Tag Archives: marketplace

“Wyoming’s Gathering Spot”: City of Wyoming celebrates grand opening of Godwin Mercado

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The City of Wyoming celebrated the grand opening of the new Godwin Mercado on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 (Courtesy, Matthew Reed/WKTV)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


The City of Wyoming celebrated the grand opening of the new Godwin Mercado on Saturday, Aug. 16 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and free community event.

Senator Hilary Scholten (left) and Wyoming Parks and Recreation Director Krashawn Martin cut the ribbon, officially opening Godwin Mercado (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

The warm summer morning began at 10:30 a.m. with statements given by State Representative John Fitzgerald, U.S. Senator Hilary Scholten, City of Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood and Wyoming Parks and Recreation Director Krashawn Martin.

“The Godwin Mercado is a project that embodies the best of what our community can achieve when we come together with purpose and vision,” said Mayor Vanderwood. “It is a true honor to stand here today as we officially open the Godwin Mercado.”

Support from the community helped make Godwin Mercado a reality (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Krashawn Martin echoed Mayor Vanderwood’s remarks, saying the marketplace would not have been possible without broad community support.

“My heart is beyond happy to see so many smiling faces, so many different pieces and pockets that really build the community that is Wyoming,” said Martin. “I’m so honored to be a tiny piece of making this beautiful space come together.”

Placemaking in action

Managed and programmed by the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department, the 6,000-square-foot, $6.2 million facility community event space will provide year-round usage opportunities to local vendors, seasonal farm and artisan markets, food trucks, community events and private events.

Godwin Mercado is recognized as Wyoming’s new gathering spot for the community (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)

Market days will also help fill key gaps in the area’s food system, helping support the well-being of residents in the Godwin Heights area and the entire Wyoming community.

Representative Fitzgerald expressed the value Godwin Mercado brings for this generation as well as future generations.

“This is placemaking in action for this community,” said Rep. Fitzgerald. “It’s going to bring attention, good attention, to this community. I cannot be prouder of the City of Wyoming and its investment in this space.”

After the ribbon cutting, community members gathered for several free activities, including a meal, games, face painting and live music, all provided by Wyoming food and artisan vendors.

  • Local Kona Ice provided refreshing treats (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • Free face painting was enjoyed by both children and adults (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • A free meal was served to all in attendance (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • All participating vendors are local to Wyoming (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • Large garage doors allow for easy access to and from the Mercado indoor event space (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • Wyoming Police let children explore department vehicles (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • Playing with bubbles is a must for all ages (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Children enjoyed several fun activities (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • All participating vendors are local to Wyoming (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • Wyoming firefighters and police officers chatted with event guests (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Children enjoyed several fun activities (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • Celebration attendees enjoyed live music (Courtesy, Matthew Reed)
  • Rep. John Fitzgerald (left) and Wyoming Parks and Recreation Director Krashawn Martin visit with celebration guests (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

The outdoor plaza was filled with fun, family-friendly activity while the main indoor event space allowed seating and shade for those eating or simply needing a break from the sun.

A thread of connection

An unveiling of the colorful mural on Godwin Mercado’s outer south wall also took place.

The Godwin Mercado mural tells the history of the City through “story stacking” (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Installed by local nonprofit, Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, and painted by Filipina street muralist and visual anthropreneur Venazir, the mural is a testament to Wyoming’s history, resilience and spirit – and was inspired by a game of Jenga.

“I was playing Jenga with my friends, and then I thought of stacking all the bits and pieces of who was Wyoming, who is Wyoming,” Venazir told WKTV Journal.

As Venazir researched the City’s history, she recognized the importance of not only the Godwin Mercado space, but what the significance and impact of revitalizing that space means to the community.

Titled “Stacked Stories” and “Building Balance,” the mural’s stacked images reveal the many facets of Wyoming’s lifespan while giving a poetic nod to the layered narrative of Godwin Heights and Wyoming and emphasizing the balance between past and progress.

Mural artist Venazir continued working on the mural during the celebration (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Another prominent element of the mural is a red thread weaving through the images.

“The red thread is the most symbolic element in my work,” said Venazir. “It’s this unifying element that I use across all of my murals.”

Since 2017 in the Philippines, Venazir’s red thread has been weaving a tapestry of stories internationally as she explores the intricate relationships between human traditions and the ever-changing landscapes that shape them.

“It stitches us [together] in ways that we couldn’t even imagine,” said Venazir. “My journey as an artist is to visualize the process that there is a red thread that guides us. That thread stretches and tangles, but it is never broken.”

Learn more about Venazir and her dynamic art here.

An educational avenue

Godwin Mercado will not only provide fresh food options and space for events, it will also collaborate with local schools and organizations to host educational activities.

(Courtesy, Godwin Heights)

Chad Conklin, Superintendent of Godwin Heights Public Schools, said school staff and students are excited about the opportunities Godwin Mercado offers.

“What this building is going to bring with the agriculture – it’s going to be fantastic,” Conklin told WKTV. “We’re looking at ways to be able to incorporate our own curriculum within it and hopefully support that through our science classes.”

Conklin also appreciates the increased accessibility the Mercado parking lot provides for the adjoining Godwin Heights athletic complex activities.

Helping our city thrive

Sen. Hilary Scholten said Godwin Mercado will play an important role in helping support small businesses and local entrepreneurs in West Michigan.

“Close to 99% of businesses in the State of Michigan are considered small businesses,” said Senator Scholten. “That is what makes our economy so beautiful and so diverse.

“Places like the Mercado are going to continue to support those small businesses and help them to thrive.”

(Courtesy, Matthew Reed)

Resource links

The Godwin Mercado full market grand opening is planned for spring of 2026. For updates, sign up for the Godwin Mercado newsletter here.

The Mercado provides various options for residents to embark upon their own personal entrepreneurial journeys. Interested vendors can sign up to participate weekly or for the entire market season via a vendor application.

For more information about Godwin Mercado, click here.

Watch this short clip to hear what City of Wyoming officials have to say about the opening of Godwin Mercado! (Courtesy, Tom Norton WKTV)

Wyoming 36th Street Marketplace planning continues, aims to be community hub

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A satellite view of Site 36 shows location of the forthcoming 36th Street Marketplace five-acre parcel of land (Courtesy, City of Wyoming)

By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

The City of Wyoming is making steady progress with plans regarding the forthcoming local marketplace at Site 36 Industrial Park.

“We’re very excited about it,” said Nicole Hofert, Wyoming’s Director of Community & Economic Development. “I think that we are going to be creating a really nice hub for families. Somewhere where they can feel safe and want to be.”

Formerly a General Motors stamping plant, Site 36 North is directly adjacent to the Godwin High School athletic field (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Site 36 Industrial Park is an 80-acre parcel of land with 75-acres on the south side of 36th Street, and an additional five acres on the north side.

The 36th Street Marketplace will be located on that five-acre parcel.

Formerly a General Motors stamping plant, the 75 acre parcel of Site 36 was sold to commercial real estate investment company Franklin and Partners (FP) with an agreement that FP would help Wyoming develop a community marketplace on the north side.

“What’s also fortunate about this property is that Godwin High School sits just across the street, and their athletic field sits directly adjacent to the site,” said Hofert.

Hofert went on to say that the City has acquired a parking agreement with the school that will benefit both school and marketplace events.

Marketplace planning sneak peek

The marketplace design incorporates a long rectangular building with a flexible layout that will allow for up to 24 vendors.

Farmers markets have become increasingly popular and offer more than just fresh produce (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

“You could have a farmers market one day and then maybe an artisan market later in the week that requires a slightly different layout,” said Hofert.

Garage doors on all sides can be raised or lowered as needed, allowing the market to function year-round.

Programmable outdoor space is also included in the design.

A designated food truck parking area will allow food truck and other similar events to proceed even when the market isn’t in operation. A smaller outdoor space on the front of the market will allow for music events and other outdoor activities.

“We’ve had a tremendous team working on it,” said Hofert. “We’ve been very lucky with our internal partners as well as our external partners, and they were very thoughtful in a lot of their recommendations.”

Hofert went on to say that the City did a large amount of market research leading into the planning process. They also traveled to several farmers markets, which led to the rationale for the garage doors.

36th Street Marketplace planning has involved large amounts of research, including on-location visits to similar venues (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

With West Michigan’s variant weather, Hofert said the question was how the City could “bring something to the community that they can ultimately embrace, and is available to them 365 days out of the year and not just a limited 3-month window.”

Conversations with local entrepreneurs provided feedback on what would be helpful for vendors. The City also sought support and feedback from the Division Avenue Business Association.

“Hopefully we’ve designed something that’s reflective of their needs to really maximize the benefit of this,” said Hofert. “There are opportunities to expand beyond just fresh fruit or vegetable offerings, and we really wanted to make sure that we were providing for those opportunities.”

Once the marketplace is built, leadership of design and vendor needs will pass to Krashawn Martin, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

A family and community hub

The City’s goal is to make the marketplace a venue where people want to spend time and that is accessible from every direction.

Families and other community members will be able to access the marketplace from multiple routes (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)

Marketplace planners hope that the south side of Site 36 develops quickly, creating a natural magnet that will draw people to the north side.

“It’s also an area of the community that still has a very tight grid system,” said Hofert. “We have a very walkable neighborhood surrounding it and we are hoping…it becomes part of the neighborhood’s aesthetic.”

The Silver Line runs along Division Avenue, creating broader access for neighborhoods. Site 36 and the Silver Line are only a quarter mile apart, allowing visitors to easily walk to the marketplace.

A reconfigured trail network will bring the non-motorized trail off of Buchanan to Site 36 and also around the site.

“Anyone using the trail is going to have to go through the marketplace,” said Hofert. “You now have families that can bike to the marketplace, get some fresh fruits, vegetables, some artisan goods, maybe a cup of coffee, and then head home.”

Timeline and extra perks

Farmers Market (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

“I am hopeful that we will be breaking ground late this year, into early next year,” said Hofert. “We’re finishing up due diligence. We have to complete a Brownfield Work Plan, and then obviously construction will have to begin.”

Hofert is remaining conservative in the City’s expectations on project completion, however, knowing that there are often delays in the current construction industry.

A generous grant will provide an extra marketplace perk once construction is complete.

“We received a $50,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation for public art on the site,” said Hofert.

The City plans to solicit a local artist to place public art that will honor the site for what it is.

Community renewal and healing

Hofert said the loss of the GM stamping plant was significant for Wyoming and greater Grand Rapids families who worked there.

“It was a tremendous loss to the area when that plant left,” said Hofert. “To be able to bring something to the community, that’s for the community and not just a development asset for a private company, is something that we at the City are really excited about.”