Signature Associates

Two West Michigan companies, Gen3 Defense & Aerospace and Blackmer, are expected to expand their operations in Grand Rapids, bringing 319 jobs and $15.5 million investment to the area. The expansions were announced Wednesday by The Right Place and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Gen3 Defense & Aerospace, an engineering company with a focus […]

Great Lakes Coca-Cola Bottling is closing its Detroit facility by the end of the year as it consolidates operations with its Grand Rapids site, officials said Wednesday. Up to 131 employees at the plant are expected to lose their jobs. “After careful consideration, we made the difficult decision to consolidate our Detroit production operations into […]

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy recently awarded $4.6 million in brownfield grants and loans to five redevelopment projects on contaminated properties in West and Southwest Michigan. The developments are among the 21 that the agency has funded for environmental remediation this summer totaling $15.6 million. The projects that recently received funding […]

As the city updates its nearly 20-year-old Master Plan to guide future development, local officials say a first-of-its-kind study last year can help ensure equitable outcomes while providing the best return on investments. Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. commissioned the “Economics of Place” study by Washington, D.C.-based Places Platform LLC, which first presented its preliminary findings to business […]

Planning officials in Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming hope a nearly completed study will help spur redevelopment along South Division Avenue after a highly touted bus rapid transit project failed to deliver on its economic development promises. Involving local residents and community leaders to share their vision for the future was a key aspect to […]

Grand Rapids’ newest social district soon will be coming to Fulton Street on the city’s West Side. The Grand Rapids City Commission on Tuesday approved the new West Fulton Social District on the 1100 block of W. Fulton Street between Marion and Garfield avenues NW. The district, expected to be operational in June, enables the sale […]

A Detroit-based developer recently acquired three properties near downtown Grand Rapids as part of a larger mixed-use plan to redevelop the former Sligh Furniture Co. building. Sturgeon Bay Partners, doing business as JV SBAM SA LLC, acquired 188 Wealthy St. SW, 190 Wealthy St. SW, and 440 Grandville Ave. SW on May 14 for a total […]

A group of property owners in Hopkins Township are attempting to have approximately 500 acres of land along U.S. 131 annexed to the city of Wayland to allow development for a new West Michigan Commerce Center. Brian Silvernail, realtor associate at Show Grand Rapids Real Estate, said he is representing 13 property owners who signed […]

Grand Rapids on Wednesday celebrated the start of a multimillion project bringing Perrigo downtown. Leaders from pharmaceutical manufacturer Perrigo and Michigan State University joined developers for the 1 p.m. groundbreaking ceremony. Perrigo’s new North American corporate headquarters will be at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Michigan Street NE in MSU’s Grand Rapids Innovation Park. The company joined economic […]

West Michigan’s industrial economy entered the second quarter trending along with the global and national economic recoveries from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four key activity indexes from economist Brian Long’s monthly survey of industrial purchasing managers in the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo areas all improved from February to March, as did short- and […]

The West Michigan commercial real estate market has been relatively stagnant during the pandemic-induced shift to remote working, but advisers see some room for optimism ahead of a vaccine rollout and with several recent office deals.  “No matter what industry we’re talking about, I think the driving force is people’s attitude — which used to […]

A trio of West Michigan projects recently received community development funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The Michigan Strategic Fund of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) last week approved community revitalization projects in Grand Rapids, Middleville and Kalamazoo to “position the state for future prosperity,” the MEDC said. The MEDC said the projects […]

Grand Action 2.0 revealed a conceptual plan for riverfront development along a currently underutilized stretch of Market Avenue south of Fulton Street. The business-based, private economic development nonprofit Grand Action 2.0 presented on Wednesday during the Economic Club of Grand Rapids program a conceptual plan that came out of a study commissioned by Grand Action […]

The Grand Rapids metropolitan area and West Michigan is estimated to return to pre-pandemic employment levels in 2022 or 2023, based on the latest research. The forecasts presented Tuesday morning, Feb. 23, to the Grand Rapids City Commission by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research also show lost employment in the Grand Rapids metro […]

The public authority that owns Van Andel Arena is moving forward with a proposed plan to build a 14,000-seat amphitheater in downtown Grand Rapids.The Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention Arena/Authority (CAA) approved an option agreement with the city to purchase part of a 17-acre stretch of property along the Grand River. This is the “second step […]

According to the third quarter market reports from NAI Wisinski West Michigan, the industrial sector is pushing through COVID-19 territory thanks to Michigan’s strong manufacturing backbone, but the region may have yet to see the long-term effects of the pandemic on other real estate sectors. It’s still too early to determine the damage COVID will […]

The Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority recently received Michigan Strategic Fund approval of a brownfield work plan that will include $228,939 in state tax capture reimbursement for the Leonard Development project. The Business Journal previously reported Leonard Development Partners LLC will construct a three-story, mixed-use building on the site where three vacant commercial properties were recently demolished. The […]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The chain of HopCat restaurants has been sold to new owners some five months after the former owner, BarFly Ventures, filed for bankruptcy. Two investment firms — Congruent Investment Partners and Main Street Capital — teamed up to buy BarFly Ventures for $17.5 million. They created a new operating company, Project […]

Perrigo is investing $44.7 million to move its North American corporate headquarters to Medical Mile in downtown Grand Rapids in a move that will create 170 jobs. The Right Place, in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan State University, Rockford Construction and the city of Grand Rapids, on Tuesday announced the Dublin-based pharmaceutical […]

Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes is set to break ground on a new $12.9 million Free Enterprise Center. The Junior Achievement Free Enterprise Center at 4090 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids, will serve as the regional staff headquarters. The 35,000-square-foot building also will house the three experiential labs for students across West Michigan: Fox […]

Gerber plans to spend up to $36 million to expand production of freeze-dried snacks at its Fremont plant, a move that’s expected to create 50 jobs over two years. The baby food manufacturer says it will add freeze dryers and other machinery used to make the freeze-dried snacks, known as melts, which Gerber says is […]

The long-awaited Canopy by Hilton hotel at Studio Park is ready to welcome guests to downtown Grand Rapids. The eight-story, 155-room upscale hotel, which opened Tuesday, was previously announced as a feature of the Studio Park mixed-use development and will be the first Canopy to open in Michigan. At 131 Ionia Ave. SW, Canopy by Hilton […]

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN—September 2, 2020— Signature Associates has negotiated the lease of 1,500 square feet of retail space located at 5340 Plaza Avenue, Hudsonville, Michigan to Edward D. Jones & Co., LP.   Joe Rizqallah of Signature Associates represented the landlord, NAM Properties, LLC. Signature and NAM have worked together for over four years. We […]

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN—August 17, 2020— Signature Associates has negotiated the sale of a 13,812 square foot office building located at 501 Baldwin Street, Jenison, Michigan.   Joe Rizqallah of Signature Associates represented the seller, Huntington National Bank, and the purchaser, 501 Baldwin, LLC. The purchaser is currently working on multiple transactions with Signature Associates. He […]

A parenteral contract development and manufacturing organization for the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries completed its 20-month, $60 million expansion. Grand Rapids-based Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (GRAM) today hosted a private grand opening for its new 61,500-square-foot injectable fill-and-finish facility that is the fifth building in GRAM’s footprint and its third fill-and-finish facility. It is located at […]

Visitors to downtown will notice four new outdoor “social zones” that were installed in public spaces over the weekend to give restaurants and retailers more room to serve customers in the era of social distancing. Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the city of Grand Rapids on Friday began installing the four contiguous social zones — […]

Grand Rapids-based tech company The KR Group opened a second location in Spring Lake. CEO Matt Keeler explained this move was something the company has been considering for a while. The KR Group has been operating in Grand Rapids for 10 years. As the company’s customer base grew to include more customers along the lakeshore, the need […]

Rockford Property Management assumed property management responsibilities at the historic McKay Tower in downtown Grand Rapids. “We couldn’t be more excited to add the iconic McKay Tower to our growing management portfolio alongside our Tribal partners Gun Lake Investments and Waséyabek Development Company,” said Monica Steimle-App, executive vice president of real estate development and property […]

Amazon recently announced it hired more than 80,000 employees to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public. This includes more than 1,000 new employees in Grand Rapids. The new hires in Grand Rapids fill a range of roles, including picking, packing, […]

Grand Rapids was ranked third among large cities where manufacturing is “thriving,” according to a new study. AdvisorSmith, a financial services advisory startup based in New York, ranked Grand Rapids at No. 3 over other large cities such as Hartford, Connecticut; Greenville, South Carolina; Detroit; and San Francisco. According to the report, manufacturing output per […]

Coming off of a storm of activity in 2019, Woodland Mall announced its latest lineup of new and first-to-market retailers for 2020. Champs Sports, a major North American specialty sports retailer, will be the first of four stores to open at the mall, followed by Aéropostale, Sephora and White House Black Market. These new retailers […]

Contractors are capping off another busy year for developments across West Michigan. From the largest mixed-use project in downtown Grand Rapids history, to new modern buildings in historic areas, these are five notable projects from around the region on the radar for MiBiz this year. Here’s a closer look at them. 10 Ionia Architect: Yamasaki Associates Inc., Troy […]

A bank has unveiled its new regional corporate office and banking center inside a newly completed high-rise downtown. TCF Bank, a subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation, which merged with Chemical Bank this summer, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 10 for its new regional corporate office and banking center in downtown Grand Rapids, at 150 Ottawa […]

An engineering firm from the state’s east side is setting up operations in West Michigan. Rochester Hills-based Spalding DeDecker opened an office in the Calder Plaza Building in downtown Grand Rapids, at 250 Monroe Ave. NW, according to the firm last month. It is the company’s first West Michigan location. With the addition of Grand Rapids […]

Spectrum Health selected where its new facility will be located. The health system initially was planning land it owns southwest of the Cornerstone University campus, at Leffingwell Avenue NE and Bradford Street NE, for a new building to house administrative and training offices, as the Business Journal reported in June. Instead, the building will be […]

SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN—August 1, 2019— Signature Associates has negotiated the lease of 2,604 square feet of retail space located at 191 E. Cady Centre, Northville, Michigan.   Angela Thomas and Erica Dunlap of Signature Associates represented the tenant, Urban You, LLC, a Grand Rapids based company. About Signature Associates Signature Associates (www.signatureassociates.com), with offices in Southfield, […]

Shoppers at Woodland Mall have plenty new to see these days. Two years after workers demolished the former Sears store that once anchored the mall, Woodland officials on Thursday showed off a $100 million renovation project that replaces the space once occupied by the iconic retailer. The new wing is anchored by a Von Maur department store, […]

Downtown Grand Rapids’ latest attraction now is open to the public. Studio Park celebrated its grand opening today at 123 Ionia Ave. SW. The 62,500-square-foot development offers several dining and retail options, a 200-seat concert venue called the Listening Room, a nine-screen movie theater, luxury lofts and an outdoor piazza. The $160 million project is […]

When Grand Rapids-based Multi-Automatic Tool and Supply Co. started searching for prospective acquisitions several years ago, the move came as a reaction to many of the company’s customers buying directly from small shops.  Convinced that he needed to diversify his business in order to compete, President James Byl went looking for opportunities, but it took a few […]

A $90 million expansion at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport will aid in economic development in West Michigan, the airport authority board said Wednesday. Airport officials gathered to announce “Project Elevate,” which includes several components meant to ease and expand passenger experience. The project begins with the extension of Concourse A to accommodate projected […]

Studio Park, the $160 million project just south of Van Andel Arena that includes a movie complex, restaurants, apartments, retail shops and more, on Wednesday announced the tenant of its six-story, $40 million office tower. Acrisure, a Caledonia Township-based insurance, risk management and benefits design firm, will move from its current headquarters to the new […]

A local nonprofit has a new green headquarters. Kids’ Food Basket is now moving into its new headquarters in Grand Rapids, at 1300 Plymouth Ave. NE. Construction on the two-story, 27,000-square-foot building began in October 2018 and involved extensive site work, removal of unsalvageable structures on site, new construction of a warehouse and attached corporate […]

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN—May 9, 2019— Signature Associates has negotiated the sale of 0.87 acres of vacant land located at 1400 W. Main Street, Lowell, Michigan.   Joe Rizqallah of Signature Associates represented the seller, Curtis Laundry & Dry Cleaners, Inc. and the purchaser, NLD Lowell, LLC.  Signature has a great long-standing relationship with NLD Lowell […]

A large, industrial building on Grand Rapids’ Southeast Side that formerly housed a company that manufactured products used to display retail merchandise has a new owner. A company affiliated with Kojaian, a Bloomfield Hills-based realty company specializing in office, industrial, high-tech and retail spaces, purchased the 925,000-square-foot building, which is located south of 36th Street […]

The opportunity to lease brand new office space in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids offered Van Wyk Risk Solutions the chance to grow into a new location.  This month, Van Wyk will be the first tenant to move into the new Warner Building, located at 150 Ottawa Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids. After outgrowing its […]

Planning is underway for a redesign of the Van Andel Arena plaza and perimeter. The $1-million enhancement project would transform the sparse land around the arena into a pedestrian-friendly space meant to better connect the arena district. Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority are reviewing concepts from the partly finished […]

Grand Rapids leaders have carved out 3 square blocks downtown as the designated Hotel District. AHC+Hospitality has established the district as a collaborative between hoteliers, restaurants and local businesses, with endorsements by Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and Experience Grand Rapids, Kent County’s tourism marketing arm. The Hotel District is bounded by I-196 and Fulton […]

Spectrum Health is planning to discontinue 26 leases and consolidate multiple departments into a new facility.  The Grand-Rapids-based health system plans to build a Center for Transformation and Innovation on the property it owns in Grand Rapids southwest of the Cornerstone University campus, at Leffingwell Avenue NE and Bradford Street NE, according to a statement […]

Grand Rapids is a millennial magnet. Grand Rapids is the No. 2 market in terms of recent “millennial movers,” according to the “Most Popular Areas for Millennials: Where They Move and Stay,” a report by the National Association of Realtors or NAR. NAR estimates, within the last year, millennials made up 73% of movers to […]

Renovations at Lyon Square and Calder Plaza, street improvements on Division Avenue, and sprucing up the outdoor plaza near Van Andel Arena are among the priorities outlined in the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority’s 2020 budget. Tim Kelly, president and CEO of Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., the entity that oversees the DDA, provided an overview […]

SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN—April 24, 2017— Signature Associates company-wide volunteer effort with 81 Signature professionals from our eight regional offices along with their friends and families gathered at Gleaners Community Food Bank on April 21, in downtown Detroit. Signature Team Cares worked together to touch over 24,000 Southeastern Michigan residents by redistributing and packing food along with […]