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Community Invited to Help Shape the Future of Indian Mounds Drive at an Upcoming Open House
GRAND RAPIDS, MI. (April 22, 2026) — The Kent County Parks Department and local partners are inviting community members to learn more about an effort to make the Indian Mounds Drive corridor safer, more welcoming and better connected during an upcoming open house.
Event details:
- Monday, April 27 from 5-7 p.m.
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Kent County Parks Administration Building (1700 Butterworth Street SW, Grand Rapids)
Indian Mounds Drive is a 4-mile road and shared recreation lane that runs parallel to the Grand River and I-196 from Market Avenue to Wilson Avenue. It stretches from the southwest side of Grand Rapids through Wyoming to Grandville and is connected to the growing Grand River Greenway — an emerging network of public parks, trails and natural areas linking West Michigan communities to the Grand River, from Lowell to the Lakeshore.
“We invite anyone who walks, runs, cycles, fishes or just enjoys this unique corridor to attend the open house to learn more, ask questions and help shape the future of Indian Mounds Drive," Kent County Parks Director Ben Swayze said.
Taking place indoors, the free event is open to residents of all ages and abilities and will include children’s activities and light refreshments. Community members are encouraged but not required to register for the open house by filling out this form.
“This open house represents an exciting opportunity to reimagine Indian Mounds Drive as a space that better serves both people and place,” said Catherine Zietse, Grand River Greenway program manager at Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. “By thoughtfully balancing recreation, safety and connectivity, we can create a corridor that improves access to the Grand River, supports regional trail connections and reflects a shared vision for a more vibrant and accessible public space.”
The open house follows an online survey last fall that collected responses from nearly 2,000 community members across Kent County. Results from the survey revealed several shared priorities for the corridor, including:
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Safety - Clearly separating spaces for walking, running and cycling to reduce conflicts with vehicles.
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Maintenance - Common concerns included trash and dumping, invasive species, erosion and overgrown or neglected vegetation.
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Ecological restoration - Both on land and in the Grand River.
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Sacred sites - Respect for the Grand River Burial Mounds and tribal oversight of visibility, access and educational interpretation.
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A calm, natural experience - Peaceful, natural and predictable place to comfortably walk, bike, fish and enjoy nature.
Partners used this feedback to develop several scenarios for potential improvements and operations of the corridor, all while protecting its cultural and ecological significance. These scenarios will be on display during the open house for community members to see and discuss, helping to inform an implementation phase.
The planning study — led by the Kent County Parks Department, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and Grand River Network, with support by the cities of Grand Rapids, Grandville and Wyoming, Kent County Road Commission, Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Valley Metro Council — will be completed this summer.
Additional study partners include Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, Gun Lake Tribe, Michigan Department of Transportation, Viridis Design Group and Fishbeck.
For more information about Indian Mounds Drive and the planning study, please visit the Kent County Parks Department website at kentcountymi.gov/IMD.
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