MSU Biomedical Research Campus - Phase II

[GRDadof3]

On 7/27/2020 at 9:20 AM, GVSUChris said:

What is mind blowing/mind numbing is that this “grand entrance” faces the newly built parking garage and a the loading dock for the other building... 

They made such a big deal about developing that GR Press for a high and better purpose than its old urban renewal design, and replaced it with....well...an homage to urban renewal design...

I'm surprised you guys haven't given up this fight.  Especially with Suzanne Schulz gone (love her or hate her), I think it's going to be the norm for a while. Get involved with the Planning Commission. A lot of us old guys and gals are losing steam on these issues. Time for the next generation to step up. 

[mpchicago]

5 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

I'm surprised you guys haven't given up this fight.  Especially with Suzanne Schulz gone (love her or hate her), I think it's going to be the norm for a while. Get involved with the Planning Commission. A lot of us old guys and gals are losing steam on these issues. Time for the next generation to step up. 

LOL    old guys!?  Jeff - what are you in your mid to late 40's?   

[joeDowntown]

A few photos sneaking down the alleyway. 
 

 

[joeDowntown]

This is pretty cool. It's an augmented reality app you can use on your phone to see what the building will look like when finished. 

http://msuhealthgr.com/

Joe

[Raildude's dad]

The app photo is a joke, it's a perspective from the parking ramp location. It will only be seen down an ally along the parking ramp. Spend the extra money for that architectural detail and hide it. Just plain stupid!!!!!!

[joeDowntown]

I think we should see what the final product looks like. I was pissed at the fact that it was buried as well (why not have the entrance face Michigan where people can see it? Or why not extend it so it spans the whole west side of the building). But I’m hoping the third building, along with nice landscaping will make it more welcoming? I actually like the way the JW Mariott entrance is tucked back, and am hoping this has a similar vibe (trying to stay optimistic). 
 

Joe

[Raildude's dad]

Michigan Street from the top of the hill to Monroe is a waste land.  Nothing in the way of street level activity.  State building and federal building - blank walls. MSU and the new building - just windows .  Monroe has the City county wall, the Devos just windows. Atwood is the only "active" space. It sure isn't going to make it on foot traffic.

[Chester Cheeto]

View of the building as you exit I-196

[Prankster]

Driving on 196 on Friday, the “interesting” corner is very visible from the expressway. Maybe that is who they are directing the “money shot” towards. 

[joeDowntown]

One ugly ramp from Monroe. Hope they add the liner building sooner than later. 

[deja vu]

I found some photos of the recent "topping out" - posted on Rockford's LinkedIn page. Also, this brief flyover video of progress through late July. Rockford's LinkedIn caption reads:

"10 months of construction. 56,000 work-hours invested. 60% project completion. One final piece of steel."

Source: LinkedIn | Rockford Construction

Edited August 30, 2020 by deja vu

[EastCoaster93]

Besides being a new development in GR, can anyone give me a reason as to how this is an improvement to the former Grand Rapids Press Building? These buildings remind me of a suburban office project rather than a project that injects new life into a former “dead” part of downtown.  What a let down...

[joeDowntown]

2 hours ago, EastCoaster93 said:

Besides being a new development in GR, can anyone give me a reason as to how this is an improvement to the former Grand Rapids Press Building? These buildings remind me of a suburban office project rather than a project that injects new life into a former “dead” part of downtown.  What a let down...

Scientists and researchers working downtown. Dead industry vs. a potential for huge growth. Just a part of a campus that will eventually expand north. 

I wish it had more street level interaction. I think they could have done a better job. But I don’t for a second think it’s not good for this area/downtown as a whole. 
 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

15 hours ago, EastCoaster93 said:

Besides being a new development in GR, can anyone give me a reason as to how this is an improvement to the former Grand Rapids Press Building? These buildings remind me of a suburban office project rather than a project that injects new life into a former “dead” part of downtown.  What a let down...

Agreed but I think the writing's already on the wall for Michigan Street being a major thoroughfare with no hope for pedestrian level activity, due to the amount of traffic now and anticipated increases in traffic. If you can't park right in front of it, any retail is going to struggle. If you think about it, the Press building had a surface parking lot that was half empty behind it, this project requires a 6 story parking ramp. So there are definitely "more" people working in this little triangle. 

 

[GR_Urbanist]

Michigan St. (Monroe to the top of the hill) is a street with a steep incline that serves as a major off/on ramp for the highway at two points.

It simply should never have been seen as a possible pedestrian corridor with street-level retail. Even if these building did have that, you still have the Federal and state buildings that are going to be there with no activity, then you have an unbuildable zone of the street that bridges over Division, and then you have a church + the Michigan State medical school building.

 

This is a complex that will house a lot of people on a critical junction between Bridge St. N. Monroe, and Monroe heading south. Far more important of an area to have those workers utilize what can be done there. Plus, just having such an institution there is a massive economic stabilizing mechanism, and that gives at least some continuity between the hill and Monroe.

 

The old GR press building didn't come close to this potential.

 

[Nabisco_Shkin]

Atwater's location may become more enviable with the increase in workers across the street.  

[Raildude's dad]

I did a quick ownership search from Monroe to College. Christman appears to own 35 Michigan and 145 on the hill, McDonald's owns the obvious, the coffee place on the corner of College and the small building at the SE corner of Lafayette are in private ownership. All the rest are owned by MSU, GVSU and the non-profit (yeah right ) Spectrum Health in a half dozen different names. Spectrum just started paying taxes it appears on 25 Michigan which seems odd. But otherwise not one tax dollar generated from all that real estate in prime downtown locations.   Michigan

Yes, I know all the employees pay city income tax (or are supposed to) but those buildings need the same city services as the residential and tax paying commercial / industrial properties. Maybe more when you consider the FD needs bigger ladder trucks for the upper stories.  I don't know if MSU and GVSU pay something in lieu of property taxes for city services. I've never read anything that says they do but maybe they do. 

[GRDadof3]

On 8/31/2020 at 10:45 AM, Nabisco_Shkin said:

Atwater's location may become more enviable with the increase in workers across the street.  

Maybe their food and beer will get better.  

Actually I haven't been there in probably 5 years, maybe it's totally different from what I remember. 

[whitemice]

On 8/31/2020 at 1:19 PM, Raildude's dad said:

I don't know if MSU and GVSU pay something in lieu of property taxes for city services

GVSU has a alternative payment as part of a CBA (Community Benefits Agreement) for their facilities in Belknap,  it is roughly equivalent I believe to what they would pay in property taxes.

[walker]

Another tenant for the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building:

MLIVE: Global digital consulting firm opening headquarters in Grand Rapids, creating 37 jobs

[joeDowntown]

1 hour ago, walker said:

Another tenant for the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building:

MLIVE: Global digital consulting firm opening headquarters in Grand Rapids, creating 37 jobs

It’s a cool company in my line of work. Kind of an unusual choice to be only the second or third tenant. But I bet it’ll be good for prospecting medical clients (and an overall win for Grand Rapids). 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

11 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

It’s a cool company in my line of work. Kind of an unusual choice to be only the second or third tenant. But I bet it’ll be good for prospecting medical clients (and an overall win for Grand Rapids). 

Joe

I heard Dr Chang of BAMF speak at a Chamber event recently and that company is really impressive. I didn't realize they had the only cyclotrons in the world that they developed and have patents/FDA approval for that detect cancer and then cyclotrons that treat cancer. In the fraction of the time and way more precise than radiation or chemotherapy (molecular level precise). They expect a huge rush in patients from all over the country once they get fully up and running. They gave one example with one form of cancer (prostate) that once you're diagnosed traditionally, it's just basically you're waiting to die. Whereas with BAMF they have a proven 80% survival rate with their treatment. I'm paraphrasing obviously. 

One of the reasons they placed the door into the center toward the back and the parking garage was to make the experience of arriving patients as quiet as possible. And not out on busy Michigan Street. Much like why the Children's Hospital has that fancy skywalk, to make kids feel like they're going into a special place.

Cool stuff happening here in GR. 

In case your curiosity is peaked:

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2022/05/bamf-health-brings-worlds-most-advanced-medical-scanning-technology-to-grand-rapids.html

[joeDowntown]

Agreed, the BAMF stuff is next level treatment of cancer. Pretty amazing (and truly revolutionary) new treatments.

[GRDadof3]

8 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

Agreed, the BAMF stuff is next level treatment of cancer. Pretty amazing (and truly revolutionary) new treatments.

Since we're always thinking of these things in additional development terms (lol), maybe they'll have to expand North of I-196. Since they're already partnered with MSU and MSU owns that land...

[walker]

GOOD NEWS, there's another new tenant for the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building.  It's a "Startup Office Incubator"  according to the WOODTV news article and what I think may be their official press release below.  After reading the links I'm a little fuzzy about what they are offering exactly other than some new office space  and some mentoring and the hope that if some young tech entrepreneurs move in on the same floor together then they will talk to each other and develop some "synergy" and come up with something great.  I'm old so it's probably not important that I understand what they are up to, and likely there's more to this than they are telling right now anyway.

WOODTV: new-incubator-in-grand-rapids-supports-tech-startups

spartan-innovations-and-health-innovation-partners-announce-startup-office-incubator-the-bridge-on-medical-mile-in-downtown-grand-rapids

  

Edited January 29, 2023 by walker
accidently hit the SEND button prematurely