A position that has helped hundreds of downtown businesses navigate pandemic challenges and construction disruptions will end June 30, according to a joint announcement from the City of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the Grand Rapids Chamber.

The role has been held by Richard App, a former art gallery owner who took the job in late January 2020 with the goal of strengthening the city's retail sector. During his tenure, App helped small restaurants and retailers apply for grants and permits, navigate construction disruptions and address financing challenges. He also worked to attract new retailers to the city and strengthen the marketing efforts of business associations.

Grand Rapids Deputy City Manager Kate Berens said the partnership is not ending because of dissatisfaction with App's work. Instead, she said, the change reflects each organization reassessing how best to align its retail work with its mission.

"We're all still pulling the oars in the same direction, just doing it differently," Berens said.

She said the city is evaluating whether funding in its upcoming budget, expected to be approved in May, could support some of the work App performed. That includes helping businesses access state and local grants and assisting retailers affected by construction projects, particularly in commercial corridors where road work disrupts parking and foot traffic.

According to his contract, App's position was budgeted at $145,000, which included his salary and benefits as well as marketing and travel expenses. The city and DGRI each contributed $60,000, while the Chamber provided $25,000 in cash and in-kind services.

Creating a more robust retail corridor in downtown Grand Rapids has long been a topic of conversation among city leaders and DGRI. In January, the downtown storefront vacancy rate was estimated at 20 percent, according to DGRI.

Berens said App's work had "multiple positive impacts" on the retail sector, and that his performance shouldn't solely be judged based on the vacancy rate.

"I think there has been a lot that he did to attract new businesses to Grand Rapids," she said. "I think he was a great ambassador outside of the city to retailers who were looking for that second or third location, and he was a great ambassador about what a great place Grand Rapids is."

App said serving as the city's retail attraction and retention specialist has "truly been one of the honors of my lifetime."

"You always want to be able to say that you left things better than when you started, and I feel like we've done that," he said.

Shortly after App was hired in late January 2020, his role shifted as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The job moved from retail attraction and retention to crisis response, as App worked with the Chamber and other organizations to help businesses stay afloat amid shutdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

One accomplishment App points to was working with the city to temporarily suspend parking enforcement in some areas of Grand Rapids. The move was prompted by a local restaurant owner who, early in the pandemic, received a parking ticket despite being the only vehicle parked in front of his business.

"The whole idea was if we're going to help support these businesses, and we're encouraging people to get takeout food, let's shut off the meters because we have to do anything we can to help these businesses," App said.

Other accomplishments App cited include helping bring Gazelle Sports in 2022 and Shinola in 2024 to Monroe Center Street, downtown's main retail corridor. He also highlighted his work helping businesses apply for state and local grants and building partnerships with business associations and the city's Corridor Improvement Authorities.

One example of that work was partnering with Union Bank to create bridge loans that made facade improvement grants offered through Corridor Improvement Authorities more accessible to small businesses.

Berens said the facade improvement grants are structured as reimbursements, meaning business owners must pay for improvements upfront and receive funding later. The bridge loans help cover upfront costs for businesses that do not have the money readily available.

Berens described the loans as an example of App's focus on identifying barriers and finding ways city programs could help overcome them.

Jenny Waugh, the Grand Rapids Chamber's vice president of economic growth, said the Chamber's decision not to renew the position is driven primarily by internal staffing changes, not a shift in priorities.

"One thing I think we've found is more than one person's job," Waugh said, noting that App's role extended beyond advising new businesses to also helping the city communicate with retailers and restaurants about road construction projects that affect customer access.

In recent years, the Chamber expanded its economic growth and government affairs teams, adding full-time, in-house staff to support small businesses. Those additions include business consultant Alex Benda, owner of Oh, Hello Co. Paper and Gifts, and government affairs employee Trevor Blood.

"Rich's work we're so grateful for everything he's done," Waugh said. "You could ask any business owner and they'd tell you the same thing. The relationships he's helped build, the communication, the awareness that he drives."

Looking ahead, App said he has not yet decided what he will do next after the position ends.

"I won't miss the job," he said. "I won't miss the good, the bad, and the ugly. But I will miss people."

While he hasn't finalized plans, App said he is open to continuing work that supports small businesses and neighborhoods.

"I've certainly got conversations going, but whatever I do is going to be about community," he said. "It's going to be about bettering the city that I live in and being behind something that I'm truly passionate about."

Brian McVicar is a reporter with MLive covering business, growth and development in Grand Rapids and West Michigan.