MSU Biomedical Research Campus - Phase II

[GVSUChris]

News, possibly soon. (this message will self destruct in....

I've been thinking/eager about this for weeks, given that they should be making a formal 'decision' on Friday. I noticed in the agenda for the MSU Trustees meeting that it simply says "Former Press building demolition." 

[GRDadof3]

I've been thinking/eager about this for weeks, given that they should be making a formal 'decision' on Friday. I noticed in the agenda for the MSU Trustees meeting that it simply says "Former Press building demolition." 

 

I may go and report back live. Developing...

[joeDowntown]

Can't wait for Friday!

[GVSUChris]

I've always hoped that there was something buried out there waiting to be uncovered, but after a lot of (obsessive) searching this is the best I could find. In their October 9 meeting they did a presentation on what looks like either their design, or a basic schematic of what they're thinking...

 

Starts around page 25....

http://ipf.msu.edu/_files/pdfs/construction-cj-presentation-october-9-2014.pdf

[wingbert]

Welp, here you go.  Farewell GR Press bunker.

 

http://woodtv.com/2014/12/12/msu-to-raze-former-gr-press-building-for-medical-lab/

[organsnyder]

$3 million for the whole project? That doesn't sound very impressive.

[joeDowntown]

I thought this was supposed to be the big reveal? If not, when are they supposed to decide if the build it or if they let a private developer build it?

 

Joe

 

 

Welp, here you go.  Farewell GR Press bunker.

 

http://woodtv.com/2014/12/12/msu-to-raze-former-gr-press-building-for-medical-lab/

[egrguy]

I thought $3M was for demolition only? Seems like $3M for demo and a 6 story building is awfully low. 

[GR_Urbanist]

Welp, here you go.  Farewell GR Press bunker.

 

http://woodtv.com/2014/12/12/msu-to-raze-former-gr-press-building-for-medical-lab/

 

For a ten dollar donation, they should let anyone have a whack at it with a sledgehammer.

[GRDadof3]

I thought this was supposed to be the big reveal? If not, when are they supposed to decide if the build it or if they let a private developer build it?

 

Joe

 

Today they voted to demolish the Press building ($3 Million) starting in March and move forward with building the new biomedical research center on the corner. They showed some slides at the board meeting of the site plan that I hadn't seen before, trying to get those. They were never looking at having a private developer build their facility, just to develop out the remainder of the site.

 

They're still tweaking the design so they didn't want to show renderings today, but it's 95% of the way there (according to their VP of Auxiliary Services). I thought there'd be fancy renderings today too but at least they're moving shovels in March.

 

http://rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/msubiomedicalcenter.aspx

[organsnyder]

I thought $3M was for demolition only? Seems like $3M for demo and a 6 story building is awfully low. 

 

That makes more sense. Per GRDad's reporting, the building will be 146,500 sqft. No way they're tearing down and building new for $20/sqft. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by organsnyder

[ironyisadeadscene]

No parking structure under it?

[joeDowntown]

Guess I had it wrong. For some reason I thought they were weighing the option to build it themselves or have a developer build it as part of a much bigger development and lease it back.

Interesting that they are looking for development east of the new building. Not that it would be even close to contiguous but I was envisioning MSU going all the way up Michigan (sans roads).

[GRDadof3]

The Press did a little more digging and got the architects who will be involved: Ellenzweig who designed the Secchia Center and Smith Group JJR (I believe is a Detroit-based firm).

 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/12/msus_new_biomedical_research_b.html

 

http://www.ellenzweig.com/#

http://www.smithgroupjjr.com/projects

No parking structure under it?

 

The slideshow that was posted earlier (which is apparently not up-to-date) said it will have no basement. Showed a lot of bike storage in the various upper floors though. Wonder if they'll use spaces in the Secchia ramp for faculty and staff who don't bike?

[joeDowntown]

If they use the Secchia ramp, they should install a sledding lane down Michigan street with a tow rope.

[wingbert]

If they use the Secchia ramp, they should install a sledding lane down Michigan street with a tow rope.

 

Now don't go giving Rob Bliss ideas...

[GRDadof3]

OMGawd you guys. MSU is going to build on the old Press site.

 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2015/01/88_million_price_tag_for_msus.html

[WMrapids]

Interesting how the research building will be 163,000 square feet, a little smaller than the GR Press building at 173,840 square feet. I thought it might have been a little bigger but maybe it was wishful thinking.

[GRDadof3]

Interesting how the research building will be 163,000 square feet, a little smaller than the GR Press building at 173,840 square feet. I thought it might have been a little bigger but maybe it was wishful thinking.

 

The initial information we saw was 36 research teams, and 5 stories. Now on their Brownfield application they're saying 44 research teams and $88 Million, so it may have grown to 6 floors.

 

$88 Million for 163,000 square feet will be a very nice facility. They don't build high-rise wet labs. You can't beat the impact though. Every mayor in the U.S. would love to get a biomedical campus in his/her downtown (if they don't have one already). Average salary of the 150 or so employees there: $90,000.

 

Probably similar to this in scale:

 

[WMrapids]

Can't disagree with you about the impact of this GRDad, and thank you. Also didn't see the increase in the number of teams.

[ModSquad]

Developments like this poke holes in the argument people have that Downtown is being over built in regard to apartments and condos.  44 research teams plus all of the additional staff needed to support the research teams and the building itself is a LOT of jobs, a lot of people that may want to live close to work, live downtown.

[Jippy]

Also, the mlive article still suggests that parcels will be reserved for private development -- thus the smaller building will have a much smaller footprint -- leaving room for something else. 

[GRDadof3]

Also, the mlive article still suggests that parcels will be reserved for private development -- thus the smaller building will have a much smaller footprint -- leaving room for something else. 

 

That was established quite some time ago, before the (4th) MLive article.

 

[GRDadof3]

Developments like this poke holes in the argument people have that Downtown is being over built in regard to apartments and condos.  44 research teams plus all of the additional staff needed to support the research teams and the building itself is a LOT of jobs, a lot of people that may want to live close to work, live downtown.

 

I agree Dave. Between MSU and Spectrum alone, there are a lot more people working downtown who may want to live close to work (some may choose EGR or FH but not all). Plus GVSU is expanding downtown, again. Class A office space is reaching 90% occupancy. At some point a few projects may hit the skids (like Icon did) but that's the nature of business. And even Icon has a waiting list as an apartment building.

 

The biggest challenge is hitting that middle rung apartment rent. New construction commands higher rents, and many of the rehab buildings that could sustain a little lower rent rates are getting snatched up (or are mostly gone downtown). We may see old warehouses and buildings further out become renovation targets, like along Godfrey or Burton Heights.

[ModSquad]

I agree Dave. Between MSU and Spectrum alone, there are a lot more people working downtown who may want to live close to work (some may choose EGR or FH but not all). Plus GVSU is expanding downtown, again. Class A office space is reaching 90% occupancy. At some point a few projects may hit the skids (like Icon did) but that's the nature of business. And even Icon has a waiting list as an apartment building.

 

The biggest challenge is hitting that middle rung apartment rent. New construction commands higher rents, and many of the rehab buildings that could sustain a little lower rent rates are getting snatched up (or are mostly gone downtown). We may see old warehouses and buildings further out become renovation targets, like along Godfrey or Burton Heights.

Jeff,

I know of several developers right now looking at Burton Heights in the Division/Burton corridor.  There is a HUGE potential here with the Silver Line in place.