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Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800. The Grand Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population of 774,084[1], with a Combined Statistical Area (CombdSA/CSA) of 1,320,487[2]. It is the county seat of Kent County, Michigan6. It is the second largest city in the state (following Detroit) and is the principal city in the region of West Michigan.
HistoryImage:Pearlst.jpg Pearl Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan, c. 1885 Over 2,000 years ago, people associated with the Hopewell culture occupied the Grand River Valley. Around 1700 A.D., the Ottawa Indians moved into the area and founded several villages along the Grand River.
In 1826 Detroit-born Louis Campau, the official founder of Grand Rapids, built his cabin, trading post, and blackmith shop on the east bank of the Grand River near the rapids. Campau returned to Detroit and came back a year later with his wife and $5,000 of trade goods to trade with the native tribes. In 1831 the federal survey of the Northwest Territory reached the Grand River and set the boundaries for Kent County, named after prominent New York jurist James Kent. Campau became perhaps the most important settler when, in 1831, he bought 72 acres (291,000 m²) of what is now the entire downtown business district of Grand Rapids from the federal government for $90 and named his tract Grand Rapids. Rival Lucius Lyon, who purchased the rest of the prime land, called his the Village of Kent. Yankee immigrants and others began immigrating from New York and New England in the 1830s.
In 1836 John Ball, representing a group of New York land speculators, bypassed Detroit for a better deal in Grand Rapids. Ball declared the Grand River valley "the promised land, or at least the most promising one for my operations." By 1838 the settlement had incorporated as a village encompassing an area of approximately three-quarters of a mile (1 km) . The first formal census occurred in 1845 which announced a population of 1,510 and recorded an area of four square miles. The city of Grand Rapids was officially created on May 1 1850, when the village of Grand Rapids voted to accept the proposed city charter. The population at the time was 2,686. By 1857, the city of Grand Rapids' boundary totaled 10.5 square miles (27 km²). Furniture City
The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad began passenger and freight service to Cedar Springs, Michigan on December 25 1867. This railroad expanded service from Grand Rapids to Muskegon, northern Michigan and into Indiana and Ohio over the next few decades. In 1880, the country's first hydro-electric generator was put to use on the city's west side[3]. With the new century, the people of Grand Rapids numbered 82,565. In 1916 the citizens of Grand Rapids voted to adopt a home rule charter that abolished the old aldermanic systems and replaced it with a commission-manager form of government, one of the first in the country. That 1916 Charter, although amended several times, is still in effect. Grand Rapids was a home to the first regularly scheduled passenger airline in the United States when Stout Air Services began flights from Grand Rapids to "|Detroit" (actually Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan) on July 31 1926. In 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water. Downtown Grand Rapids used to host four department stores: Herpolsheimer's (later Lazarus), Jacobson's, Steketee's (founded in 1862), and Wurzburg's. Like most downtown regional department stores, they suffered the same fate of falling sales, caused largely by the flight to the suburbs, and consolidation in the 1980s and 1990s. Geography and climateGrand Rapids sits on the banks of the Grand River, where there was once a set of rapids, at an altitude of 610 feet above sea level. It is approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of Lake Michigan. The state capital of Lansing lies about 60 miles (100 km) to the east-by-southeast, and Kalamazoo is about 50 miles (80 km) to the south. Much like Washington, D.C., Grand Rapids is divided into four quadrants which form a part of mailing addresses in the city. The quadrants are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). Fulton Street serves as the north-south dividing line, while Division Avenue serve as the east-west dividing line separating these quadrants. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 45.3 mi² (117.4 km²). 44.6 mi² (115.6 km²) of it is land and 0.7 mi² (1.8 km², 1.50%) of it is water (primarily the Grand River).
DemographicsAs of the census of 2000[4], there were 210,800 people, 73,217 households, and 44,369 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,431.2/mi² (1,710.8/km²). There were 77,960 housing units at an average density of 1,746.5/mi² (674.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.30% White American (62.5% non-Hispanic White), 20.41% African American, 0.74% Native American, 1.62% Asian American, 0.12% Pacific Islander American, 6.63% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 13.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city had a foreign-born population of 10.5%. There were 73,217 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.24. In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,224, and the median income for a family was $44,224. Males had a median income of $33,050 versus $26,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,661. 15.7% of the population and 11.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.4% are under the age of 18 and 10.4% are 65 or older. Government and politicsImage:GR Library.jpg The Main Branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library Lke the surrounding counties, Grand Rapids has traditionally been a stronghold for the Republican Party, giving clear majorities to its candidates for most county, state, and federal legislative seats. The city is the center of the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Republican Vern Ehlers. Former President Gerald Ford represented the district from 1949 to 1974. Ford died on December 26, 2006 at his home in Palm Springs, California, and was buried on the grounds of his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids on January 3, 2007. Grand Rapids (including the suburbs of Ada and East Grand Rapids) also serves as the home business base of one of the largest past political funders of the national Republican Party, Richard and Helen De Vos, and former Ambassador to Italy, Peter Secchia. However, despite Grand Rapids' reputation for conservatism, the city tends to elect moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats, sticking to family values and social responsibility as primary issues in many campaigns. Also, in the past two presidental elections Democratic candidates Al Gore and John Kerry won the majority of votes in the city of Grand Rapids. Commission-Manager planUnder Michigan law, Grand Rapids is a home rule city and adopted a city charter in 1916 providing for the Commission-Manager form of municipal government. Under this system, the political responsibilities are divided between an elected City Commission and a hired full-time City Manager. Two part-time Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from each of three wards, with half of these seats up for election every two years. The part-time Mayor is elected every four years by the city at large, and serves as chair of the Commission, with a vote equal to that of a Commissioner. The races—held in odd-numbered years—are formally non-partisan, although the party and other political affiliations of candidates do sometimes come up during the campaign period. The Commission sets policy for the city, and is responsible for hiring the City Manager and other appointed officials [2]. George Heartwell, current mayorGeorge Heartwell was elected mayor of Grand Rapids after long-serving mayor John H. Logie declined to run for re-election in 2003. Logie felt the position should be made full-time, but to avoid the question becoming a referendum on whether he should hold the job full-time, he announced that he would not run for re-election. The voters decided to keep the position part-time, and Heartwell was elected. Heartwell assumed office on January 1 2004. Prior to being mayor, Heartwell was a City Commissioner for the third ward, 1992-1999. He is Director of the Community Leadership Institute at Aquinas College, where he is also a professor in the Community Leadership undergraduate study program. Mayor Heartwell is an ordained minister, for the United Church of Christ, and served for 14 years at Heartside Ministry, a program for the homeless in Grand Rapids. He was previously the president of Heartwell Mortgage Corporation [3].
EconomyGrand Rapids has long been a center for furniture and automobile manufacturing; however, the presence of both industries has declined in the region along with manufacturing in general. Both American Seating and Steelcase, major manufacturers of office furniture, are based in Grand Rapids. More recently the city has had some success in developing and attracting businesses focusing on the health sciences, with facilities such as the Van Andel Research Institute (primarily focused on cancer research), Grand Valley State University's new Cook-De Vos Medical Training Facility, and Michigan State University's planned medical school (supplementing its facility in East Lansing). The convention business has seen an increase following the construction of the DeVos Place Convention Center. Grand Rapids is also home to the Mercantile Bank of Michigan. EducationGrand Rapids is home to several colleges and universities. Aquinas College, Calvin College, and Cornerstone University are private, religious schools, each with a campus within the city. Grand Rapids Community College maintains a campus downtown and facilities in other parts of the city and surrounding region. Grand Valley State University continues to develop its presence in the city with an expanding downtown campus, begun in the late 1990s on the west bank of the Grand River. Ferris State University has a growing campus downtown, including the Applied Technology Center (operated with GRCC) and the prestigious Kendall College of Art and Design. Thomas M. Cooley Law School, a private institution, has a campus in Grand Rapids. Davenport University, a state-wide educational institution, has its main campus in Grand Rapids. Western Michigan University has a long-standing graduate program in the city, with facilities downtown and in the southeast. K-12 public education is provided by the Grand Rapids Public Schools. As of 2006, there is an active movement among community leaders to have Michigan State University open a new medical school in Grand Rapids.[4]. Michigan State University West Michigan Medical School will be MSU's second fully accredited four-year medical school, this facility will be located in Downtown Grand Rapids. CultureImage:Grand Rapids Cavallo 2.jpg Leonardo da Vinci's Horse: The American Horse by Nina Akamu at Meijer Gardens Image:Van Andel Museum Center.jpg The Van Andel Museum Center Beginning with the installation of Alexander Calder's abstract sculpture La Grande Vitesse, the city has been host to an annual festival of the arts downtown, known to locals simply as Festival. During the first weekend in June, several blocks of downtown surrounding the Calder stabile in Vandenberg Plaza are closed to traffic. Festival features several stages with free live performances, food booths selling a variety of ethnic cuisine, art demonstrations and sales, and other arts-related activities. Organizers bill it as the largest all-volunteer arts festival in the United States. Vandenberg Plaza also hosts various ethnic festivals that take place throughout the summer season. Summer concludes with Celebration on the Grand the weekend after Labor Day featuring free concerts, West Michigan's largest fireworks display and food booths. Celebration on the Grand is an all volunteer event to celebrate life in the Grand River valley. In Grand Rapids in 1973, Main Street America celebrated mainstream art, as the city hosted Sculpture off the Pedestal, an exemplar of public sculpture exhibitions, which assembled 13 world-renowned artists, including Mark di Suvero, John Henry, Kenneth Snelson, Robert Morris, John Mason and Stephen Antonakos, in a single, citywide celebration. Sculpture off the Pedestal was a public/private partnership, which included financial support by the National Endowment for the Arts, educational support from the Michigan Council for the Arts and in-kind contributions from individuals, business and industry. Fund-raising events, volunteers and locals housing artists contributed to the public [character of the event. In mid-2004, the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) began construction on a new, larger building for its art museum collection. The new building site is several blocks from the present museum, facing downtown's Ecliptic by Maya Lin at Rosa Parks Circle. Sites of interestImage:Fords grave.jpg President Ford's Tomb at his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan Image:GRFMuseum.JPG The Gerald R. Ford Museum, located on the west bank of the Grand River. Image:Heritage Hill.JPG The Heritage Hill Neighborhood Image:Wealthy Theatre.JPG The Wealthy Street Theatre Grand Rapids is the home of John Ball Park, Belknap Hill, and the Gerald R. Ford Museum, the final resting place of the 38th President of the United States. Significant buildings in the downtown include the DeVos Place Convention Center, Van Andel Arena, and Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts is located downtown, and houses art exhibits, a movie theater, and the urban clay studio. Along the Grand River are ancient burial mounds used by the Hopewell tribe, a fish ladder, and a riverwalk. Grand Rapids is also home to the Van Andel Museum Center. Founded in 1854, it is among the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum's sites currently include the main site constructed in 1994 on the west bank of the Grand River (home to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, the Voight House Victorian Museum, and the City Archives and Records Center, which was the site of the museum and plantarium prior to 1994. The museum has, in the past few years, played host to a handful of notable exhibitions, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, and The Quest for Immortality: the Treasures of Ancient Egypt. The museum is set up as a non-profit institution owned and managed by the Public Museum of Grand Rapids Foundation. Heritage Hill, a neighborhood east of downtown, is one of the largest Urban Historic Districts in the country, with over 1000 Victorian homes. Of particular significance is the Meyer May House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908 was commissioned by local merchant Meyer May who operated a men's clothing store (May's of Michigan). The house is now a free museum owned and operated by Steelcase who restored the property in the 1980s. Futher east of downtown is the historic Wealthy Street Theatre. MediaThe Grand Rapids Press is the daily newspaper, while the "Advance" group of weekly papers provides more community-based news. Gemini Publications is a niche, regional publishing company that produces the weekly newspaper Grand Rapids Business Journal, the magazines Grand Rapids Magazine, Grand Rapids Family and Michigan Blue, and several other quarterly and annual business-to-business publications. Rapid Growth is a weekly online magazine with news about growth and investment in Grand Rapids including neighborhood guides. GRNow is a local restaurant, event, entertainment and neighborhood guide. A complete directory of media outlets and their contact information is maintained by the Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy. TelevisionThe Grand Rapids area is home to several television stations, and is the second largest television market in Michigan. Stations serving the area include WWMT (CBS), WOOD (NBC), WZZM (ABC), and WXMI (Fox). Other stations include WOTV, an ABC affiliate licensed to Battle Creek, WZPX (ION), and WTLJ (TBN). WXSP, is a low-powered MyNetworkTV affiliate. With the merger of UPN and The WB Television Network into The CW Television Network WXSP lost it's affiliation with UPN, the CW is now carried on a separate digital broadcast by WWMT. WGVU is the area's PBS member station. Grand Rapids Internet Television produces local, independent programming available on-line only. The city has two public access televisions, GRTV and LiveWire that offer independent programming and news for the city. These two outlets are both produced by the Community Media Center, a cooperative of public access, nonprofit media affiliates. Two Educational Access Channels and a Governmental Access Channel, the Grand Rapids Information Network (GRIN) are also available on cable. Similarly, the website Media Mouse [5] provides internet-based progressive independent media. GRNow [6] is also another online site providing independent media. RadioThe Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area has a diverse variety of radio stations.
SportsSeveral professional and nonprofessional sports teams have called Grand Rapids home:
The Fifth Third River Bank Run is run every year on the second Saturday in May[7]. It features a 25k race, 5k race, 5k community walk, 25k wheelchair race, 25k hand cycle race. It was founded in 1977, and is a USA Track & Field Certified Road Race. High schools of the Grand Rapids Public Schools, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, and the Grand Rapids Christian Schools have historically participated in the Grand Rapids City League. Subject to a final vote in June of 2007, the 2007-2008 school year will be the final year for the Grand Rapids City League[8]. Other area schools participate in the Ottawa-Kent Conference, the largest high school sports conferences in the state. Beginning in 2008-2009, the former Grand Rapids City League Schools will join the Ottawa-Kent Conference with the various schools being distributed to the proper divisions of that conference[9]. TransportationImage:Grand rapids at night.jpg Grand Rapids at night (view from just outside downtown) Public bus transportation is provided by the Interurban Transit Partnership, which brands itself as The Rapid. Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
