The last two decades have seen a seismic shift in the West Michigan retail landscape. Two major developments — RiverTown Crossings Mall and the construction of M-6 through southern Kent County — set the table for major changes, not only for retail but also other development activity that has transformed, and continues to transform, the region.

When RiverTown Crossings opened in 1999, the new mall triggered a snowball effect of development surrounding the 1.25-million-square-foot retail complex. Soon other retailers — Lowe’s, Costco, Target and Cabela’s, to name a few — positioned themselves nearby to capitalize on the growing market and strip malls began popping up nearby to grab a piece of the growing retail activity surrounding the mall.

Not long after, housing developments were built within a few minutes drive of the mall, introducing new customers for retailers. Nearby Grandville High School went through a major renovation to handle rising student enrollment and roads, such as Wilson Avenue, expanded to handle increased traffic activity — all generated by retail.

M-6

With much excitement came construction of the long-sought and long-debated M-6, connecting I-196 in southeast Ottawa County to I-96 just east of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. This project transformed a primarily rural area into a growing suburban belt with several retail areas developing at key intersections along the route.

Before M-6, there was no Target or Meijer or Celebration Cinema to be found in the area; shoppers hailing from the southern part of Kent County were forced to travel to 28th and Beltline for their retail needs. Once the expressway was built, retailers saw the potential for new stores and restaurants at each intersection while new malls and strip malls developed off the Byron Center, Kalamazoo and East Beltline exits. Quickly, other sectors began to follow suit: MetroHealth Hospital established its new headquarters off the Byron Center Avenue exit, Saint Mary’s began construction of a nearby facility and Davenport University built its new flagship campus near the expressway in anticipation of a growing student base.

Without the growth of retail, these other projects would likely have never happened.

So, what’s next?

While big steps have been taken over the past 20 years, even bigger steps are ahead of us. Effective January 1, 2015, the Grand Rapids-Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was reworked to include Ottawa County — one of the state’s fastest growing counties — to place us in the population category of one million people and putting our city on the radar of national retailers looking to expand into new markets… a total game changer.

Neighborhoods previously unpopular to retailers are re-emerging at record pace: the West Side district will soon house New Holland Brewing’s $17 million mixed-use project complete with beer garden while Eastown continues to expand with an eclectic mix of new apartments, restaurants, pubs and boutique stores. The latter is already serving as a magnet for young professionals seeking walkable/cyclable neighborhoods within close proximity to downtown sans the hefty pricetag and upscale families in nearby Ada and Cascade looking to shorten their morning commute.