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GVSU Downtown Development


GRDadof3

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I'm a outdoor person, like snow, and suburbs... although I prefer Michigan State University over GVSU by far.

I was surprise to see Michigan State University build their medical center in Grand Rapids ( yeah it's a nice city) but what about its city here East Lansing/ Lansing. Jobs and probably a boost in economy went over to Grand Rapids. I wonder how the medical center woudl have shaped downtown Lansing. I wouldn't say I'm angry by the movement, nor pleased... just interesting.

Wasn't a BIG factor be that MSU is teaming up with Spectrum Hospital, St. Mary's and Van Andel Institute? While I'm sure that Lansing has a decent hospital, it can't be anything close to what we have here in GR. Mr. Seccia being a local resident probably didn't hurt GR's cause, either...

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We're not talking about the different programs offered. Obviously MSU has a much broader array of studies and facilities. We were merely talking about admission standards for incoming freshman. GVSU has been forced to continue to raise theirs because of a crushing application increase (GVSU has almost doubled in the last decade) to just under 24,000 students this year.

When you grow that fast, you might start to give off the perception that you're too "open door" to just any high school graduate.

I don't know that they are higher than MSU's, but they may be very similar now.

The freshmen profile, based solely on GPA and ACT scores, at MSU is slightly more impressive than at GVSU, but not by much. That said, I don't see GVSU being true competition to MSU for most kids. No big-time sports, fewer majors, a campus in the middle of Ottawa County -- these are not draws. On the other hand, GVSU is competing very well with the regional universities, Western, Central and Eastern, and has significant advantages over them. A newer, brighter campus; a more interesting city (Mt. Pleasant or Ypsilanti, anyone?) to live near; and some very fine programs. I think that the key to maintaining GVSU's growth will be local philathropy. You have seen that already, and it will be crucial, especially given the likelihood that the Legislature will not be funding higher education very well in the foreseeable future. Also -- how about a MAC membership? MSU built itself on Biggie Munn's football success.

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It's not a medical center, it's a medical school. And not the entire thing, as I understand it, but only for upperclasspeople. Grand Rapids has more medical facilities at which to intern/train than Lansing. In addition, there probably was a desire by the MSU administration to strengthen ties with the most successful part of the state, economically speaking. And, didn't Secchia give them a pail full of money?

Not just a medical school, but the HQ for the entire med school program. They're even moving the Dean over to Grand Rapids. They will still have a CHM campus at MSU, but it will be like a "satellite" campus to the main one in GR.

As I understand it, it was precisely because of the partnerships of Spectrum, Saint Mary's, Secchia, and Van Andel Institute.

And actually coolbrezze, the new MSU CHM building in GR is nothing to write home about (wrong thread though).

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Not just a medical school, but the HQ for the entire med school program. They're even moving the Dean over to Grand Rapids. They will still have a CHM campus at MSU, but it will be like a "satellite" campus to the main one in GR.

As I understand it, it was precisely because of the partnerships of Spectrum, Saint Mary's, Secchia, and Van Andel Institute.

And actually coolbrezze, the new MSU CHM building in GR is nothing to write home about (wrong thread though).

Of course you're right. MSU had a very late start in the medical school business, so moving the school largely to GR gives them a ready-made partnership with the established medical centers and institutes of Pill Hill and the St. Mary's campus.

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. A newer, brighter campus; a more interesting city (Mt. Pleasant or Ypsilanti, anyone?) to live near; and some very fine programs.

this is debatable when referring to ypsilanti. while ypsi isn't much to write home about it is certainly closer to ann arbor than GVSU is to GR. Mt. pleasant is pretty much the middle of nowhere and I don't know who would want to go there for 4 years.

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It's not a medical center, it's a medical school. And not the entire thing, as I understand it, but only for upperclasspeople. Grand Rapids has more medical facilities at which to intern/train than Lansing. In addition, there probably was a desire by the MSU administration to strengthen ties with the most successful part of the state, economically speaking. And, didn't Secchia give them a pail full of money?

Economy may have played a part.

Not just a medical school, but the HQ for the entire med school program. They're even moving the Dean over to Grand Rapids. They will still have a CHM campus at MSU, but it will be like a "satellite" campus to the main one in GR.

As I understand it, it was precisely because of the partnerships of Spectrum, Saint Mary's, Secchia, and Van Andel Institute.

And actually coolbrezze, the new MSU CHM building in GR is nothing to write home about (wrong thread though).

Yeah I'm sure my comment got off topic after mention I prefer MSU over GVSU.

Maybe Spectrum, Secchia, etc... played a part as well, just found it interesting.

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this is debatable when referring to ypsilanti. while ypsi isn't much to write home about it is certainly closer to ann arbor than GVSU is to GR. Mt. pleasant is pretty much the middle of nowhere and I don't know who would want to go there for 4 years.

[/quote

While the borders of Ypsi and Ann Arbor may be closer than GR is, EMU to UofM's campus/DT Ann Arbor isn't any different than Grand Valley to DT GR.

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While the borders of Ypsi and Ann Arbor may be closer than GR is, EMU to UofM's campus/DT Ann Arbor isn't any different than Grand Valley to DT GR.

As a former long-time resident of Washtenaw county, I can safely say that there's a substantial difference between the two locales.

Ypsi and A2 have Washtenaw Ave between them. Think 28th St with Alpine added in. Dozens of student apartment complexes and smaller rental units, along with SF housing and neighborhoods along with strip malls and shopping/services. Ypsilanti (incorporated 1858) is an established city with sidewalks, walkable neighborhoods, a downtown, a cool historic area and personality, and a real sense of place.

I've only gone out to Allendale a few times, but it's no Washtenaw Ave. Does it have a downtown? (Ypsi has two DDA districts.) Convenient link to a pertinent air photo:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=yp...=1&ct=title

EMU is slowly moving west, with area near the stadium becoming more campus-like. I haven't noticed a big GVSU presence in Standale, other than Laker product at the Meijer's.

Edited by Veloise
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As a former long-time resident of Washtenaw county, I can safely say that there's a substantial difference between the two locales.

Ypsi and A2 have Washtenaw Ave between them. Think 28th St with Alpine added in. Dozens of student apartment complexes and smaller rental units, along with SF housing and neighborhoods along with strip malls and shopping/services. Ypsilanti (incorporated 1858) is an established city with sidewalks, walkable neighborhoods, a downtown, a cool historic area and personality, and a real sense of place.

I've only gone out to Allendale a few times, but it's no Washtenaw Ave. Does it have a downtown? (Ypsi has two DDA districts.) Convenient link to a pertinent air photo:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=yp...=1&ct=title

EMU is slowly moving west, with area near the stadium becoming more campus-like. I haven't noticed a big GVSU presence in Standale, other than Laker product at the Meijer's.

I know that Ypsi has its charms (I lived in Ann Arbor for seven years, so have some familiarity with the area.) And, my comment about the regional universities and GVSU probably has more to do with Central and Western being affected than Eastern, which still draws most heavily from metro Detroit kids.

I think that the reality of Allendale is that the campus is fine; kids who want to have a good time either party in their dorm rooms or get in their cars (or their friends' cars) and drive to GR. There is nothing to do in Allendale, and Lake Michigan Drive is not Washtenaw Avenue -- yet. But GVSU has another draw that Eastern lacks -- quick access to Lake Michigan. In the early fall, that may be something that a kid from, say, Lansing or Jackson would find attractive.

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As a former long-time resident of Washtenaw county, I can safely say that there's a substantial difference between the two locales.

Ypsi and A2 have Washtenaw Ave between them. Think 28th St with Alpine added in. Dozens of student apartment complexes and smaller rental units, along with SF housing and neighborhoods along with strip malls and shopping/services. Ypsilanti (incorporated 1858) is an established city with sidewalks, walkable neighborhoods, a downtown, a cool historic area and personality, and a real sense of place.

I've only gone out to Allendale a few times, but it's no Washtenaw Ave. Does it have a downtown? (Ypsi has two DDA districts.) Convenient link to a pertinent air photo:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=yp...=1&ct=title

EMU is slowly moving west, with area near the stadium becoming more campus-like. I haven't noticed a big GVSU presence in Standale, other than Laker product at the Meijer's.

As a GVSU alum, a professional planner, and as someone who has taken the bus before, it'a a relatively short bus ride from the Allendale campus to DT GR. If you've ever driven Lake Michigan Drive during the week during school time, the bus stops are quite busy between DT and Allendale. Why do you think there has been such growth along LMD?

Plus, there has been significant multi-family residential growth in Allendale Townhip that is creating a real "off-campus" feel that the Allendale campus never had previoulsy, a la Western or Central.

I will grant you that the main Allendale campus does not have the historic downtown atmostphere, but the many other amenities that it offers are really starting to make it stand out from Western, Central, and Eastern.

And in closing, let me state that I also attended Wayne State University for my graduate degree, so I am well aware of the many pluses that Metro Detroit has to offer.

Edited by TheCityGuy
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That's the sad truth of it all, that the Allendale campus "does not have the historic downtown atmosphere." A downtown atmosphere is usually what students want because they can walk when they're drunk from the bars to thier dorm rooms. What I found disappointing about the Allendale campus is that the township of Allendale had ABSOLUTELY NO PLANS at all in planning for the growth of the main campus for the past 2 decades. This explains all the crazy private student housing that has popped up on 48th street and Peirce. During my time there(01'-06'), the only way you'd commute to campus from housing off campus was by car. Sometimes, depending on the weather and conditions of the road (which lack sidewalks btw), you could bike to campus. You would have to pray though, that you wouldn't get hit by any of the cars who don't like to share the road. It wasn't until recently that the township got there act together and instituted more "smart growth" principals in their master plan. I, personally, hated the main campus layout and which there was more of a "downtown" atmosphere somewhere near it. It seems so disconnected from anything related to Allendale. I still think that if they planned and developed it right, they could turn that empty strech of Pierce to 48 into a "downtown" avenue. We will just have to wait and see.

Plus, there has been significant multi-family residential growth in Allendale Townhip that is creating a real "off-campus" feel that the Allendale campus never had previoulsy, a la Western or Central.

I will grant you that the main Allendale campus does not have the historic downtown atmostphere, but the many other amenities that it offers are really starting to make it stand out from Western, Central, and Eastern.

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When you compare the admitted freshman class starting in 2007 between GVSU and EMU, there really is no comparison.

The 25-75 percentile range of composite ACTs at EMU was 18-24, compared to 22-26 at GVSU. The admission rate at EMU was about 75%, higher than GVSU's 69%, but roughly comparable to MSU's. (Facts from CollegeData.)

What is interesting that of the folks admitted to EMU, 64% accepted. This is very high; a lot of schools are happy to get 50%.

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Wayne State is to Eastern as Detroit is to GR.

Ypsilanti is in a whole 'nuther country from Detroit.

I remember visiting Ypsi and Eastern when I was a high school senior and thinking "ick". Of course, that was in the late 80's. But it seems like even today EMU is sort of the red-headed stepchild to U of M and Ann Arbor.

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From collegedata (can't vouch for the source, but it seems to cover all schools):

Central Michigan entering freshmen, fall 2007: 73% admit rate, composite ACT range for the 25-75% range of class: 20-24

Western Michigan: 86% admit rate, ACT 25-75 range: 20-25.

So, GVSU compares favorably to all three of the "regional" universities (I didn't include Northern because it really isn't a major player for Lower Peninsula students).

EMU had a major scandal relating to campus security, and their president (who also had other issues) was fired. By contrast, GVSU seems to have had strong leadership over the years (including the very long term leadership of President Arend Lubbers, who probably will be remembered as the John Hanna of GVSU). The current president, a Coast Guard veteran, seems to be highly regarded, though I don't know what the current faculty and students think.

When I drove through the Allendale campus recently, I was impressed by the donor's names on many of those shiny new buildings. I don't know if that is as true of WMU, CMU and EMU (which have older, state-funded campus buildings), though I am sure that those of you who went there are probably getting dunned by alma mater on a regular basis.

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I remember visiting Ypsi and Eastern when I was a high school senior and thinking "ick". Of course, that was in the late 80's. But it seems like even today EMU is sort of the red-headed stepchild to U of M and Ann Arbor.

I think the same thing about GVSU and Ferris. Not that there's anything wrong with Ferris per se, just that there's that perception.

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I think the same thing about GVSU and Ferris. Not that there's anything wrong with Ferris per se, just that there's that perception.

Maybe its just my west side bias or the sports fan in me but when comparing CMU, WMU, and EMU...I've always thought that Eastern came in third as far as success and just over appeal. But that is just me and to be honest that opinion doesn't mean much b/c I know nothing of EMU in terms of academics.

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I think the same thing about GVSU and Ferris. Not that there's anything wrong with Ferris per se, just that there's that perception.

Definitely at that time, GVSU's campus in Allendale was pretty weak and rural, and there was no downtown campus at the time. Central was flat and desolate. MSU was too close to home. That's why I chose WMU (but would probably choose GVSU today).

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I would agree with that about Eastern being third. It really does live in the shadow of U of M. A few years back they almost went under elegibility requirements to be a D1 FBS school, being that you have to average at least 15,000 attendance per home game. It is hard for them to draw even a small crowd, tho I do think that's directly affected by proximity.

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  • 5 months later...

This is what happens when you only get out to Allendale every two years or so. Yowzers! New housing everywhere! I think some of these, like 48 West, was even originally proposed to be bigger. Imagine all these college students within walking distance of downtown GR.

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A somewhat sad attempt at creating a "village":

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I'll bet the township even classifies this as a Transit Oriented Development, since there's a bus stop at it. :rolleyes:

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I'm not even really sure what to think of this collection of buildings. Zoning gone bad, maybe? The ground floor of the white building is actually...office space.

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This section was fun to play "Guess which is the front and which is the back of this building":

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They're even beginning to tear down apartment buildings built probably 20 years ago:

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OK, The Village at 48 West. I think this was proposed to be even bigger. When finished, I believe it will hold over 1300 students. A very interesting project.

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"Downtown" 48 West

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Clubhouse in the background off the square....parking lot:

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One old guy and his granddaughter walking around town (of course, it is Summer and GVSU is out):

3592445551_438af32f5d_b.jpg

The train station...I mean, clubhouse:

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Housing:

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Housing:

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Even more housing:

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You guessed it:

3593298954_7e9e538467_b.jpg

I have some more photos I'll add later of other development I noticed in Allendale.

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OK, starting from the West end of Allendale (actually, I know there are a few new residential developments West of here, but I digress).

Gotta have a new Walgreen's. Corners didn't really even exist before Walgreen's and Rite Aid.

3592456789_b3271bfc36_b.jpg

An office building that really really wants to be a village:

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Not sure where we've been, but apparently we're coming in for a landing:

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Ode to a village'

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Apparently growth alone does not a business model make:

3592462239_a9543b7397_b.jpg

Is this owned by Main St Pub in Kzoo? I assume so (same font and dart logo). I always liked Main St Pub, but always chuckled that it was never really on a traditional main st (strip malls in Kzoo).

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This poor lil guy is either haunted or possessed. I can't even count how many businesses have tried and failed here (remember McD Express?)

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Then crossing the long rural divide between Allendale and Standale.....

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Gotta show Meijer and what a catalyst for sprawl it is:

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And of course, there's a corner in Standale, so we need one of these (Walgreen's, looks like):

3593276712_14b5be477a_b.jpg

Enjoy!

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