Brian McVicar

Grand Rapids

Reporter at MLive

Reporter for @GRPress, @MLive @michiganstateu alum. Contact me at [email protected]

Articles

Aperitivo wine bar in Downtown Market to close, reopen as Squibb Coffee

1 week ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Longtime Downtown Market vendor Apertivo, a wine bar featuring a large cheese and charcuterie selection as well as sandwiches and small plates, will close in May. Squibb Coffee & Wine Bar will take over the space and reopen it as a concept focused on wine, beer, cheese, charcuterie boards and small plates, as well as coffee, the Downtown Market announced.
Amway headquarters gets major facelift: See what’s inside the newly renovated building

1 week ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

ADA, MI — Amway has renovated the lobby of its Ada headquarters with floor-to-ceiling windows, new furniture and technology, and transformed the cafeteria into a space that, one official says, “rivals any beautiful restaurant in Grand Rapids.”The project, one part of a $127.6 million expansion and renovation of Amway’s manufacturing, research and office spaces, was celebrated during a ribbon cutting Wednesday.
This innovative housing program has helped 90 homeless people find permanent homes

1 week ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Ninety homeless people in Kent County have been placed in permanent supportive housing through a collaborative effort led by the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness in partnership with the Grand Rapids Chamber. In addition, another 58 homeless people referred to the program, known as 100 in 100 in Kent County, are expected to be housed in the coming months, said Courtney Myers-Keaton, director of the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness.
House of Wine closes permanently in downtown Grand Rapids

1 week ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — House of Wine, which opened in 2018 on Monroe Center in downtown Grand Rapids and offered an array of red, white and sparkling wines alongside charcuterie boards and other small bites, has closed for good. The closure of the wine bar, 53 Monroe Center St. NW, was announced on social media Tuesday, April 15. “This chapter is ending, but the memories will stay with us always,” House of Wine said on Facebook.
Try coffee, baked goods, artisan jams and more at Kingma’s Market ‘Samplefest’

1 week ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Kingma’s Market, a 90-year-old community grocery store, is hosting its annual Samplefest on Saturday, April 12, a free event where residents can try samples from 25 Michigan companies, including Saugatuck Brewing Company, Rise Authentic Baking Co., and more. The event is taking place inside the market’s garden center, 2225 Plainfield Ave.
Mary Free Bed partners with Valley Health to build $75M rehab tower in Virginia

1 week ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation’s partnership with Virginia-based Valley Health took a step forward this week with a groundbreaking ceremony for a $75 million rehabilitation tower at Valley Health’s Winchester Medical Center. Once complete in 2026, the rehabilitation tower will be staffed by Mary Free Bed employees who will provide acute inpatient rehabilitation, as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy for outpatients.
$16 million for Grand Rapids airport expansion restored after Trump freeze

2 weeks ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, says $16 million in federal funds for a terminal enhancement project at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport have been restored after being frozen by the Trump administration.
‘Huge demand’: How to score tickets to 2025 Meijer Gardens summer concerts

2 weeks ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Featuring star-studded lineups, tickets for the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park summer concert series have generated big demand in recent years, with some performances selling out just hours after going on sale. That’s unlikely to change this year.
Hope Network names new chief financial officer

2 weeks ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Hope Network, a nonprofit that provides an array of healthcare and social services as well as affordable housing, workforce development and transportation, has appointed a new chief financial officer. Nathan Ter Beek, a Calvin University graduate who has worked in the health care sector for more than a decade, will oversee Hope Network’s finances starting April 14, according to a release.
Grand Rapids auto parts maker ADAC buys EBW Electronics

2 weeks ago | mlive.com | Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — ADAC Automotive, a Grand Rapids-based company that makes vehicle access systems, sensor technologies, lighting components and more, has purchased Holland-based EBW Electronics. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. EBW Electronics, founded in 1992, has over 150 employees and produces performance sensors, switches, actuators and lighting systems for a variety of sectors, according to a release from Grand Rapids-based Calder Capital, which announced the transaction.