Summer Movies Coming to Town Hall

Council Minutes from the April 11 Grand Rapids Village Council meeting are now available through the Grand Rapids website. The condition of Grand Rapids Town Hall was discussed.

According to the meeting minutes, Mayor John Berry attended the April 4 town hall committee meeting. The Grand Rapids Area Chamber is planning an open house on May 28 so the public can see the inside of the historic structure. Quotes were obtained by council to get an assessment on town hall’s structure. Issues noted include a load calculation being needed for the balcony and stage, the garage on the northwest side has an undersized header, the chimney on the southeast side is leaning, the exit door on the southeastern side on the second floor has bugs and evidence of wood damage, there’s a wave in the ceiling, the restrooms need evaluated for capacity, the rise of two steps is off, ceiling repair is needed, railings need added to stairs, the balcony railing is possibly too short, and the fire extinguishers are out of date. Estimates range anywhere from $5,199 to $16,700 for proper assessments. Of the three companies who offered estimates, no significant issues were found that would prevent council from moving forward with improvements.

Summer movies will be back this year thanks to David Fowler, who attended the meeting to discuss the use of town hall for the family movies. Last year, movies were shown in the park next to town hall, however weather postponed a good number of the shows. The once monthly movies are family friendly and will have a rating of G or PG. The first movie will be held inside town hall on Saturday, May 28. Council and Fowler are looking into serving popcorn and other refreshments.

Village of Grand Rapids Council meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Meetings are currently being held at the old fire hall on Front Street and are open to the public.