Grand Rapids Downtown Market a Finalist for National Urban Excellence Award

Downtown Market is one of five nationwide finalists for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.

The award recognizes transformative urban places and celebrates their economic and social impact.

The Bruner Foundation lists Grand Rapids Downtown Market as "a new downtown public space promoting local food producers and community events, entrepreneurship, and education about nutrition and healthy lifestyles."

Simeon Bruner, founder of the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence says, “We want to advance discourse about making cities better, and seek outstanding examples to share with those who care about improving our urban environments. There are a surprising number of inventive projects out there, if you just look for them.”

The other four finalists:

Falls Park on the Reedy - Greenville, SC: The renaissance of a 26-acre river corridor running through the heart of Greenville, restoring public access to the falls and greenspace and catalyzing adjacent downtown development.
Miller’s Court - Baltimore, MD: The redevelopment of a vacant manufacturing building into an affordable and supportive living and working environment for public school teachers and education-focused nonprofits.
Quixote Village - Olympia, WA: A two-acre community of 30 tiny houses and a common building that provides permanent, supportive housing for chronically homeless adults.
Uptown District - Cleveland, OH: The vibrant redevelopment of a corridor linking art, educational and health care institutions with surrounding neighborhoods, creating lively outdoor gathering spaces, retail shops and restaurants, student and market-rate housing, and public transit connections.

The award selection committee:

Rebecca Flora - AICP, LEED ND-BD+C, Sustainable Communities Practice Leader, Ecology & Environment, Chestertown, MD
Larry Kearns - AIA, CSA, LEED AP, Principal, Wheeler Kearns Architects, Chicago, IL
India Pierce Lee - Program Director, Cleveland Foundation, Cleveland, OH
Mia Lehrer - FASLA, President, Mia Lehrer + Associates, Los Angeles, CA
James Stockard - Lecturer in Housing, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
Mark Stodola – Mayor, Little Rock, AR

Each location will receive a visit from a Bruner Foundation team before a meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas, June 5 - 7, to choose the medalists. One Gold Medal winner will receive $50,000, while four Silver Medal winners will receive $10,000 each.

The biennial award began in 1987. It has recognized 73 locations in 25 states since it began.

Downtown Market