GRAND RAPIDS TIME TRAVELER SERIES

The Restoration Boom: Preservation & Change in 1980s Grand Rapids

Friday, October 29, 2021 @ 10:30 – 11:30 am EDT

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Join GVSU’s Kutsche Office of Local History to learn about the Restoration Boom in Grand Rapids and the preservation and change that came out of the 1980’s. The 1980s kicked off a transformation and revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids, motivating historic building restoration and inspiring new construction. A combination of urban reinvestment and a growing interest in historic restoration changed the city’s landscape and helped restore many older buildings to their historic state. Pamela VanderPloeg, architectural historian, educator, and administrator of ArchitectureGrandRapids.org, will share buildings’ stories from this era. This will include many photographs and primary research materials to help illustrate the changes the 1980s brought to Grand Rapids.