PROJECTS

In recent years, Grand Rapid’s Grandville Avenue has received more than $40 million in investments as part of Viva La Avenida, a collaboration between the City of Grand Rapids, Roosevelt Neighborhood Association, and Habitat for Humanity that is redesigning this city corridor. Through the transformation of an old factory building, the new Placita Olvera project aims to become a destination for the community’s primarily Hispanic residents. It will feature a brewery, multiple restaurants, a business incubator space, and an outdoor farmers market, offering residents the only fresh food retail site in the neighborhood. In January 2018, Michigan Good Food Fund provided a $100,000 loan through Northern Initiatives to support owners Javier and Pablo Olvera in phase one of this $2 million project. The loan is providing working capital and support for architectural drawings and accounting services. The Olvera’s bring years of food retail experience to this project as owners of three Hispanic grocery stores, a taqueria, and a bakery in Grand Rapids. See more of their projects here: http://www.supermercadomexico.com/