Trees to be Removed Along Front Street in Grand Rapids

The latest Grand Rapids Village Council Meeting was held on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. inside Grand Rapids Town Hall.

In prior meetings, council has been discussing removing the trees from the business district along Front Street. Wednesday’s meeting appeared to green light their removal. According to council, as the trees have grown, they’ve pushed up the sidewalks making them treacherous and causing falls. Council has yet to decide what will replace the trees. In recent meetings, ideas included large planters or exploring various trees with smaller root systems.

Council allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds to various Grand Rapids area non-profit organizations. The Otsego Food Pantry, Grand Rapids Arts Council, Grand Rapids Calvary Church, Grand Rapids Area Swimming Pool, Grand Rapids Historical Society, Grand Rapids Little League, and Grand Rapids Chamber will each receive $7,500. Funds became available from the federal government and needed to be allocated by the end of 2024. Just over $33,000 remain and will be spent on Town Hall upgrades, any amount left over will be re-allocated by the end of the year.

The Hometown Hero Banner program will be coming to Grand Rapids. The program, which salutes those who have served and those who are serving in the miliary, will feature banners that will line Front Street. Residents will soon be able to nominate a hero at GrandRapidsOhio.com. Fourteen banners are expected to start the program. The City of Bowling Green recently adopted a similar program.

Village Council Meetings are scheduled on the second and fourth Monday of the month inside Grand Rapids Town Hall. Meetings start at 7 p.m. and are open to the public. If you’d like to address council, you must sign in prior to the start of the meeting.

Thank you to the Heart of Grand Rapids for video recording this meeting. You can view the full meeting here.

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