Billboard Company Marks New Chapter at Factory Yards

GRAND RAPIDS — Outfront Media is becoming the first major tenant in the $147 million Factory Yards redevelopment project, marking a significant milestone in the southwest side mixed-use development that has been in the works for years.

The billboard advertising giant will relocate its Grand Rapids office to a new 22,200-square-foot build-to-suit office at 565 Godfrey Avenue, where construction is set to begin this month. The facility will consolidate Outfront's front office and operational teams into one location closer to the city's downtown business district and the growing development corridor.

A Century in Grand Rapids

Outfront Media has had a presence in Grand Rapids since 1885 through predecessor companies and has operated from its current location south of downtown since the 1960s. The company's long history in the city is what prompted the move to downtown.

"Our company and its predecessors have been intertwined with Grand Rapids, its community and businesses, for more than a century," said Brad Eldridge, Vice President for Grand Rapids at Outfront Media. "When we realized our current space could no longer support our growing team in one place, we knew our next location needed to be downtown."

Factory Yards: A 15-Acre Transformation

The new office is being developed by Heritage Development Partners and will be located within Factory Yards, a 15-acre mixed-use redevelopment that will include residential units, retail space, restaurants, and community gathering areas.

The project was the first in the city to receive transformational brownfield incentives, repurposing a vacant industrial site on Grand Rapids' southwest side. Construction on the $147 million project has been underway for three years.

First in a Growing Corridor

Outfront will become the first tenant in the Factory Yards redevelopment project near downtown Grand Rapids. The development is positioned to capitalize on the city's ongoing growth along the downtown corridor, with the Acrisure Amphitheatre and Professional Stadium developments nearby.

This move represents the company's first relocation in the Michigan city in roughly 60 years, signaling confidence in Grand Rapids' future as a business destination and the continued revitalization of the southwest side neighborhood.