WALKER, MI – Grand Rapids-area gun owners will soon have a place to practice safe gun use at an indoor shooting range that’s in the works.
The new Walker Indoor Range, being planned for 3375 Shippers Drive NW, was approved by the Walker Planning Commission last month.
The new facility will be built on 2.05 acres of undeveloped land near the intersection of Walker Avenue and Northridge Drive. It’ll be close to a Michigan State Police building at 2290 4 Mile Road NW.
The 10,202-square-foot building will have 10 indoor range bays, or lanes, equipped with sound absorbing panels, firing line ballistic stall walls dividing the lanes, ballistically rated floors, walls and ceiling, bullet trap for safe capture of projectiles and state-of-the-art HVAC technology providing clean air.
The building will also have a classroom for gun safety training events and a retail space selling eye and ear protection, ammo and firearms.
Leslie Tassel Inc. is the developer of the project and is working with Range Development Services, a North Carolina-based consultant that works as a partner for developers looking to establish their own indoor shooting ranges across the U.S., according to the company’s website.
Stuart Mullen, the owner of Range Development Services, told Walker planning commissioners that the new facility will follow industry best practices.
He said the range itself is designed as a “concrete bunker” for ballistic containment. The building’s HVAC system will exchange the air every 90 seconds to ensure a safe breathing environment.
Mullen also said the range will be operated by trained and certified range safety officers who will use their discretion to ensure that visitors are of “clear mind and conscience” before being allowed into the shooting range.
“If we don’t like or are not comfortable with someone who’s requesting access to the range, they’ll be denied and shown the door without hesitation,” he told planning commissioners on Sept. 3.
Construction will take around 10 months to complete and the new facility could open by late 2026 or early 2027, Mullen told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.
“Providing the citizens of the Walker and greater Grand Rapids markets with this indoor shooting range facility, which is focused on firearms training and education with an emphasis on the benefits of becoming a membership is an exciting opportunity for this locally owned and operated small business,” he said in an emailed statement.
Walker Police Chief Keith Mankel said he and Michigan State Police have reviewed the site plan and had no concerns or objections to the project, other than recommending the owner add more trees to the north property line to create a natural barrier.
Property records show the developer has not yet purchased the property, but project engineer Steve Witte of Nederveld Inc. told planning commissioners that there is a purchase agreement in place.