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The West Grand Professional Building is a historic car dealership located at 260-268 Leonard St. NW, immediately west of the Grand River. W.K. Philp founded Valley City Motor Car Company in 1914 as the first Dodge dealer in West Michigan.1 As of 1925, this building served as Philp's Leonard St. branch.2  From approximately 1937-1955, the building was occupied by Monical Machinery Company, followed by Rapid Motor Parts Service from approximately 1959-1991.

During a rainstorm in 1959, lightning struck the northeast corner of the building, sending an 8-foot section of brick crashing into the river. The incident frightened shoppers at the farmer's market across the street, but no one was injured.3

In 1993, when the law firm Merwin, Karafa, & McDonald opened their offices at this location, the building was known as the West Grand Professional Building.4

In 2023, the Grand Rapids Planning Commission recommended rezoning the area surrounding this building to allow for a proposed 10-story mixed-use building including residential units to be constructed on this site.5 6

References

  1. "Dodge Cars Located in Fine New Garage" (July 21, 1917). Grand Rapids Press. p. 16. 
  2. Photograph, Dodge Brothers Motors, 1925, from the Grand Rapids Public Museum

  3. "Wet Day: Rain Drenches Kent County; Bolt Hits Building" (Aug. 15, 1959). Grand Rapids Press. p. 17. 

  4. "Names and Faces in Business" (Oct. 17, 1993). Grand Rapids Press. p. 67.
  5. McVicar, Brian (Feb. 17, 2023). "Proposed 10-story apartment, commercial building would replace ‘eyesore’ along the Grand River." MLive.com. 
  6. Center, Patrick (Dec. 22, 2023). "The City of Grand Rapids Planning Commission is recommending the rezoning of 30 acres of riverfront property on the northwest side." WGVU News. 

Further reading

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