Towpath Radio Joe Schroeder Says Grand Rapids Must Act Now: “We Can’t Just Be Reactive”
Written by Towpath Radio on July 22, 2025
On this week’s Rapids Report, Josh sat down with Grand Rapids Chamber president Joe Schroeder for a direct and honest conversation about the future of downtown — and why he believes the village can’t afford to keep sitting still.
At the most recent Village Council meeting, Schroeder proposed a regional television campaign to promote Grand Rapids and its events. The goal was to attract visitors, increase foot traffic, and help local businesses regain momentum. But the motion never made it past the discussion phase.
“I’m not trying to blame anyone,” Schroeder said. “But I was disappointed that it didn’t even get a second.”
He stressed that the campaign wasn’t just about the Chamber. “This would be a co-op campaign — not just a Chamber thing — it would benefit everybody,” he said. “This is the best time in the last 10 years that we’ve had an opportunity to grab regional exposure.”
Schroeder has been sounding the alarm for months about declining weekday traffic in the downtown area — a trend that’s especially noticeable in the “post-Laroe’s” era, after the closure of the once-bustling restaurant as a daily operation.
“If we don’t get people to come to town,” he warned, “we’re going to lose businesses.”
He also addressed the village’s lack of progress on DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area), which has been stalled for over a year. While DORA wasn’t the focus of the meeting, Schroeder acknowledged that small towns across Ohio have embraced it — and that Grand Rapids could see positive results too.
“Other communities our size have seen benefits,” he noted, while emphasizing that any plan would need to be done carefully and in collaboration with local businesses.
Ultimately, Schroeder believes the time to act is now.
“We’ve got a great downtown and we need people to know about it,” he said. “We can’t just be reactive. We’ve got to be proactive.”
Catch the full interview on the Rapids Report via the Stream 419 app, iHeart Radio app, anywhere you get your podcasts or below!
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