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Progressive AE President and CEO Brad Thomas says the next steps for the amphitheater include more planning to create a site-specific concept and budget. “Because the reality is once you activate this, instead of people with their backs to the river, people want to look at it … want to be around it, and that attracts all kinds of things from residences to restaurants to incredible developments like the one Grand Action 2.0 announced today.” “We view the river project as a catalyst and we hope this is the first project that’ll be announced of many to come,” Whitewater president and CEO Steve Heacock said. Leaders with Grand Rapids Whitewater, an organization setting out to restore the Grand River, say this is exactly the kind of development they had hoped to inspire. He said some future projects for Grand Action include possibly expanding DeVos Place Convention Center downtown, which is “a little ways down the road,” and a new convention-sized hotel. So there’s something in the air around here that is more than special and we’re using it to our mutual cooperative advantage.” … It’s less frequent and more of the exception, unfortunately, around the country because some of the components are not in alignment on priorities and partnering. We’ve demonstrated that for 30-plus years. “What is really special, which is not getting a lot of acknowledgment quite yet, but it is an over-the-top example of public-private partnership, working with the city hand in glove, the private sector hand in glove and with some global resources guiding us…” Frey said. He said West Michigan’s culture is key in bringing the project to fruition.