On the west bank of the Grand River, DeVos Place is the convention center that anchors Grand Rapids' bid to be a meeting destination. Opened in 2004 and named for the DeVos family — the philanthropist and Amway co-founder Richard DeVos and his heirs — the center represents the city's deliberate strategy to replace manufacturing jobs with convention tourism, health care, and the creative economy. The building's glass curtain walls give arriving visitors their first dramatic view of the Grand River, the waterway that made Grand Rapids possible in the first place.
Before any of this infrastructure existed, this stretch of riverbank was occupied by industrial buildings and rail yards. The shift from factory to convention hall captures something essential about the transformation of the American Midwest since 1980. Look north toward the river's bend and see the Blue Bridge pedestrian crossing — then look south to where the river curves past the museums.
The water that once powered sawmills and furniture factories now frames a city that has decided beauty is also an industry.