The Grand River restoration was always going to be about ways to make money and expand the wealth of those who control Grand Rapids

The Grand River is now in the process of getting rid of the damns that run through downtown Grand Rapids, plus there is increased funding for parks and trails adjacent to the river.

I fully support the Grand River restoration. What I don’t support is the push to utilize the river as a tool to make money. Despite my opposition, there is a new partnership between the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and Start Garden, an initiative called the Grand River Economic Opportunity Initiative.

According to a recent MLive article this initiative is designed to create an “on-ramp for local entrepreneurs” to create business opportunities along the Grand River. The MLive article the initiative, “aims to highlight opportunities ranging from construction and maintenance to retail, dining, outdoor recreation and hospitality services.”

In addition, the MLive article states, “the two-year program is being funded through $45,000 in philanthropic funds and $100,000 from the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority. The DDA is governed by its own board but is managed by DGRI.”

I have two basic responses to this news. First, why is it that those who control this city always want to figure out a way to make money, when in the case of the river restoration, the riverfront parks and the trails are the perfect opportunity for humans to simply commune with the natural world. Why can’t there be quieter spaces where all sorts of species can flourish and where human beings can enjoy some relaxing solitude and take in the sounds of the river and the songs of birds. Why can’t we have a minimalist human influence along the river, which could also be a fabulous space for ecological learning and reflection?

Those who control this city aren’t interested in having spaces that are increasingly necessary for humanity to try to leave behind the stress of the this world, the systemic violence and the constant pressures of always having to consume in the economic system of Capitalism.

The Grand River Economic Opportunity Initiative wants to see more construction along the river, more restaurants, bars and spaces for people to make money. Why have ecological harmony when we can find more ways to make a profit and create destinations for consumers and tourists to create memories from boat races and $25 cocktails. Hell, let’s find new opportunities for those with deep pockets to have another green space named after them because they threw some money at this initiative. This sentiment was best reflected in the minutes of a recent Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority meeting that said – “One central idea of the GR Forward plan, and the broader river revitalization movement, is that the Grand River is an underutilized economic asset.“

This brings me to my second response to the Grand River Economic Opportunity Initiative. This initiative has the DeVos family written all over it. This project involves the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI), Start Garden and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Start Garden was created by Rick DeVos and the other two entities – the DDA and DGRI have numerous DeVos operatives as board members.

Of course this all makes sense, since the DeVos families own most of the hotels downtown, has restaurants and owns most of the sports teams, which means they want to control as much of the commerce in the downtown area, along with dictating the social and cultural dynamics that will happen along the Grand River.

The level of influence that the DeVos family has in Grand Rapids is the very definition of an oligarchy, which represents a form of government or society where all political and economic power rests in the hands of a small, elite group, along with securing the approval of the rest of the population.