Construction For New Duplexes In Grand Rapids May Begin This Summer

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Construction may start this summer on three new duplexes in Grand Rapids' Belknap Lookout neighborhood. Developer Nathan Biller plans to build these duplexes at 837 Prospect Ave. NE, near Matilda Street. The project will include six units—five three-bedroom and one four-bedroom—and a ten-space parking lot behind the buildings. The estimated cost for the project is about $1.5 million.

Biller, in a phone interview with WOODTV.com, mentioned that the project faced delays due to additional government approvals. The Board of Zoning Appeals granted a dimensional variance in February, and the Planning Commission approved a special land use request in March. A building permit application was submitted on May 29 and is currently under consideration. Biller expects the permit process to take about a month, allowing construction to begin over the summer and likely conclude by next fall.

The project aims to address the housing shortage in West Michigan. A study by Housing Next highlighted the need for 34,000 new housing units in Kent County by 2029, with around 13,000 needed in Grand Rapids alone. Biller emphasized the importance of adding quality housing options in the region, stating, "The best way that I know how to change it is to start building our way out of the problem."