Kent County Commissioners approved the purchase of 300 Ottawa Avenue Northwest in downtown Grand Rapids for $18.5 million and anticipate spending $15 million to renovate it.
The county plans to house approximately 250 court-related employees there, relocating them from their current location at 82 Ionia Avenue Northwest. That includes employees from Friend of the Court, circuit probation, Network180, and the prosecutor’s office.
Renovations could begin in six months and take six months to complete, with staff relocated by the end of 2027. That’s when the county will sell 82 Ionia Avenue through a bidding process.
Officials say by May 2027, most current tenants at 300 Ottawa will have relocated or their leases will have expired, leaving up to six-and-a-half of the building’s eight floors for county use.
Project financing comes from the county’s Strategic Capital Fund. Established in 2015, it sets aside money for future needs and reduces borrowing.
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