Kent County negotiates rent-free terms for DeVos Place vaccine clinic
Courtesy ASM Global
Kent County, the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA) and SMG/ASM Global have reached an agreement on new contract terms for use of the DeVos Place Convention Center as a large-scale vaccination clinic.
Under the revised agreement, CAA, which owns the building, and SMG/ASM Global, the company contracted to provide venue management services, will make the convention center, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, available rent-free and will charge the vaccine consortium only for actual costs to operate the facility.
Those operational costs include utilities, janitorial and maintenance services, security and EMS services. The charges will only be incurred to the extent services are requested or used in the clinic’s operations.
Kent County can now host DeVos Place vaccine clinic ‘rent free’ following pushback over $12K daily fee
Updated Feb 12, 2021;
Posted Feb 12, 2021
COVID-19 vaccination clinic, pictured through front windows, is shown when it opened in this file photo on Jan. 25, 2021. (MLive file photo)Cory Morse | MLive.com
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI Kent County can host its large-scale vaccine clinic at DeVos Place “rent free” now that it has renegotiated its lease for the convention center following public scrutiny over the original lease’s $12,000 daily rental fee.
The county, which is operating the clinic in partnership with Spectrum Health and Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, announced the revised contract Friday afternoon.
DeVos Place charges $12,000 a day for vaccine venue; DeltaPlex available for $500
The owner of the DeltaPlex and a Kent County commissioner say the tab being paid to rent DeVos Place is not a good use of tax dollars amid economic hardship. Author: John Hogan Updated: 7:43 PM EST February 1, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. A decision to spend $12,000 a day to rent a downtown Grand Rapids venue for COVID-19 vaccinations is coming under scrutiny by a Kent County commissioner and the owner of DeltaPlex Arena & Convention Center, who offered his building for a fraction of what the county is paying.
“As a taxpayer, it makes me mad,’’ DeltaPlex owner Joel Langlois said. What I’m arguing is that as a taxpayer, this money is being spent in the wrong way.’’
How Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place are using $2M in COVID relief funds
Updated Dec 11, 2020;
Posted Dec 11, 2020
FILE PHOTO - A view of the DeVos Place Convention Center in downtown Grand Rapids on Sunday, November 3, 2013. (Andrew Kuhn | MLive.com)
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But the board that manages the venues isn’t sitting idle.
Thanks to a roughly $2 million federal coronavirus relief grant, the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA) is making a series of health and safety improvements to the three venues, including new air purification systems, sanitation equipment, touchless drinking fountains and personal protective equipment.
“In my view, the CARE funding is incredibly important, because it allows us to come out of the gate fully prepared to meet the public in a very safe and protected way,” said Steve Heacock, who chairs the CAA.