🌱 MoTown Square Gets A Boost + GR Ranks 18th In Rental Markets

Happy Thursday, Grand Rapids! Here's everything you need to know going on in town today.

First, today's weather:

Not as cold with a flurry. High: 41 Low: 34.

Here are the top 3 stories today in Grand Rapids:

1. Last year, Grand Rapids nonprofit LINC UP partnered with Maurice Townshend to bring his vision for an affordable assisted living development to the city’s southeast side. The co-developers have named it MoTown Square, a four-story building constructed on Hall Street SE between Cass and Lafayette. Now, MoTown Square will be one of 14 low-income housing projects across the state that will receive a total of over $13 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. (wgvunews.org)
2. A nationwide internet listing service for rental properties found Grand Rapids ranked 18th in the 50 most competitive rental markets in the United States. Findings in RentCafé’s report were based on occupancy rates, the number of renters applying for an available unit, the number of vacancy days, and renters' average credit score. Grand Rapids's high ranking was due to its easy access to outdoor attractions and small-town feel in a year where renters faced fierce market competition. (grbj.com)
3. A man is facing charges in connection to the October shooting death of a man in Grand Rapids. 29-year-old Cordney Dashwan Toliver of Kentwood is facing six charges, including open murder, in the death of Demarcus Javon Brown. Toliver was already being held in the Kent County Correctional Facility on unrelated charges. (WOODTV.com)

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Today in Grand Rapids:

• Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest - Logan's Alley (All Day)

From my notebook:

• A $29.5 million grant will help two Western Michigan University faculty members expand educational opportunities for thousands of children and their families. (Facebook)
• If you've ever wanted to work with dogs all day, now is your chance: West Michigan K9 is hiring a winter intern. (Instagram)
• The Grand Rapids Public Museum's Snowflake Break Camps are underway; limited spots are left for the remaining camps, taking place through Dec. 30. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll see you soon!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.