SHOPS

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Construction has begun on a new restaurant and bank at the entrance to the Shops at Centerpoint shopping center in Grand Rapids. It will be located at 3445 28th St. SE, in the former Toys ‘R’ Us location near East Beltline Avenue SE.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Construction has begun on a new restaurant and bank at the entrance to the Shops at Centerpoint shopping center in Grand Rapids. The new restaurant, called BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, will be over 7,600 square feet and have a 731-square-foot outdoor patio. Kyle VanStrien, chair of the Grand Rapids Planning Commission, called the development a modernization of the area. It’s more progress, and that’s good to see.”A new restaurant is coming to Grand Rapids early next year, called BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse. “We’ve seen a lot of good changes and bringing new life to the Centerpoint area.”Read more local news from MLive/The Grand Rapids Press:Chick-fil-A to replace Golden Corral in Grand Rapids area51-lot housing development planned for site near Hudsonville schoolSee how Grand Rapids residents chose to spend $2 million in their neighborhoods

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ANN ARBOR – Downtown area associations have joined an annual campaign to encourage visitors to continue shopping and dining in the city throughout the month of January. Typically a slow time of year for business, the pandemic has only exacerbated the lack of customers at local establishments. The Main Street Area Association, State Street District, Kerrytown District Association, and South University Area Association have partnered with the getDowntown Program for “Conquer the Cold - Pandemic Edition.”The annual challenge by getDowntown -- in partnership with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide), the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the City of Ann Arbor -- is designed to encourage and educate commuters to use alternative modes of transportation during the cold winter months. Many restaurants will be participating in the Comfort Food Challenge, and users can get prizes for dining outdoors, ordering curbside and shopping downtown. “The Downtown Districts are excited to be partnering with GetDowntown for Conquer the Cold this year,” Sandra Andrade, executive director of the Main Street Area Association said in a statement.

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NORTHVILLE, Mich. – A Detroit suburb has partnered with a business owner to build heated stands and pods to help restaurants and shops get through the winter amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Northville Downtown Development Authority and Manfred Schon, owner of data company Up2Go, has unveiled its “Heat in the Street” experience, MLive.com reported. Schon, who is from Germany, said he wanted to help Northville businesses during winter months with outdoor dining and shopping like he had back home. Restaurants will use food stands to serve their dishes, and customers will use the heated dining pods. The stands and pods will be in addition to outdoor areas many downtown restaurants are already planning outside of their businesses for the winter, Ward said.