More than 4 things to know about the DeVos and Van Andel development project, since MLive is too cowardly to question the co-founding Amway families

Do you ever feel like you are stuck in some strange commercial news time-loop, where the local news media just repeats itself as a tactic to avoid having to question those who run Grand Rapids? It would appear that those who manage MLive are doing just that.

For the past few weeks, MLive has been running a story on the new DeVos/Van Andel proposed downtown development project. The story was first reported on September 21st, so GRIID provided a robust critique of the MLive coverage. A day later, MLive decided to sidestep doing real journalism and simply published a piece entitled, 5 things to know about the massive, skyline changing Grand Rapids riverfront project. I also provided a response to MLive’s recycled reporting.

Hoping that their readership has short term memory loss, MLive further milked this story, with their latest pulitzer prize reporting and catchy headline, 4 things to know as Grand Rapids weighs $544M incentive for massive skyline defining project.

True to its headline, this most recent mLive piece provides 4 subheadings – 1) What’s proposed?, 2) How does the Transformational Brownfield subsidy work? 3) Residents want a bigger affordable housing commitment, and 4) What’s next? In turn, I will provide some responses to each of the 4 MLive things to know.

What’s proposed? – MLive’s answer provides a summary version of their initial article from September 21st. There is a brief mention of the acreage involved in the DeVos/Van Andel development project, that there will be 2500 parking space – just enough for the apartment/condo dwellers and the businesses that will occupy the space – plus a repeat of the rental costs of the proposed apartments, which will be “priced at 150% of Kent County’s Area Median Income.” In other words, let’s make these apartments expensive. Well, not DeVos/Van Andel expensive, but high enough so that only people making six figure salaries and up can afford them. This might actually move Grand Rapids up the list of most competitive rental costs in the country, where they currently sit at #11. This also fits into the narrative that the GRPD have crafted, where the new downtown entertainment venues will result in adding more cops. I mean, we can’t allow unhoused people to ruin the activities and sense of entitlement of the bourgeois that will frequent the amphitheater and the soccer stadium, at least those that will being living right by these venues.

How does the Transformational Brownfield subsidy work? – Here, MLive does a reasonable job in explaining how the Transformational Brownfield subsidy actually works. Unfortunately, MLive then avoids questioning he claims of the DeVos/Van Andel proposal by failing to verify their claims. Here is what the article states: 

Project officials say the project isn’t feasible without the subsidy because high-rise towers are very expensive to build, and the amount a developer can charge for rent isn’t high enough to cover the cost of constructing the building. The site itself is also challenging and pricy to build on because of its proximity to the river and the condition of the soil, officials say.

Well, shit, if project officials say this is the case, then it must be true. I mean, the God-fearing DeVos and Van Andel families would not deceive the public to by using public subsidies now would they?

Residents want a bigger affordable housing commitment – This talking point from MLive is just ridiculous. MLive only cites one person from the group Together West Michigan, which hardly represents “residents.” The lone-person cited from Together West Michigan thinks that the DeVos/Van Andel development project could do more to support affordable housing. Unfortunately, they offer no suggestions to either expand the $8.5 million the DeVos/Van Andel project would contribute over a 20 year period to the City’s Affordable Housing Fund. $8.5 million over a 20 year period is $425,000 annual, which is chump change for these two billionaire families. 

As a counter proposal, I would say that it seems more than fair to suggest that the DeVos and Van Andel families could give $10 million each per year towards the City’s Affordable Housing Fund. This would result in $20 million a year over the next 20 years and the DeVos and Van Andel families could pay that amount through their tax-free havens they call foundations. In addition, the City could require that the DeVos/Van Andel development project make half of the one bedroom and two bedroom apartments truly affordable, charging $500 a month for a one bedroom and $800 for a two bedroom. This would be more than fair, considering there are currently thousands of renters that don’t make a living wage and many of them have to work two jobs or have two incomes just to survive. 

What’s next? – Here, the MLive reporter just says that the city’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority will discuss the proposed project on October 16th. Unfortunately, MLive fails to inform its readers that the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority meets at 8:30am, making it near impossible for working people/families to attend. I also noticed, that as of this posting, the City’s Meeting portal has yet to provide any information about that meeting on October 16 and will likely wait until a few days before to post anything. 

The City will then make the final decision on whether or not to approve the DeVos/Van Andel project, which in all honesty seems like a done deal. I mean, when was the last time that the City of Grand Rapids ever denied any proposal coming from the co-founding Amway families?