Kentwood · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Kentwood public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Garden Park Estates site condominium development
The Garden Park Estates developer will help pay for 56th Street improvements south of Kellogg's Woods Park. The construction contract for the 56th Street extension was also awarded at $1,012,588.
Vacancy on the Commission — First Ward seat (Coughlin resignation)
Commissioner Coughlin's resignation left openings on the Parks and Rec Commission and the EDC; the mayor's recommended appointments were approved.
Police department promotions
The police department promoted two lieutenants and two sergeants, expanding its command team for the first time in years.
Coral Valley cul-de-sac improvements
The city is finally fulfilling decades-old promises to add landscape separation and berms between the Coral Valley neighborhood and 29th Street, and improving the cul-de-sac.
Aging water main replacement program
Kentwood is starting to replace 50-70 year-old cast iron water mains prone to breaks, budgeting $1 million a year and hiring Prein&Newhof to design the first projects.
Police Department 2025 performance
Kentwood firefighters handled 5,507 runs in 2025 — most of them medical calls — while keeping average response times at 4:34, beating the 5:20 promised to residents. The department also installed nearly 1,000 free smoke alarms and logged over 3,200 inspections.
First Companies industrial project on 36th Street
The city created a district on part of the old Steelcase property, the first step toward tax abatements for two companies interested in locating there. No abatement is guaranteed — applications would come back to the commission later.
Housing TIF for the Meadows on Wing — housing for adults with special needs
The brownfield housing TIF was tabled again until October 12 because commissioners received finalized numbers too late to review them. It's been in front of the commission for multiple meetings.
Cascade Engineering and Trane tax abatements
The city's $23 million tax abatement now goes to Trane US, Inc., which plans 250 full-time jobs making air-cooled chillers at 4175 60th St. SE — more than triple the 80 jobs originally tied to Snackcraft. Hiring starts in the second half of 2026, mostly for local workers.
Zoo & Museum Millage Renewal on the November 3 ballot
A ten-year, .4086-mill renewal for John Ball Zoo and the Grand Rapids Public Museum goes countywide on November 3 — about $5.11 a month for a $150,000-SEV home. It funds education programs, exhibits, collections care and zoo animal care, generating an estimated $15.5 million in year one.
32nd Street bridge replacement over Broadmoor (M-37)
MDOT will replace the 32nd Street bridge next year. Kentwood will pay about $308,000 as its share, including added paving on 36th Street while crews are on site, plus a street-lighting contract change.
PearTree Development at 1900 Gerda (former Dolphin Swim Club site)
The long-vacant swim club site will become ten single-family homes around $475,000 each, with a private road, an HOA-maintained path to Rondeau Park, and on-site stormwater retention designed for a 25-year storm. A neighbor warned of chronic drainage problems along Rondo Street that he hopes the development won't worsen.
FY 2025-2026 budget adjustment for street funds
About $1.4 million in resurfacing, chip sealing, patching and striping work is coming to residential streets this year, plus a full reconstruction of the Schaefer/36th Street roundabout area from June through September. Commissioner Artz noted Kent County is separately doing work on Patterson Avenue.