Historic Relocation for Local Billboard Company

GRAND RAPIDS — A century-old advertising company is returning to downtown after 60 years, marking a significant milestone for both Outfront Media and the Factory Yards redevelopment project.

Outfront Media plans to relocate its Grand Rapids office to a new facility in the Factory Yards development at 565 Godfrey Avenue, where it will become the first tenant in the massive redevelopment project near downtown Grand Rapids. The company said it will break ground this month on a new 22,200-square-foot build-to-suit office.

Brad Eldridge, Vice President for Grand Rapids at Outfront Media, said the new location will consolidate the company's front office and operational teams into a single location closer to the city's downtown business district and growing development corridor.

"Our company and its predecessors have been intertwined with Grand Rapids, its community and businesses, for more than a century," Eldridge said. "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."

A Century of Advertising in Grand Rapids

Outfront 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 147 million dollar Factory Yards project is repurposing a vacant industrial site on Grand Rapids' southwest side and was the first in the city to receive transformational brownfield incentives.

The new office is being developed with 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 relocation represents the company's first major move in the Michigan city in roughly 60 years, bringing its operations closer to the expanding downtown corridor and positioning it alongside other businesses taking advantage of Grand Rapids' ongoing revitalization efforts.

Investment in Southwest Side

The Factory Yards development marks a significant investment in the southwest side neighborhood, transforming an underutilized industrial site into a vibrant mixed-use community. The brownfield incentives provided by the city helped make the project financially viable, demonstrating the city's commitment to economic development in the area.

Construction on the new office space is scheduled to begin this month, with Outfront Media set to break ground as part of the larger development that will eventually include housing, retail, and dining options for residents and visitors.

The project underscores the growing momentum of downtown Grand Rapids' expansion southward, with new developments and businesses clustering around the historic downtown area.

Sources

• https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/real-estate/commercial/cgr-factory-yards-outfront-media-offices-20260331/
• https://www.sixteen-nine.net/2026/04/02/outfront-media-plans-new-office-in-grand-rapids-mixed-use-development/