East Grand Rapids voters head to the polls on Nov. 3 to decide whether the city can borrow up to $9 million to build a parking deck near the high school and Gaslight Village. The proposal would fund a 240-space structure split between the city and East Grand Rapids Public Schools, aimed at replacing parking lost to the ongoing high school renovation.
The ballot measure asks voters to approve general-obligation unlimited-tax bonds of up to $9 million, payable over no more than 20 years, according to East Insider. If approved, the city would levy an estimated 0.5922 mills in the first year, with an average annual rate of 0.4925 mills — about 49 cents per $1,000 of taxable value — over the life of the bond, as reported by Fox 17. Total debt service, including interest, is expected to reach approximately $13.2 million.
The proposed three-story deck would rise at the Bagley Street parking lot next to the East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center. The proposal includes a level reserved for public access 24/7.
A Joint Venture With the School District
East Grand Rapids Public Schools proposed building the deck jointly with the city to replace student and staff spaces lost to construction while adding public parking near Gaslight Village. The city and district would split the project cost 50-50. City Manager Shea Charles has said the deck was proposed specifically to replace parking spaces lost during the high school renovation.
The commission originally considered a $10 million request before lowering it to the $9 million now on the ballot, according to WOOD TV8. The adopted ballot language passed 4-1, with two commissioners abstaining, during summer 2026. The district's broader high school transformation project is intended to expand and update the school by 2030.
Counting the Lost Spaces
The high school renovation is expected to create a significant net loss of parking once construction wraps up. Fox 17 reported the loss at 71 spaces, and East Insider also put the final design's net loss at 71 spaces. School News Network has described campus parking as an “unresolved challenge” because the new construction encroaches on an already strained lot.
In the meantime, a temporary gravel lot is providing roughly 150 spaces through a city-school partnership costing about $40,000. The district also closed its high school track in June to accommodate construction and temporary parking needs for roughly three years, according to MLive.
Traffic Signal and Long-Term Cost Questions
The bond language would also allow up to $500,000 of the proceeds to fund a new traffic signal at Bagley Street and Lake Drive. Beyond the bond itself, the overall project is projected to cost between $16 million and $18 million if bid in 2028, per the city, and the new deck would carry annual maintenance costs of around $100,000, according to Charles.
The city and school district held three information sessions on the proposal between May and July. Still, future design work on the deck is on hold until voters weigh in on Election Day, and it remains unclear whether the school district could fund the facility on its own without the city's financial support if the bond fails.
Neighbors Push Back on Bagley Street
Nearby residents have raised concerns about the deck’s cost, traffic and safety. Former East Grand Rapids Mayor Nyal Deems is among those who have opposed the project, and Fox 17 has reported that nearby residents make up much of the pushback against the plan.
The debate echoes a similar fight in Birmingham, Michigan, where voters in August 2019 rejected a far larger $57.4 million bond proposal for a downtown parking deck and related improvements, with 68% voting no, according to The Bond Buyer. That structure would have added 400 public spaces, but opponents there questioned a public-private partnership and alleged developer money had flowed into the campaign; after the vote failed, Birmingham officials said the project could not move forward without funding for its public elements.
