The $127M Acrisure Amphitheater in Michigan will attract top performers and host community events, with projected completion in spring 2026. The amphitheater, owned by the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention Arena Authority, features various seating options and surrounding dining and retail establishments. Construction challenges include the complex canopy design, but progress is ongoing.
Ingalls Pictures photo
Approximately 160,000 cu. yds. of dirt will be moved on the project, which requires building miles of retaining walls, ramps and stairs.
Designed to attract top performers and host community events, the downtown riverfront Acrisure Amphitheater will serve residents of Grand Rapids, Mi., Kent County, the west Michigan region and the Midwest. The outdoor facility is being built at 201 Market Avenue.
"The state-of-the-art project will benefit residents today, and guide the next generation of diverse, creative community leaders tomorrow," said Bill Culhane, owner's representative of the nonprofit economic development organization Grand Action 2.0. "The Acrisure Amphitheater is in service to the destination asset study conducted alongside partners who are interested in investing in assets that will drive our region's growth for the next decade, as well as retain and attract talent and generate new economic returns."
The structure will be owned and operated by the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention Arena Authority. It will feature various seating options, including an upper and lower concourse, fixed and lawn seating, suites, a terrace and a VIP pavilion. The amphitheater will be surrounded by dining and retail options, with outdoor seating available along the Market Avenue Plaza.
"The location was chosen because of its proximity to downtown, connection to the Grand River and the opportunity to develop a community asset in a great area with development, water and green space," said Culhane, who added that bringing the project to life required a public/private partnership with all parties committed to providing a lasting legacy in a growing city built on trust, inclusion and cooperation.
Work began in May 2024, and will be completed in the spring of 2026. The construction budget for the Acrisure Amphitheater is $127.4 million, funded by public sources and private philanthropic donations.
Culhane said the JV team of Pioneer Construction-Barton Malow is a good fit for the project, which has already generated a lot of excitement.
"We looked for a combination of local knowledge and experience, as well as a national partner with specialty and expertise in entertainment venues. We chose a great team that met those demanding requirements."
While the first events have not been announced, the public has been keeping a close eye on the project from the beginning.
"The community has been supportive through the engagement process, but has raised concerns with traffic, parking, pedestrian movement and sound," said Culhane. "These important design elements were taken into consideration."
According to Kevinn Donovan, project executive of Barton Malow Builders, the main challenge for crews is construction of the iconic canopy.
"This is a very complex custom structure that's composed of engineering that hasn't been executed in typical stadium construction in the country. From the custom column and nodes to the massive super trusses and the 75 percent structural cantilever, it's not only an engineering feat, but also a construction marvel that complements many of the complex structures in the Midwest. This includes the previous projects developed by Grand Action, such as DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena."
Crews are currently constructing the common wall located between the south building and the parking ramp. Canopy construction is continuing, and foundation construction is nearing completion at the Market Street entry gates.
"The large toilet room concrete construction has been completed with structural steel being placed at these locations," said Donovan. "Foundations for the back-of-house and offices have started. Lawn seating and bowl construction have continued but [were] on hold for the winter months. Structural steel continues at the south concessions building and will move to the back-of-house areas."
Work on the 164-ft., 68,000-lb. stage roof involves major steel erection for the trusses.
"Trusses are so large, they need to be fabricated on site and then lifted into place," said Donovan. "We are using two 350-ton cranes to execute this work in tandem. In addition, we have a series of temporary structural members that hold the steel in place until they rest on their final columns.
"The work is dangerous and needs to be methodically planned. Safety is a top concern, and at the beginning of each lift, the crew takes a stand down to walk through each step of the process. Once the steel is in the air, the crews need to immediately connect to the adjacent structures. All stabilization work needs to occur before the end of each day."
The stage truss is actually the lightest of the trusses workers will set. Super-truss T4 is 260.0-ft. clear span weighing in at nearly 175,000 lbs. and, when completed, will span over 320 ft. tip to tip.
Stage structural steel is finished, as is geotechnical stabilization throughout the site. Foundation construction and toilet room structures are nearing completion, which will allow for the finish and mechanical trades to start their work.
"A lot of tasks remain," said Donovan. "The bowl seating needs to be completely constructed. The concessions buildings need to be structurally completed, then building enclosure, then onto interior finishes and fit-up. Back-of-house needs to be completely constructed from the structure to building enclosure to finishes of green room, dressing rooms and talent lounge. Concourse construction will commence this coming summer, which will also trigger the start of the lawn seating. All perimeter landscaping and hardscape will start at the end of summer 2025 and continue into spring 2026."
Scott Veine, senior project manager and vice-president of Pioneer Construction, noted the site was the city of Grand Rapids' public works center.
"The city ran their refuse and street maintenance out of this site, along with parks and recreation maintenance. There were warehouse and administration facilities on the site that needed to be removed.
"Once the site was cleared of the existing buildings, Pioneer+Barton Malow deployed a series of geotechnical stabilization measures as directed by Materials Testing Consultants [MTC]. For the heavy column loads, micro-piling was used, in which a pile is drilled into the ground to approximately 90 feet. Once the pile reaches bedrock, it's advanced another 50 feet. There are 25 of these piles under each column supporting the canopy."
Also deployed was a process of ground stabilization called controlled modulus column (CMC), where a grout-filled auger is placed to a specified depth consolidating the earth around the CMC without extracting spoils.
"This was critical to eliminating contaminated soils from leaving the site," Veine said. "The construction team also deployed grout pointing to repair any natural fissures in the gypsum/limestone lenses at depths of 60 to 100 feet. Finally, for the lawn seating berm, aggregate materials have been placed very early on to create a surcharging of existing soils to minimize any future settling caused by the weight of the new soils on site."
Approximately 160,000 cu. yds. of dirt will be moved on the project, which requires building miles of retaining walls, ramps and stairs.
"The architects took special care in assuring accessibility throughout the venue, and it's now the job of the construction crews to execute the work. Sloped floors must be accurately placed to the fractions of an inch to ensure all the stationary stadium seating is placed level and barrier free."
In addition to the 350-ton lattice boom crawler cranes needed for steel erection, crews are using a 150-ton lattice boom crawler crane; two 50- to 75-ton hydraulic all-terrain cranes for concrete formwork construction; multiple boom lifts for aerial access; and numerous concrete pumps for concrete foundation and wall placement.
Steel and concrete are the biggest material components; however, large format aluminum soffit panels create the halo around the canopy, while zinc shingles are necessary for the façade of the drum structure and glass curtain walls give the facility transparency.
The project calls for 3,250 tons of structural steel; 9,676 cu. yds. of concrete; and 467.2 tons of concrete reinforcement.
Veine said the seating bowl and lawn seating, along with the finishes of the concessions buildings, will be the most time-consuming undertakings.
"It will take hundreds of trades to execute the work, with countless hours of dedication. The entire venue is on a tight timeline. The management and trades are executing the work methodically and through set sequences."
As for keeping an eye on the forecast, "There's a heavy impact on weather when it comes to construction in west Michigan," said Veine. "The crews are subject to stop work when winds pick up over 35 mph; however, we work through the snow, rain and heat. Weather affects the time, specifically snow, as the site needs to be cleared each morning prior to the start of work."
Acoustics awareness also is crucial when building an amphitheater.
"It's important because concertgoers are going for the experience, and a major part of that experience is the sound. Venue goers anticipate listening to their favorite artists with the sound similar to their ear buds. Along with that experience is the performance and acoustics the artist experiences. The artist wants a pure sound, even in an outdoor setting."
Veine added, "From the Pioneer+Barton Malow team, the accomplishments on the job site every day are part of the joy. Watching hundreds of trades personnel come together every day, understanding their tasks and executing them to the best of their abilities has been an honor. Once the performances are under way, many won't remember or even understand the performance that took place on this site to make it happen, but we as contractors will.
"All our crew members know exactly what they are building. It's a dramatic venue that rivals any in the Midwest, right here in our hometown. As concrete gets placed, steel gets hung and finishes are installed, every craftsman knows they are building an iconic venue and a forever-changing landmark in our city. Our staff has the front row seat watching the joy of our trades doing their tasks for many generations of concertgoers well after our time." CEG
Cindy Riley
Birmingham, Ala., native Cindy RIley originally planned on a career in law, but during her sophomore year in college realized journalism was her true calling. A magna cum laude graduate of Samford University, Riley first worked in radio and TV. Named Best News Anchor, Best News Reporter and Best Investigative Reporter by the Associated Press, she interviewed numerous personalities, ranging from Dr. Henry Kissinger and President Bush to Michael Jordan and Captain Kangaroo.
As a print journalist, Riley has covered a variety of topics, including construction, business, health and the arts. In addition to CEG, her work has appeared in special reports for USA Today and the L.A. Times. Other publications have included New South Magazine, Portico, Thicket, Alabama Heritage, B-Metro, Business First and Birmingham Business Journal.
Read more from Cindy Riley here.
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