GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — They go by the names Alger Heights, Boston Square, Franklin and Eastern, Madison Square and Seymour Square. Grand Rapids' southeast-side business districts are home to mostly mom and pop operations that provide vital services to their communities.
"We're very convenient to the community. We have people that know what we're talking about so our service is higher," Bill DeJong, who owns Alger Hardware, said.
As Grand Rapids continues a growth spurt, City Hall is trying to write new rules for guiding development. One focus is on making sure small businesses districts won't get left behind.
To that end, the city is hosting a series of presentation and input sessions this week asking what business owners need from it. That will be used to help formulate the Southtown Area Specific Plan, which will eventually provide a kind of mini-master plan for the five southeast neighborhood business districts.
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