GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Business and property owners along Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids voiced their concerns to city commissioners Tuesday night, asking them to reconsider a proposed construction project that would significantly alter the roadway.
The business owners’ primary concern centers on the loss of parking spaces after the addition of bike lanes to the street.
“To collaborate and come up with a solution that works for everybody… I don’t think that occurred and that’s all we’re asking for today,” said Joe Jammal of New Yorker Menswear.
The project would involve a full reconstruction done in phases that would narrow the street, introduce bike lanes and remove parking on a section of the road.
Mark Owings, a Wealthy Street property owner, expressed strong opposition to the plan.
“For business owners and their patrons, this is a complete disaster. We rely on parking to function – street parking to function – and most cities are fighting to find more spaces and GR is eliminating it. Why? If a delivery truck doesn’t have a loading space to temporarily stop, they will block traffic. It’s unrealistic to expect anything different. Cars now have no choice but to move around stopped vehicles into oncoming traffic or get totally log jammed,” Owings said.
The following letter was sent to city leaders:
To: Wealthy Street Road Design and Construction Team
From: Concerned businesses on Wealthy Street
Re: Proposed loss of parking/ bike lane
Date: October 14, 2025
We, the undersigned businesses on Wealthy Street, are writing to share our deep concerns about the proposed removal of parking on the north side of our business corridor.
We recognize and support the many benefits of bike lanes. From enhanced air quality to improved traffic safety, bike lanes offer a host of advantages to our community. We’re grateful Grand Rapids is home to a robust network of bike lanes, including those on nearby Lake Drive.
However, removing the already limited street parking available in Eastown would have disastrous effects on all businesses in this corridor, no matter which side of the street we are on. These include:
- Increased frustration for customers, who already find it difficult to find parking in Eastown.
- Loss of those customers, which means lower sales in an environment where many small businesses are already struggling- and, in some cases, closing.
- Lack of loading zones which makes receiving deliveries incredibly difficult for businesses.
- Obstacles for service and emergency vehicles, which could slow police, fire and other emergency responses.
- Elimination of convenient carryout parking, which will hamper DoorDash, Uber Eats, and other delivery services.
- More traffic, congestion and crashes as drivers repeatedly cruise for the few available spots.
- Heightened conflicts over securing one of these rare spots.
- Challenges for individuals with disabilities, who will be forced to park further away.
- Traffic spillover into neighborhood streets, which will cause frustration for area residents.
We strongly encourage you to support the local businesses represented in this letter by maintaining the current parking on the north side of Wealthy Street.
Construction is currently estimated to begin in 2026 and continue until 2028.
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