Grandville

History

Anishinaabe peoples are indigenous to the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. Grandville was geographically an important place during the logging years in Michigan's history due to its location at the "river-bend" of the Grand River. It was important to have people there to make sure the logs did not jam up as the river turned north-west toward Grand Haven. Grandville was founded in 1833 and incorporated as a city in 1933. By the 1980s due to the growth of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area following the early 1980s recession in the United States, Grandville began to experience even more growth. In 1987, color measurement and manufacturer X-Rite established its headquarters in the city a year after it went public, soon becoming one of the fastest growing businesses in Michigan. In the 1990s, the city was being eyed for larger development. In 1990, developers explored the building of a new mall near the intersection of 44th Street and Ivanrest and eventually met with the city for approval. In 1999, construction was completed on RiverTown Crossings, a mall with just over 1.25 million square feet of retail space. In the 2000s, Grandville experienced continued growth following the opening of Rivertown Crossings, including multiple restaurants and strip malls along Rivertown Parkway. It had grown to be one of the city's largest employers. However, by 2007, the beginning of the Great Recession, X-Rite had moved its headquarters nearby to Kentwood. A new fire station was constructed across the street from city hall at Prairie and Wilson in 2000 to make way for a new police station and hall of justice in 2003 next to city hall and a Kent District Library on Wilson Avenue. In 2013, a Cabela's and Target anchored a new development on the former X-Rite property. In 2016, a 1…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (5.93%) is water. The Grand River forms the northern border of the city, and the city of Grand Rapids is just to the northeast, while Walker is to the north and Wyoming surrounds the city on the east and south. Ottawa County is to the west. * run through Grandville near the north and west portions of the city. * runs west–east through the northern portion of the city. * has its western terminus at I-196 at the western border of the city.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  35,718
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  33,063
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  29,514
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,726
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  26,703
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  25,832
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  25,768
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  24,557

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2015-05-02
  5 km S of Galesburg, Michigan