Restaurant Demolition Begins as New Housing Project Moves Forward on West Fulton

The Adobe Mexican Kitchen restaurant at 617 W. Fulton St. is set to be demolished in late May 2026 as developers move forward with plans for a new 109-unit apartment complex.

Construction Simplified President Brent Gibson announced that demolition of the West Side restaurant will begin in late May, making way for the Abode West Fulton development project. The four-story apartment building will feature studio and one-bedroom units with rents ranging from about $1,142 to $1,735 per month.

The project received approval from the Michigan Strategic Fund for a $4.75 million loan through the Community Revitalization Program, along with an Act 381 state tax capture worth up to $1.8 million. The city of Grand Rapids is providing an additional $3.6 million in incentives.

Restaurant Relocates to New Location

Adobe Mexican Kitchen is not being shut down permanently. The restaurant will relocate to 527 Bridge St. NW, a new location being built by Construction Simplified. The company is also demolishing another building at 17 Seward Ave. NW to make room for the apartment development.

Gibson said construction on the new restaurant should be complete by June 2027. The Abode West Fulton project is located near Grand Valley State University's downtown campus and within walking distance of Acrisure Amphitheatre and Amway Stadium.

Mixed-Use Development Plans

The apartment building will include a two-story integrated parking deck with 70 spaces and amenities such as a rooftop deck, courtyard with fire pits, grills, dog areas and outdoor leisure activities. About 80 percent of the units will be studio apartments, with the remainder consisting of one-bedroom layouts.

The project also includes 6,550 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. Gibson said he's in negotiations with a local coffee shop for a corner space and hopes to attract a restaurant or bar for the larger 2,800-square-foot space in the building.

Investment in West Fulton Corridor

Gibson described the project as part of a broader vision to strengthen the West Fulton corridor, which he said is an underserved area that directly connects to downtown Grand Rapids. He sees the project as building on other investments on the city's West Side, including restaurants, retailers and apartments on Bridge Street NW as well as Amway Stadium, an 8,500-seat soccer stadium slated to open in 2027.

"My vision is that this becomes a north-south corridor," Gibson said, describing a stretch of the West Side from Leonard Street to Bridge Street to Fulton Street.

Project Financing Details

The $4.75 million loan is being issued through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's Community Revitalization Program, which provides gap financing for projects that cannot secure sufficient funding through traditional private banks. Gibson noted that the MSF loan carries an interest rate of about 1 percent, compared with roughly 6 to 7 percent for traditional private-market financing.

In addition to the MSF loan, Construction Simplified is financing the project with a $13.4 million private loan and more than $5.8 million in equity from the development team.

Gibson's company has completed several other projects on the city's West Side, including The Anthony, an eight-unit apartment building that opened at 851 W. Fulton St. in 2024. The firm also opened its new $4 million office at 625 W. Fulton St. in 2023.

Construction Timeline

Gibson said construction on the Abode West Fulton project is expected to be complete by June 2027. The building will feature a mix of studio and one-bedroom apartments with ground-floor commercial spaces, as well as a rooftop deck and courtyard with amenities for residents.

"My vision is that this becomes a north-south corridor," Gibson said, emphasizing the project's role in connecting different parts of the West Side to downtown Grand Rapids.

Sources:

• https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2026/03/demolition-of-grand-rapids-restaurant-eyed-for-may-after-state-backs-apartment-project.html
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/4-7m-state-loan-housing-141506085.html