This is not the entire story, but I think this played into it:
I seem to remember that Meijer had initially planned to build a store a mile south on property they owned in Grand Rapids Twp. The township would not allow them to build the store on that site, so they built a store one mile north instead, on property within the city limits of Grand Rapids. I don't recall if the property had already been annexed prior to the plans for the store, or if it was part of the process to develop the land. The Grand Rapids Township property was eventually developed as Frederick Meijer Gardens.