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Grand Rapids, Michigan



         


Grand Rapids, also known as the Furniture City or the Second City of Michigan, is a city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County, Michigan, in the southwestern region of the state. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 197,800.

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History

The Grand Rapids area was first settled in the 1820s by missionaries and fur traders, who generally lived in reasonable peace alongside the Ottawa tribespeople who had their settlements near the Grand River.

The official founder of Grand Rapids itself was Louis Campau, who arrived in November 1826 to trade with the Indians. Yankee immigrants and others began immigrating from New York and New England in the 1830s.

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.

During the second half of the 19th century the city became a major lumbering center and the premier furniture manufacturing city of the United States. The city also became a center of Dutch immigration in the 19th century.

In 1881, the country's first hydro-electric plant was put to use on the city's west side. In 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water.

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Law and Government

Title Name
City Mayor: George Heartwell
City Manager: Kurt Kimball
Grand Rapid's City Mayor:

George Heartwell
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The Commission-Manager Plan

The City of Grand Rapids voters adopted the Commission-Manager form of government in 1916. Since its adoption, the political reponsibilities have been divided between a City Mayor, and a hired City Manager. Because the City Commission is only a legislative body, its members are the policy makers for their community. The City Commission is responsible for hiring the City Manager, and his/her associates. Source:

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George Heartwell; Current Mayor

George Heartwell was elected to be the next mayor of Grand Rapids after former Mayor John Logie stepped down. 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 city decided to keep the position part-time, and Heartwell was elected.

George took over for the city on January 1st, 2004. Prior to being Mayor of Grand Rapids; George Heartwell was also a City Commissioner, (Third Ward Commissioner: 1992-2000) also The Director of Community Leadership Institute at List of mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Geography

Grand 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.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 117.4 km² (45.3 mi²). 115.6 km² (44.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.50% water.

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Economy

Grand Rapids has long been a center for furniture and automobile manufacturing. More recently the city has attracted more bio-tech companies to the city with the addition of the Van Andel Medical Institute, and the new Cook-DeVos Medical Training Facility, which is a part of Grand Valley State University, along with a new medical school in association with Michigan State University.

The new DeVos Place is expected to continue the growth of the city, which has seen a significant increase recently. Other future projects in the city include a new art museum.

Grand Rapids is home to Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

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Culture

Since 1970, Grand Rapids has been host to an annual festival of the arts downtown, known to locals simply as "Festival (insert year here)". The first weekend in June, several blocks of downtown surrounding the Calder stabile next to City Hall are closed to traffic. 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. Also in Calder Plaza, Grand Rapids hosts a variety of country-specific ethnic festivals throughout the summer season.

In mid-2004, Grand Rapids 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 Rosa Parks Circle.

Grand Rapids is home to several colleges and universities. Aquinas College, Calvin College, and Cornerstone University are private, religious schools, each with a campus on the east side of the city. Grand Rapids Community College maintains an extensive campus downtown. 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. Kendall College of Art and Design, which became part of Ferris State University in the early 2000s, also operates downtown. John Ball Park

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Notable Natives

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Local Sports Teams

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