A day after an article was published in the Grand Rapids Press revealing that most Grand Rapids City Commissioners supported a controversial plan to build a Salvation Army community center in a portion of Garfield Park, the Salvation Army withdrew its proposal on Friday. Citing the substantial public concern over the Garfield Park proposal, the Salvation Army is looking at other nearby sites where a community center might be welcomed as they have in other cities, with Wyoming being mentioned as a possible location. Meanwhile, an article in the Press last week explained the “closed-door” meetings between the Salvation Army and the city that have drawn heavy criticism from citizens opposed to the sale of Garfield Park, with Mayor George Heartwell defending the private “three-on-one” meetings that were held to skirt the state Open Meetings Act despite the fact that they “cast a shadow” on the process.

Lastly, the Community Media Center’s Catalyst Radio program ran an interview last week with Christopher Reader of the Save Garfield Park campaign that summarized the views of those opposed to the plan (mp3).