Grand Rapids’ first female mayor is leaving after nine years of “remarkable” growth

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Looking out over downtown Grand Rapids from her sixth-floor office window at City Hall, Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss vividly remembers what downtown looked like when she became mayor nearly a decade ago.

Many of the buildings on Medical Mile were derelict lots, parking lots, or vacant buildings. Several major additions to downtown did not yet exist, such as the Studio Park skyscraper and the Warner Building.

A few years earlier, Newsweek had named Grand Rapids one of America’s dying cities and nicknamed it “Bland Rapids.”

Today, Grand Rapids is one of the best cities in the country to live, work and play.

During Bliss’s nine-year term as mayor, the city experienced an explosive growth spurt that included major changes to downtown Grand Rapids, neighborhood districts and green spaces, as well as significant population growth.

RELATED: Bridge Street is booming: How it became one of Grand Rapids’ hottest nightspots

That growth is far from over — Bliss has helped support several major projects taking shape in Grand Rapids, including a new riverfront amphitheater and soccer stadium and a proposal for three new “skyline-defining” high-rise towers.

“It’s really remarkable,” said Bliss, 49. “I’m proud that we went from a city where people didn’t even think about investing here to a city where people wanted to invest here and said, ‘This is an amazing city and.'” I’m all for it.'”

Bliss, who is term-limited, will step down as mayor on Dec. 31 and hand the reins to new Mayor David LaGrand. Bliss was first elected mayor in 2015 and served two nine-year terms. She was the city’s first female mayor and the youngest mayor elected in Grand Rapids in 130 years.

RELATED: A woman, yes, but Mayor-elect Rosalynn Bliss is also leading another new wave

Bliss’ tenure as city leader was not without its challenges. In 2020, Grand Rapids made national headlines due to social justice unrest that destroyed downtown businesses. Police relations reached an all-time low in 2022 following the killing of a Black man by a Grand Rapids police officer. Meanwhile, the city continues to struggle with homelessness and housing affordability.

But despite these challenges, Bliss will be remembered for her “relentless” commitment to the city of Grand Rapids and her ability to bring people together on difficult issues.

“Bliss was not a mayor who focused on a single issue – she had a significant impact on almost every area of ​​the city,” said Josh Lunger, vice president of government affairs for the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

“You could look back in history and probably be hard-pressed to find anyone who had a more influential term than Mayor Bliss,” he said.

A Grand Rapids first leader

Bliss served the City of Grand Rapids for nearly two decades, including nine years as mayor and ten years as Grand Rapids City Commissioner.

She said she never viewed her role in local government as a “stepping stone” to higher office. She always knew local government was where she belonged.

“I’m sure it’s the social worker in me,” said Bliss, who previously served as director of residential services at DA Blodgett-St John’s. “I love building relationships and working closely with people to get things done. You can make a difference at the local level.”

Grand Rapids has a weak mayor, strong city manager form of government in which the mayor is largely a figurehead position and the city manager is the chief executive. But Bliss has embraced the role of mayor and viewed it as more than just a part-time job.

“I hope my legacy is that I was an authentic leader, that I did the best and best I could in the time I had, that I never took that role for granted and that I really did my best.” she said. “I didn’t leave anything on the table.”

The “Michael Jordan” of mayors

When asked what he thought Bliss’ greatest accomplishment as mayor was, City Manager Mark Washington said it was like asking Michael Jordan what Michael Jordan’s best accomplishment was as a basketball player.

“It’s hard to narrow it down to one because she’s done so many things,” he said. “She is a mayor who can relate to all people on all issues, and she is so versatile.”

Washington called Bliss a fact-based decision maker who read every word of policy or legislation presented to her. She also tried to compromise and work with people from different perspectives, he said.

“Mayor Bliss is a person who can be tough on issues and on politics, but she can also be tender with people and she cares about people,” Washington said.

Looking back over the past nine years, Bliss said she is most proud of having supported the “rebirth” of Grand Rapids neighborhood business districts, downtown revitalization and investments in environmental sustainability.

She looks forward to restoring the Grand River rapids next year, a project that has been in the works for years.

RELATED: Grand River construction project receives state approval to restore rapids

She also highlighted several projects that she was proud to “get over the finish line” in implementing, such as creating a free tuition zone, commissioning a cost-cutting biogas plant, converting over 18,000 street lights to LED, and constructing a solar power the city’s Lake Michigan filtration plant and increasing the city’s tree canopy.

Addressing social justice issues

Among Bliss’ toughest days in office were the days following the riots in downtown Grand Rapids, in which about 100 buildings were damaged and police cruisers were set on fire.

In June 2020, Grand Rapids was among cities across the country experiencing unrest over the death of George Floyd, who died after a police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck in Minneapolis.

Bliss ordered a citywide curfew and called in the National Guard to prevent further unrest. The unrest led to long and heated City Commission meetings.

Nearly two years later, Grand Rapids was once again thrust into the national spotlight when Patrick Lyoya, a Black man, was shot and killed by then-Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr on April 4, 2022.

Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack said he believes police relations in Grand Rapids are at an all-time low during Bliss’ tenure as mayor, as evidenced by the 2020 unrest and outrage over Lyoya’s killing.

However, Womack praised the work that has since been done under Bliss’ watch to increase trust between police and the community. He praised the mayor for tackling the problems head-on.

“She can leave knowing that once the situation has reached its lowest point so quickly, at least after she leaves, the police and community will reach a point where they learn to respect each other,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a lovefest yet – I don’t even know if it’s ‘like’ yet – but they’re getting to a point where there’s some mutual respect.”

The path ahead

There’s still a lot of work to be done around Grand Rapids, including addressing homelessness, improving infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and ultimately bringing solar energy to the former Butterworth Landfill, Bliss said.

The outgoing mayor said she is committed to working with LaGrand to help him take office. She hopes to pass on wisdom she learned from former mayors George Heartwell and John Logie, such as prioritizing time wisely.

“In this job I learned, and Mayor Heartwell gave me great insight, that you are pulled in 100 directions,” she said. “You have to be reactive and proactive at the same time every day.”

Want more news from the Grand Rapids area? Bookmark the place Grand Rapids News Site or register for free”3@3 Grand Rapids” daily newsletter.