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Jim Hocking - Grand Rapids Realtor

@jimhocking

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📍 Grand Rapids & West Michigan
🏡 Residential + Commercial Real Estate
🎯 Local development & market insights
📩 DM me to connect or work together

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RiverTown Crossings is being forced to reinvent what a regional mall looks like.

• Younkers, Sears and Macy’s have all closed
• Entertainment, restaurants and new tenants are filling parts of the old anchor model
• New ownership is creating development opportunities around the existing mall

RiverTown was built around department stores. Can everything replacing them make it a stronger destination?

#GrandRapids #WestMichigan #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapidsMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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a month ago

The S-Curve has one of the strangest histories in Grand Rapids. 🚧

Built through downtown in the 1960s, US-131 displaced homes, businesses, and entire streets.

Then decades later, engineers discovered a much bigger problem beneath it.

• Piers were settling unevenly
• Cracking was spreading
• Gypsum beneath the riverbed was dissolving
• The entire S-Curve ultimately had to be rebuilt

What started as a highway project permanently changed downtown Grand Rapids. Then its failure changed how major infrastructure near the river was approached afterward.

👇 If Grand Rapids were building US-131 today, would you put the S-Curve in the same place?

#grandrapids #grandrapidsmi #westmichigan #grandrapidsmichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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2 months ago

For the first time in nearly two decades of planning, restoring the rapids is no longer an idea…it’s under construction.

• Four downtown dams will eventually be replaced with natural river features.
• More than 125 habitat boulders will help recreate the river’s natural flow while improving fish passage and safety.
• This project ties together years of investment along the Grand River, from parks and trails to housing and the future amphitheater.

Do you think restoring the river itself will have a bigger long-term impact than the new developments surrounding it?

#grandrapids #grandrapidsmi #grandrapidsmichigan #westmichigan #grandriver taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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2 months ago

Grand Rapids’ riverfront is changing, and another major redevelopment opportunity is now on the table.

The city is seeking a development partner for 6.43 acres near Monroe Avenue and Coldbrook Street, including the historic Coldbrook Pumping Station.

The possibilities include:

🏗️ Mixed-use development: Housing, commercial space, and potentially 5–7-story buildings.
🌳 Public access: Expanded trails, recreation, and riverfront connections.
🏛️ Historic preservation: Potential reuse of the 1911 pumping station façade.

No construction has been approved, but this joins a much larger transformation involving the Acrisure Amphitheater, Amway Stadium, Factory Yards, Fulton & Market Towers, and ongoing riverfront improvements.

If you could change ONE thing about the Grand Rapids riverfront, what would it be?

More restaurants? Parks and green space? Housing? Better river access? Something else?

#GrandRapids #GrandRiver #GrandRapidsMI #WestMichigan #GrandRapidsMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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a day ago

Contractors, tradespeople, hobbyists, or anyone who needs some serious workspace, this one’s worth a look. 🛠️

Comment MOVE and I’ll send you the full listing! 👇

📍 610 W Ellis Avenue | Belding, MI

💰 $469,900
🌳 Nearly 1.5 acres
🛠️ Huge detached outbuilding/workshop
🚗 Attached garage + additional parking/storage
🌲 Picturesque backyard with trails and mature trees
🏡 4 bedrooms + 3.5 bathrooms
📐 3,589 finished sq. ft.
✨ Vaulted ceilings in the main living room
💻 Dedicated office/flex space
🚪 Walkout basement
📦 15 closets + extensive storage
☀️ Bright 3-season sunroom
🛏️ Spacious main-floor primary suite
🧺 Main-floor laundry

Whether you’re a contractor who needs room for tools and equipment, a car enthusiast looking for workshop space, or someone who simply wants acreage and privacy without sacrificing living space, this property offers a combination that’s hard to find.

The house is spacious, but the land and outbuilding are what really set this one apart. taken in Belding, Michigan by @jimhocking

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2 days ago

Grand Rapids’ new soccer stadium is being designed to make 8,500 people feel like a much bigger crowd.

⚽ The closest seats sit roughly 15 feet from the pitch
🏟️ Supporter sections anchor both ends of the stadium
🔊 Massive canopies are designed to help contain crowd energy around the field

At $175 million, Amway Stadium is a major investment, but the strategy isn’t maximum capacity. It’s intimacy, sightlines and atmosphere.

Would you rather have a larger stadium, or a smaller one that puts everyone closer to the action?

#GrandRapids #GrandRapidsMI #WestMichigan #GrandRapidsMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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2 days ago

Grand Rapids invested in more than a convention center. It invested in changing how downtown functions.

When DeVos Place opened in 2004, the goal wasn’t just attracting conventions. It was bringing visitors, hotel stays, and economic activity downtown beyond concerts and sporting events.

🏙️ 2004: DeVos Place opens, expanding Grand Rapids’ ability to host major conventions and trade shows.

🏨 Downtown impact: Convention visitors fill nearby hotels, support restaurants, and bring business to downtown throughout the week.

📈 Economic development: Alongside Van Andel Arena and the Amway Grand Plaza, DeVos Place helped establish downtown Grand Rapids as a regional destination for entertainment, tourism, and major events.

More than 20 years later, it’s difficult to imagine downtown Grand Rapids without it.

For those who remember downtown before 2004, how much do you think DeVos Place contributed to its transformation?

#GrandRapids #DeVosPlace #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapidsMichigan #WestMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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3 days ago

Downtown Grand Rapids is losing office space, but gaining something else: more people living in the heart of the city.

🏢 25 Ionia SW: The historic Lemon Wheeler Building, next to Van Andel Arena, is planned for a $4 million conversion into 27 apartments above HopCat.
🏠 New housing: Mostly studios and one-bedroom apartments, with estimated rents around $1,500 per month.
🏙️ A growing trend: Similar projects at 111 Lyon, the Ledyard Building, and the Trust Building are transforming former downtown offices into residential and hospitality space.

These projects reflect a broader shift in how downtown Grand Rapids is being used. More residents could support restaurants, retail, and entertainment beyond traditional business hours, but a strong downtown also depends on businesses and employment.

As more historic office buildings become apartments, what do you think downtown Grand Rapids still needs to become a better place to live?

#GrandRapids #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapidsMichigan #WestMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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3 days ago

🏡 Comment MOVE for the full listing details, photos, and a private showing!

💰 $239,900
🛏️ 3 Bedrooms | 2 Full Bathrooms
🏡 Ranch-style home with 1,000 finished sq. ft.
☀️ Multiple sunrooms and screened porches
🍽️ Kitchen with stainless steel appliances
🌳 Spacious backyard with mature trees
🎯 Detached flex space perfect for hobbies or entertaining
🚗 Detached garage and additional storage sheds
📦 Full basement with plenty of storage
📍 Convenient location near shopping, dining, and amenities

This Comstock Park ranch offers more than meets the eye! Beyond the comfortable main-level living spaces, you’ll find multiple enclosed porches, a unique detached recreation space, and a backyard with room to relax, entertain, or enjoy your hobbies. Plenty of flexibility inside and out, all at an approachable price point!

🏠 OPEN HOUSES:
Saturday, October 17 | 10 AM–12 PM
Sunday, October 18th | 1 PM–3 PM

📲 Comment MOVE for more information or to schedule your private tour!

#ComstockPark #GrandRapids #WestMichigan #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapidsMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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3 days ago

Van Andel Arena was a $77 million gamble on downtown Grand Rapids.

• The project combined $56M in public financing with $21M in private contributions
• More than 5 million people passed through the arena in its first five years
• Its success helped reshape Heartside and reinforced a public-private development model Grand Rapids still uses

Nearly 30 years later, should downtown keep investing in major destinations, or focus more heavily on the everyday activity between them?

#GrandRapids #GrandRapidsMI #VanAndelArena #WestMichigan #GrandRapidsMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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4 days ago

One of West Michigan’s largest construction companies just made a major decision about its future ownership.

Grand Rapids-based Rockford considered outside investors and private equity, but ultimately chose to become 100% employee-owned.

• 330 full-time employees are eligible to participate in the new Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), with no employee buy-in required.
• Leadership remains in place, with salaries and existing benefits unchanged.
• Ownership stays with the workforce, rather than transferring to an outside buyer, as more West Michigan businesses approach generational ownership transitions.

Rockford has helped shape Grand Rapids through decades of construction and development. Now it’s making a different kind of investment in the region’s future.

As more major West Michigan businesses change hands, should keeping ownership local be a priority, or does outside investment offer opportunities worth considering?

#GrandRapids #WestMichigan #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapidsMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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5 days ago

Grand Rapids demolished its central passenger rail station in 1956. Seventy years later, we’re still talking about bringing more passenger rail service back.

• Union Station opened in 1900 on the city’s West Side, connecting Grand Rapids to destinations across the region and beyond.
• As automobile ownership increased and highways expanded, passenger rail declined. Union Station was demolished just 42 years after opening.
• Grand Rapids never built a comparable central passenger terminal, leaving a very different transportation network than the one the city once had.

At the time, passenger rail was declining across the country, and investing in highways made sense to a lot of people. But looking at how expensive and complicated it would be to rebuild that infrastructure today, it’s worth reconsidering some of those decisions.

Was demolishing Union Station the right decision for its time, or a short-sighted move that Grand Rapids would benefit from reversing today?

#GrandRapids #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapidsMichigan #WestMichigan taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan by @jimhocking

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6 days ago