Amway Stadium

Last updated
Amway Stadium
Amway Stadium
Former namesGR Soccer Stadium (planning)
Location230 Winter Ave. NW
Grand Rapids, Michigan, US
Coordinates 42°58′5.7576″N85°40′50.4732″W / 42.968266000°N 85.680687000°W / 42.968266000; -85.680687000
OwnerGrand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority
Capacity 8,500
Acreage 8.2 acres (3.3 ha)
Construction
Broke groundSpring 2025 (planned)
OpenedSpring 2027 (planned)
Construction cost$175 million [1]
Architect Progressive Companies
General contractor AECOM Hunt
Rockford Construction
Tenants
West Michigan Soccer (MLS Next Pro) (2027–)

Amway Stadium is a planned soccer-specific stadium located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Construction on the stadium is set to begin in spring 2025 and is set to open in 2027. [2] It is the future home of the West Michigan Soccer team which will begin its first season in MLS Next Pro in 2027. [3]

History

On November 24, 2020, Grand Action 2.0, a non profit economic development organization, announced their plans for several major projects in the city of Grand Rapids including an amphitheater and a soccer-specific stadium which was initially listed to be able to accommodate 5,000-plus people. The plans were part of a feasibility study conducted by Convention, Sports and Leisure International in 2016 but were shelved in 2017. The initial tenants of this feasibility study were the now-defunct Grand Rapids FC soccer team of USL League 2. [4]

On September 1, 2022, MiBiz reported that they had obtained renderings of a proposed stadium on the west side of Grand Rapids just north of the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids on Pearl Street and west of US-131 and the Gerald Ford Presidential Library. It was also reported that DP Fox Ventures LLC, an investment firm owned by Dan DeVos and Pamella DeVos had acquired several plots of land on the site which contained city-owned surface parking and a Big Boy restaurant. [5] On December 19, 2023, the Big Boy restaurant located on the site had abruptly closed its doors. A spokesperson for the DeVos family had commented about the closure "Dan and Pamella DeVos acquired this land because they believed it held tremendous potential for a future community use benefitting West Michigan residents, employees and visitors. The current tenant vacating the site provides the opportunity for advancing exploration of future uses in the weeks and months ahead". [6]

On December 23, 2023, renderings of the stadium were revealed at a Grand Rapids Committee meeting. The stadium's capacity was increased to 8,500. Grand Rapids Deputy City Manager Kate Berens had also revaled that Grand Action 2.0 is working in tandem with the city of Grand Rapids as well as Kent County and the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority to build the stadium along with the Acrisure Amphitheater. [7] The stadium is also projected to be able to draw 164,350 visitors per season and would also host 17 professional soccer matches along with 56 other events including other sports events and concerts annually.

On November 18, 2024, it was announced that the Ada, Michigan-based multi-level marketing company Amway had secured the naming rights for the stadium after providing a $33 million donation to finance the construction of the stadium. The city of Grand Rapids also approved to issue $100.5 million in bonds that would be sourced from Kent County lodging tax revenue on hotel and motel stays which would be used to finance the construction of the stadium. [8]

On December 17, 2024, it was announced that the DeVos family had established a new soccer team to occupy Amway Stadium. The team will initially be known as the West Michigan Soccer team and is set to play in the spring of 2027. It was also confirmed that the team would play in the MLS NEXT Pro league, making it the first Major League Soccer team in the state of Michigan. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ada Township, Michigan</span> Civil township in Michigan, United States

Ada Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 14,388 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard DeVos</span> American businessman

Richard Marvin DeVos Sr. was an American billionaire businessman, co-founder of Amway with Jay Van Andel, and owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team. In 2012, Forbes magazine listed him as the 60th wealthiest person in the United States, and the 205th richest in the world, with an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick DeVos</span> American businessman (born 1955)

Richard Marvin DeVos Jr. is an American businessman, author, and former politician. The son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, he was CEO of the multi-level marketing company from 1993 to 2002. In 2006, DeVos ran for Governor of Michigan but lost to the then-incumbent Democrat Jennifer Granholm. In 2012, Forbes magazine listed his father as the No. 351 richest person in the world, with a net worth of approximately US$5.4 billion. DeVos is the husband of Betsy DeVos, the former United States Secretary of Education in the first Trump administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeVos Place Convention Center</span> Convention center in Michigan, United States

DeVos Place Convention Center, erected on the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a multi-purpose convention center. It is named for Richard DeVos, who donated $20 million towards its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 U.S. Open Cup</span> Soccer tournament season

The 1999 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June to October 1999, open to all soccer teams in the United States. It was the first Open Cup tournament to be named after Lamar Hunt. The Rochester Raging Rhinos of the A-League defeated the Colorado Rapids 2–0 in the final at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Rhinos became the first, and as of 2024, only non-Division I team to win the Open Cup since the inception of Major League Soccer, defeating four MLS teams in the tournament. Another A-League team, the Charleston Battery, also reached the semifinals, and the A-League's Staten Island Vipers were the other non-division one squad to beat an MLS team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Rapids Christian High School</span> Private christian school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

Grand Rapids Christian High School (GRCHS) is a private Christian secondary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1920, "Christian High" is a member of Grand Rapids Christian Schools and Christian Schools International. The school was first accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1925, one of the first six high schools in Kent County to receive that honor. GRCHS is also a member of the Michigan Association of Non-public Schools.

The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation is an American conservative non-profit organization and grant-making body formed in 1970. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the organization was founded by Richard DeVos Sr., co-founder of the multi-level marketing company Amway and former finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and his wife Helen. As of 2014, the foundation had $54.9 million in assets. It is one of five non-profit organizations established and operated by the DeVos family; the others, all founded by siblings of Richard DeVos Jr., include the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation; the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation; Cheri DeVos’ CDV5 Foundation; and the Douglas and Maria DeVos Foundation.

Orlando, Florida has a history of major events in sports. It has had a considerable measure of success in minor league sports as well, with teams winning several minor league championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Rapids, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Grand Rapids is a city in and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,893, making it the second-most populous city in Michigan, after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the central city of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, which has a population of 1,162,950 and a combined statistical area population of 1,502,552.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan DeVos</span> American ice hockey executive

Daniel G. DeVos is an American businessman and sports executive. He is the son of Helen June and Amway co-founder Richard DeVos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug DeVos</span> American businessman

Doug DeVos is an American businessman and sailor. He is co-chairman with Steve Van Andel of Amway, which was co-founded by their fathers. DeVos is the chairman of the executive committee of the National Constitutional Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen DeVos</span> American philanthropist and political donor (1927–2017)

Helen June DeVos was an American philanthropist and political donor. She was the wife of Richard DeVos, co-founder of Amway beauty and home care products company and owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team. She was the mother-in-law of U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.

Grand Rapids Christian Schools is a private, Christian school system located in Kent County, Michigan, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The majority of its campuses are situated in Grand Rapids with an additional campus in Rockford. The administrative headquarters of the school system is located adjacent to Grand Rapids Christian High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midwest United FC</span> Association football team

Midwest United FC is an American soccer club based in Grand Rapids, Michigan that fields teams in MLS NEXT and Elite Clubs National League and senior teams in the Great Lakes Division of USL League Two and USL W League. Midwest United FC is a youth academy affiliate of Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLS Next Pro</span> Professional soccer league in the United States and Canada

MLS Next Pro (MLSNP) is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and now comprises 27 reserve sides of MLS clubs and 2 independent clubs. MLS Next Pro is classified as part of the third tier of the United States soccer league system.

Acrisure Amphitheater is a 12,000 seat outdoor amphitheatre which broke ground in Grand Rapids, Michigan in May of 2024 and to be completed by 2026.

Aidan Charles O'Connor is an American soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Michigan Soccer</span> Soccer club

West Michigan Soccer is the working name of an American professional soccer team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 2024, the team plans to make its debut in MLS Next Pro in 2027.

References

  1. ↑ "Amway makes $33m commitment to Grand Rapids Soccer Stadium". The Stadium Business. 20 November 2024.
  2. ↑ "Grand Rapids Amway Stadium debut in 2027". Coliseum News. November 28, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Grand Rapids to Launch MLS NEXT Pro Team in 2027" (Press release). MLS Next Pro. December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Grand Action 2.0 unveils priorities". WOOD-TV. November 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ "West side GR site examined for soccer stadium; DeVos acquires adjacent land". MiBiz. September 1, 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Big Boy in downtown Grand Rapids closed". WOOD-TV. December 19, 2023.
  7. ↑ "New 8,500-seat soccer stadium could spur $408M in economic activity over 30 years". Crain's Grand Rapids Business. December 19, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Amway secures naming rights for Grand Rapids soccer stadium for $33M". Crain's Grand Rapids Business. November 18, 2024.
  9. ↑ McVicar, Brian (December 18, 2024). "Van Andel, DeVos families creating Michigan's first MLS NEXT Pro soccer team". MLive.com . Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  10. ↑ Crandall, Kayla (December 17, 2024). "Grand Rapids' new men's professional soccer team shares league details". WZZM . Retrieved December 17, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.