Grand Rapids' Fifth Third Building Gets a Modern Makeover

In the heart of Grand Rapids, a big change is happening. The Fifth Third Building, which has been around since 1966, is getting a major upgrade. Seven floors that have been empty for years are being turned into 140 fancy apartments. These apartments will be ready by June 2026. The man in charge, Sam Cummings, says this project is like building a plane while it's flying. Workers are carefully tearing down old offices and building new apartments without disturbing the people who work in the building. It's a big job, but they are making progress. Right now, the project is about 65% done. On the eighth floor, you can see apartments with nice floors, modern kitchens, and great views of the city. But there's still a lot of work to do. The hallways have exposed pipes and cement floors, and the basement is still waiting for its makeover. Once finished, the basement will have a pool, a gym, and even a pickleball court. These amenities will make the building feel like a community. Cummings believes that having nice common areas is just as important as having nice apartments. The building was originally home to Old Kent Bank and was part of Grand Rapids' urban renewal in the 1960s. CWD bought the building in 2015 and tried to attract a big company to fill the empty offices. But that didn't work out. Instead, they decided to turn the space into apartments because there's a high demand for housing in the area. A new state law in 2023 gave them extra money to help with the project. This law allows developers to get some of their money back through future taxes. CWD will get about $15. 2 million over 25 years. When the apartments are done, there will be 105 one-bedroom and 35 two-bedroom units. Twenty-eight of these apartments will be for people who earn less than the average income in Kent County. The rent for these apartments will be lower than the market rate. The other 112 apartments will be priced at the market rate. People are already interested, with about 60 people on the waiting list. Cummings says he feels "apprehensively amazing" about the project. He's happy with the progress but knows the real test will be when the apartments open and see if they made the right choices.