows for more stories and spaces to be added, if a private developer agrees to build an apartment project south of the amphitheater. No developer has signed on yet.

In writing, the on-site parking will be paid for by revenue from the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, also known as CAA. But Berens said the money made from parking is estimated to cover all of the debt. She said the plan on paper is a contingency to ensure the city is protected in case the amphitheater isn’t successful.

“Our agreement with them will be less generic, so it’ll make sure we’re covered,” Berens said. “It’s any revenue they have will cover it. But their projections will show it will be adequate.”

CAA will publicly own, operate and maintain the amphitheater as well as the parking structure. The city is still working on a finalized agreement with CAA that will outline both group’s obligations for the parking structure plan.

In case the amphitheater and parking structure does not draw as much revenue as anticipated, city leaders are also working with a financial consultant to lay out various levels of protection that would be in place before the city or county would need to pay for the project.

“It’s certainly in everybody’s mind and recent history to think about the downtown, particularly in hotel-motel tax revenues , that kind of revenue we saw during the pandemic,” Berens said. “We certainly don’t successive pandemics … but it does give us a framework to think about as we’re layering in that waterfall.”

The final agreement between the parties will eventually be brought to the city commission for approval.

The amphitheater and its parking deck are expected to open for the 2026 summer concert season.

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