The City of Grand Rapids is looking for a development partner to help determine what comes next for nearly seven acres of city-owned property in the River North neighborhood, including the historic Coldbrook Pumping Station.
The city released a request for qualifications Wednesday for a developer to lead a 12-month due diligence and master-planning process for the site at Monroe Avenue and Coldbrook Street. The properties include 1101, 1165 and 1120 Monroe Avenue NW, covering about 6.43 acres.
The city envisions a mixed-use development that could rise five to seven stories and bring new activity to the riverfront. The final mix of uses has not been determined.
The planning process will examine environmental conditions, infrastructure, market demand, financing, riverfront design and how a project could be built in phases. It also will include community engagement to help identify desired uses and opportunities to connect the development with the river and nearby trails.
“This site gives us a rare chance to shape the future of an important downtown district,” Sarah Rainero, the city’s economic development director, said in a statement.
The property includes the Coldbrook Pumping Station, a 1911 structure that once housed the city’s water pumping and electric lighting operations. It was decommissioned in 2022 after more than a century of service as the city’s oldest water pumping station.
The city is asking prospective developers to consider incorporating the historic pump station façade into the redevelopment.
The site also presents a logistical challenge: 1120 Monroe currently houses the city’s Development Center, which employs about 105 people and serves as the city’s hub for building and renovation services.
Any redevelopment plan will need to account for the city’s continued operations, including the possibility of keeping or relocating the Development Center.
The River North area has become one of the more active redevelopment zones near downtown in recent years. Projects including Fulton & Market, Studio Park Tower, Factory Yards and the Acrisure Amphitheater, along with ongoing riverfront improvements and regional trail connections, are bringing more investment and activity to the area.
The city sees its property as another opportunity to build on that momentum, but officials say the project will need to do more than generate a return.
The RFQ calls for a development partner with experience delivering large, high-quality projects and putting together financing plans for multi-phase developments. The city also emphasizes public access to the riverfront, inclusive growth and long-term community benefit.
The city will provide prospective partners with environmental assessments, building plans, utility maps and surveys as part of the planning process.
The RFQ was released Oct. 7. Questions are due Oct. 19, an optional site visit is scheduled for Oct. 20, and proposals are due Nov. 16.
Once selected, the development partner will spend the next year studying the site and developing a master plan. At the end of that process, the partner will receive a contractual right of first refusal to purchase the property under terms established by the city.
Full RFQ documents and updates are available at grandrapidsmi.gov/departments/economic-development.
For inquiries, contact econdevshrd@grand-rapids.mi.us.
