NV Blog

Bulls Eye!

posted on Jan 27th 2010 at 12:00am by Mark Lewis

A buddy of mine and I went out to play darts a while ago.  He’s pretty good at it.  Me?  Not so much.  I’d consider myself a rookie.  In general terms I knew the goal was to score points.  He filled me in on the rest of the strategy.  Hit the middle but don’t forget about the triple point and double point rings surrounding the center.

 My experience at cricket (that’s the game we played) made me think in parallel terms of the work we are doing at Neighborhood Ventures.  Sure points are scored in the middle, but you also have the chance to rack up plenty of points in the outside rings as well.  In fact, the only way you can actually win the game is if you hit all of the areas on the board before your opponent does.

 Many of today’s conversations around commercial real estate and economic development focus on the bull’s eye and the outer ring – in name, our downtown and the suburbs.  Rightfully so in many cases, and certainly not to diminish the incredibly important work being accomplished in these target areas.  But what is overlooked in conversations about the potential of Grand Rapids is our true “sweet spot” – the interior ring of our neighborhood business districts. 

 The sweetness, as it were, is found in the dynamic economic potential of our neighborhood commercial areas. According to the recent LISC MetroEdge study, over $766 million “leaks” out of our neighborhood business areas every year.  Simply said, residents in our urban neighborhoods are actively purchasing products and services but buying them outside the neighborhood and even outside the city. This is due to many factors, but the largest is that our neighborhoods don’t have the right business mix to meet our city’s needs.

 Strong neighborhood commercial areas help create strong and competitive neighborhoods and a strong and competitive city.  We talk about walkable communities and adaptive reuse.  We push the merits of keeping it local and preventing urban sprawl (Go Local First!).  All of these issues and more are supported in this amazing data that resoundingly says “Yes!  Our neighborhood business districts do have potential!”

 Neighborhood Ventures’ ReStore Grand Rapids program is one solution to bring back the market, the capital, the entrepreneurs, and the jobs to our neighborhoods.  Using the, we can work with a business district to determine an underserved need.  That need is then compared with available commercial property stock or development opportunity.  Simply find the leak and plug the hole using the unique neighborhood character.

 We also work with property owners who may be stumped for ideas to make that available space of his/hers work in the neighborhood.  Good for them financially, great for the neighborhood stability.  At times it is simply us matching a budding entrepreneur with the best area of the city for their business idea to succeed.

As we face one of the most economically challenging times in Grand Rapids history, we need to reexamine not what is just valued in our city but also what is valuable. Our neighborhood business districts are both. But one program can’t do it alone. We need residents, banks, local investors, shoppers, and city government to step up to the plate to get the job done.   Taking another look just might be the next economic development opportunity we need.

And that sure hits the mark.

Shaken not stirred

posted on Dec 16th 2009 at 12:00am by Mark Lewis

You have heard the old adage.  But instead of a quick pick me up, worthy of a man named James – I’d like to think this is more of a feeling that we in the neighborhood business districts of Grand Rapids are experiencing this year.  Neighborhood Ventures is no exception.

We were shaken in 2009 with the resignation and moving on from our founding Executive Director Kimberly VanDyk. A series of staffing shifts created a new face of the economic development organization that strives for continuity in our neighborhoods.

Challenges in the economy also meant a higher demand for services from the neighborhood businesses that we serve.  From technical assistance to building improvement grants, marketing, access to capital, or training opportunities, owners are pulling out all of the stops in an attempt to maintain steady activity in their respective business.  Limited staff and resources require revised thinking on how to fulfill the need.

Up for the challenges we face as an organization; the factors above stirred us to action!

I am happy to have been offered the opportunity to join Neighborhood Ventures in this period of transition.  Creating a viable neighborhood in which to live, work, and play is not just a job for me.  It has been my lifestyle for the past decade and a half in Grand Rapids’ urban core. 

Aware of the concerns that lie ahead, I am also excited to have a front row view of the opportunities that lay ahead for our neighborhood business districts.  Corporate layoffs mean new entrepreneurs on the street, with the smarts to back them up.  Vacant space in our neighborhood commercial corridors offers an open canvas for painting the next great business idea.  Hot-off-the-press market data from a recent LISC study gives us the opportunity to take a well designed approach to adding products and services to our unique business districts.

Our goal is twofold:  recruiting/retaining businesses to our neighborhood business districts, and working with the business districts to assist them as they organize around marketing and branding or other community projects.

Working closely with organizations that compliment our mission, we can be sure to see that services and trainings which our neighborhood business owners ask for are being provided – in a cost efficient manner.  An enhanced relationship with the Neighborhood Business Alliance brings us back on track to remember that the potential for growth opportunity exists in all 20 neighborhood business districts in Grand Rapids.  Knowing where we came from helps us move forward together.

Certainly our challenges as a community will not go away at the turn of the calendar.  We as an organization still need your support.  I invite you to get involved.  Participate in your own business district organizing.  Consider one of our open seats on the Neighborhood Ventures Board of Directors.  Show your support with your financial contribution.

I look forward to 2010 at Neighborhood Ventures and in Grand Rapids’ neighborhood business districts.  In the meantime, I’ll take mine with a twist.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Mark C. Lewis

Executive Director

Tastes of Grand Rapids Neighborhoods

posted on Apr 6th 2009 at 12:00am by NV Staff

Grand Rapids neighborhoods can boast a long list of great places to eat. Even with the down economy, more and more restaurants, eateries, and bars are opening up to add to the diverse array of options for eating out.  Recent restaurant openings include the Winchester (648 Wealthy),  Corez Wine Bar (919 Cherry),Brick Road Pizza (1017 Wealthy), and soon to open, the Electric Cheetah (1015 Wealthy). But the oldies are still goodies. Places like Garibalidi (1627 S. Division), Southern Fish Fry (1269 Madison), Bombay Cuisine (1420 Lake Drive), Cherry Deli (834 Cherry), and many more have been serving some of the best meals in town for years.

 We want to hear from you! Tell us where your favorite place is to eat - both the neighborhood hangouts and the neighborhood secrets - and let's go out and enjoy the great tastes of our Grand Rapids neighborhoods.

welcome

posted on Aug 19th 2008 at 1:00pm by Rebekka Kwast

Welcome to the Neighborhood Ventures' new website. We want to give a big thank you to the Dorothy Johnson Center for Philanthropy for granting us the funding for this venture as well as the Community Media Center for creating this site. Please stay tuned in as we will be regularly posting exciting news and events occuring in our neighborhood business districts.