GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Between 1962 and 1969, more than 120 buildings downtown died at the hands of wrecking crews; their remains dumped into Riverside Park as infill.

In their place rose taller, modern structures that city leaders hoped would help Grand Rapids shed it pioneer-era days and regain its status as the state's 'second city.'

The gallery above contains more than 100 photos showing the north downtown area during urban renewal demolitions in the 1960s.

The images are culled from the Grand Rapids Press archives, the Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids Public Museum, city archives and some private collections.

Some have never been published or widely-seen outside the archives before.

It's one of several galleries MLive & The Grand Rapids Press is using to help tell the story of urban renewal and construction of the Vandenberg Center downtown.

Series installments thus far have explored why Grand Rapids chose bulldozers to remedy years of downtown decline, how a New York consultant sold the city on redevelopment, what happened when downtown business owners took the city to court and how the World of Tomorrow architects sculpted the new downtown.

Related stories:

• 100 photos of old GR City Hall

• How Grand Rapids landed a Calder stabile downtown

• 1960 sketch of 1975 Grand Rapids hits at city's past & future

Garret Ellison covers business, government and breaking news for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at gellison@mlive.com or follow on Twitter & Instagram