September 24, 2026 General Meeting Re-cap Amway Stadium

StockBridge Business Association Gets an Inside Look at Amway Stadium and AC Grand Rapids

The StockBridge Business Association’s September meeting gave members a behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest projects taking shape in downtown Grand Rapids: the new Amway Stadium and the arrival of AC Grand Rapids.

Thank you to the YMCA for hosting our group and helping us kick off the meeting. Ryan Waalkes, StockBridge Business Association Vice President, welcomed attendees, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer led by President Jessica Gutowski-Slaydon.

From there, the conversation turned to the stadium itself, how the project came together and what it could mean for Grand Rapids and the broader West Michigan community.

Archie Smith of Grand Action 2.0 shared the history and vision behind the project. Grand Action 2.0 is a nonprofit economic development organization made up of civic leaders focused on transformational projects in the downtown area and on developing public and private funding strategies to make them possible.

The new Amway Stadium is being built as an 8,500-seat venue and is expected to be ready for its first game in March. Ground was broken on April 22, 2025. The total project cost is approximately $175 million, with about $115 million in public funding and $60 million in private support.

The private portion includes approximately $33 million from Amway as the lead donor and another $27 million raised by Grand Action 2.0 through its capital campaign. Public funding includes roughly $100 million in public bonds supported by the increase in the hotel and lodging excise tax, along with $5 million from the Convention and Arena Authority and $10 million from a transformational brownfield redevelopment program.

The local hotel and lodging excise tax was increased from 5 percent to 8 percent, with that 3 percent increase helping support bond payments for both the amphitheater and soccer stadium. The City of Grand Rapids is the official holder of the bonds used to support construction.

Grand Action 2.0 will remain involved as construction overseer into early next year. Once construction is complete and the facility is in use, the Convention and Arena Authority will assume ownership and oversight. The CAA’s seven-member board already administers major regional facilities including DeVos Place, Van Andel Arena, the amphitheater and the soccer stadium.

Legends/ASM Global will serve as venue manager and handle day-to-day operations, upkeep, bookings and athletic and community events. The West Michigan Sports Commission will also play an important role by helping organize tournaments and supporting events across the community and in partnership with colleges.

County Commissioner Carol Hennessey spoke about why the project matters beyond the stadium itself and how partnerships like this can create broader community impact.

Jeff Taggart of Rockford then walked members through how the project is actually being built, offering insight into the construction process and the scale of what is taking shape downtown.

Darrius Barnes of AC Grand Rapids closed out the main presentation by talking about what happens once the gates open and the soccer club begins play. For many of us, that was one of the most exciting parts of the conversation because it made the project feel very real. This is not just a building under construction. It is a future gathering place for fans, families and the community.

Members were also invited to join Jeff Taggart for a short walk around the stadium after the meeting to get a closer look at the progress.

We also introduced a new board member, Leonard Wernette-Leff, and reminded attendees that the StockBridge Business Association is always looking for people who want to get involved. If you are interested in joining the board, please contact Jessica Gutowski-Slaydon at jes@swiftprinting.com.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a great afternoon of learning, conversation and connection.

Our final meeting of 2026 will be held November 19 from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, where we will take a look back at the history of the WestSide. We hope to see you there.