$160M Studio Park development celebrates opening

$160M Studio Park development celebrates opening

GRAND RAPIDS — What started as an idea for a movie theater in downtown Grand Rapids has evolved into the 62,500-square-foot Studio Park development that also includes restaurants, housing, offices and hotel space.

Developers of the multi-use, $160 million development at 123 Ionia Ave. SW held a grand opening Wednesday after 10 years of planning and 17 months of construction.

“This is a very big day in the history of our company,” said John Loeks, chairman of Studio C, the parent company of Celebration Cinema that opened the nine-screen movie theater included in the development. “We think this is a very big day in the city of Grand Rapids.” 

The development also includes dining and retail options, a 200-seat concert venue dubbed The Listening Room, and an outdoor piazza. 

“We tried to create a space that is welcoming to everyone, a space where there’s always something going on,” said JD Loeks, president of Studio C. 

While some parts of the entertainment complex will open to the public Oct. 3, other elements of Studio Park will continue to be built in the coming months. That includes a 105,000-square-foot, $30 million office building at 100 Ottawa Ave that Olsen Loeks Development LLC announced in March. 

The building will house insurance giant Acrisure LLC, which move 400 jobs to downtown Grand Rapids from Caledonia. JD Loeks said construction on the office building will begin in the next couple of weeks.

A 960-space parking structure at the development services the retail, office and restaurant spaces, as well as the residents who live in lofts included in the development. The 106-unit Studio Park Lofts at 100 Ottawa Ave. is about 50-percent occupied, JD Loeks said Wednesday.

Plans also include a 155-room Canopy by Hilton hotel.