Amway Grand tower to overhaul exterior

Amway Grand tower to overhaul exterior

GRAND RAPIDS –– One of downtown Grand Rapids’ signature skyscrapers will be given a new look in the coming years.

Beginning next year, the 29-story, 35-year-old Amway Grand Plaza Hotel will be retrofitted with a new glass exterior as part of a $40 million renovation project announced Tuesday morning by the hotel’s owner Amway Hotel Corp., which does business as AH+C Hospitality.

“Renovating the hotel tower now will help cement Grand Rapids as a world class destination for visitors, residents and businesses from around the world for years to come,” Amway President Doug DeVos said in a statement.

The new glass is expected to be 10-15 percent more energy efficient while also offering hotel guests floor-to-ceiling window views and appearing more reflective from the outside, creating “a crisp and clear building appearance throughout the year.”

The renovation is set to be completed in stages and only about 55 of the hotel’s 682 rooms will be unavailable during the expected two-year construction project.

Grand Rapids-based Rockford Construction Co. Inc. will serve as construction manager for the project and international architecture firm Gensler will serve as the project’s designer.