A proposed amphitheater, soccer field and an aquarium in Grand Rapids are what Kent County Commissioner Tom Antor calls cool stuff, but what he thinks Grand Rapids really needs is a bigger convention center.
“That soccer thing, the amphitheater, the zoo thing, cool stuff, but lets get back to the nuts and bolts.”
Before covid there were conversations about expanding DeVos Place or building a new convention center. Now that the pandemic is over, the Grand Rapids Kent County Convention Arena Authority is hiring a consultant to study the demand for more meeting space in the city.
“We are missing out on probably hundreds of millions of dollars in conferences that want to come here but there is no room at the inn.”
The consultant studying the current demand will evaluate the need for new and larger meeting space and suggest possible locations.
“We have like zero capacity right now to house projects conferences.”
“DeVos place served a purpose but people can’t find a building here to host events.”
