GVSU Downtown Development

[grmetro]

It reminds me of the library at Valparaiso University (The Christopher Center)

Edited September 3, 2008 by grmetro

[mgman]

So how does this compare with the current library. I assume that it will have much more access to technology, but the building does not look that big. The article says 180,000 sq. ft. and 800,000 volumes. What are the numbers for Zumberge.

[GRDadof3]

The tallies are in for this Fall and GVSU set another attendance record, 26th year in a row of year-over-year increases, at 23,892 students:

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8957212

[D-Man_GR]

What's the consensus on this development? Gentrification / student takeover of the historic lower West Side? An unwanted neighborhood intrusion? Opening Pandora's Box to further speculation? A great buffer from parking / university buildings? Just about the best investment that could be hoped for in this tired area?

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/business/inde...s_apartmen.html

[GRDadof3]

What's the consensus on this development? Gentrification / student takeover of the historic lower West Side? An unwanted neighborhood intrusion? Opening Pandora's Box to further speculation? A great buffer from parking / university buildings? Just about the best investment that could be hoped for in this tired area?

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/business/inde...s_apartmen.html

Most people here support it:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/apartmen...l&hl=seward

[waazzuup]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but SHW's presentation for the new library can be found here...

http://main.gvsu.edu/library/?id=3402A14F-...D82AD03BF56B08C

[GRDadof3]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but SHW's presentation for the new library can be found here...

http://main.gvsu.edu/library/?id=3402A14F-...D82AD03BF56B08C

That library is going to be pretty sweet!

[GRDadof3]

The Grand Valley board voted today to approve the construction of $52.4 Million in new housing units to the South end of the Allendale campus, for 608 students, by 2010. The University would demolish a 60's era housing complex of 134 beds to make way for the new development.

Apparently last year, the university received 6500 applications for only 5464 on-campus beds.

Just like that, 608 beds. Imagine the boom downtown if GVSU had a bigger presence downtown.

[d8alterego]

Jeez! When I was a freshman in 01' I believe there was an enrollment of 4500-4800 on the Allendale campus (that was a record at the time). That place is growing like weeds! They should start re-evaluating their enrollment because I fear they will soon loose quality over quantity. I'm still hesitant on the new library. I think in the end I will appreciate it more, but I don't want a building that will be dated after a few decades. I ended up liking the new art museum downtown so I have the same hopes for this project. I think that last rendering of the outdoor pillars is very cool. It reminds me of a highly modern cathedral look that some campuses have.

[NorthCoast]

The Grand Valley board voted today to approve the construction of $52.4 Million in new housing units to the South end of the Allendale campus, for 608 students, by 2010. The University would demolish a 60's era housing complex of 134 beds to make way for the new development.

Apparently last year, the university received 6500 applications for only 5464 on-campus beds.

Just like that, 608 beds. Imagine the boom downtown if GVSU had a bigger presence downtown.

The new living centers will replace the Grand Valley Apartments which are on 42nd Avenue just south of Pierce on the east side of the road. Definitely very dated. Probably only a matter of time until some of the other older, living units and apartments start to come down or at least renovated to keep up with the times. They are also going to be building a Kleiner-like commons area on Lot P (must only be part of it b/c lot P is pretty big) to feed the masses that now live on the south end which will alleviate the congestion at Kirkhof.

I do like to see the University growing but I do wish they'd put some more money into renovating and updating some of their existing structures like they have done with Kirkhof. The PAC, the original living centers, the Lakes buildings, Zumberge, and to a lesser extend the Fieldhouse (just the basketball court really) all could use some work.

They also need to just turn DT campus into a huge grad school and let the undergrads play out in Allendale (except for the nursing students over at Cook-Devos).

Edited December 6, 2008 by j3shafer

[GRDadof3]

Jeez! When I was a freshman in 01' I believe there was an enrollment of 4500-4800 on the Allendale campus (that was a record at the time). That place is growing like weeds! They should start re-evaluating their enrollment because I fear they will soon loose quality over quantity. I'm still hesitant on the new library. I think in the end I will appreciate it more, but I don't want a building that will be dated after a few decades. I ended up liking the new art museum downtown so I have the same hopes for this project. I think that last rendering of the outdoor pillars is very cool. It reminds me of a highly modern cathedral look that some campuses have.

They have raised admission standards quite a bit. I hear they are second only to U of M as far as admission standards go now, and they still turn away quite a few people every year.

[LA Dave]

They have raised admission standards quite a bit. I hear they are second only to U of M as far as admission standards go now, and they still turn away quite a few people every year.

Huh?? I would think that Michigan State folks might have something to say about that.

Still, I do find it amazing that GVSU has grown so much and so well over the past 20 years. When I was a kid, GVSC (as it was then known) was the sort of place you went to if you graduated high school with any kind of grades. Plainly not the case now, and it looks like GVSU has replaced Western and Central as the go-to alternative for GR kids who aren't interested in Ann Arbor or East Lansing.

Now, if only GVSU could move more of its operations into downtown. How about that excellent music program? There are good concert venues in GR (DeVos Hall, St. Cecilia Society).

[GRJunkie4Life]

They have raised admission standards quite a bit. I hear they are second only to U of M as far as admission standards go now, and they still turn away quite a few people every year.

Yes, second behind UM from the standpoint of % of students with a 3.0 GPA or higher. See page 4 of this GVSU Accountability Report This report provides some great information (sometimes shocking - see page 22 to get your blood up a few degrees). If you have a few minutes, check it out.

Edited December 6, 2008 by GRJunkie4Life

[jbr12]

Huh?? I would think that Michigan State folks might have something to say about that.

Never had the perception that Michigan State was hard to get into... a number of my coulda-cared-less-about-their-grades friends from High School got accepted into State without even thinking twice about it.

Edited December 6, 2008 by jbr12

[Prankster]

They have raised admission standards quite a bit. I hear they are second only to U of M as far as admission standards go now, and they still turn away quite a few people every year.

I would have thought Michigan Tech would have had the hardest admission standards, of any public Michigan college.

[LA Dave]

Sorry folks. From their own websites:

GPA of middle 50% of admitted freshpeople:

MSU -- 3.44 to 3.85

GVSU -- 3.3 to 3.8

(Close, but MSU wins)

ACT scores of middle 50%:

MSU -- 23-27

GVSU -- 21-26

(Not quite as close, but MSU still wins)

Mind you, GVSU's numbers are better than WMU, CMU or EMU, their peer institutions, and are darned close to MSU, which is a major research university. I think that is very impressive, and especially impressive given the fact that GVSU is 105 years newer as an institution. And I am also frosted by the poor state support for GVSU (probably a combination of GVSU being a relatively new institution plus being ignored by metro Detroit legislators/Governor). But I am as appalled by the fact that Wayne State per student appropriations are higher than U-M's. That is really ridiculous given the quality difference between those two schools. I would love shaving some of WSU's appropriation and splitting it between U-M and GVSU.

And when I am King of Michigan, that is what I will do.

[LA Dave]

I would have thought Michigan Tech would have had the hardest admission standards, of any public Michigan college.

No, Michigan wins that one easily. The average Michigan Tech ACT for entering freshmen is 25.6. At U-M, it is 30. For the 2008 freshmen class, there were 29,000 plus apps, and only about 11,000 acceptances, a 37% acceptance rate, the lowest in Michigan's history. It is the only international research university in the state and the only one with a significant national and international student body.

Folks, I can say with complete confidence (as an out-of-state resident and the husband of a private college counselor) that only the University of Michigan has a real "profile" for out of state kids. I hope that other Michigan public universities can reach that plateau.

[LA Dave]

Hold the Presses. This just in from a (chagrined) LA Dave.

According to US News, the acceptance rate at MSU during the fall of 2007 was: about 74%

The acceptance rate at GVSU for the fall of 2007 was: about 69%

The stats of admitted freshmen are a little better for MSU, but the acceptance rate for GVSU was lower. This tells me that GVSU is trying to shape a better class. Good. Simply accepting any Tom, Dick or Mary is not the way to build your University.

[FloridaSpartan]

MSU has lots to offer and excells in many areas. For example, MSU's nuclear physics program is second only to MIT. To compare MSU to GVSU is ridiculous, and that is coming from a person with degrees from both. http://www.msu.edu/thisismsu/points_pride.html

Edited December 7, 2008 by FloridaSpartan

[Veloise]

... To compare MSU to GVSU is ridiculous, and that is coming from a person with degrees from both. ...

FloridaSpartan, how come you don't call yourself FloridaLaker? (Insert my usual "spartan lover" joke here.)

The Freep ran an article back when school was starting about Detroit kids coming out here to attend GVSU. I don't have the numbers, but apparently there's been some recruiting done in Wayne county...

[FloridaSpartan]

FloridaSpartan, how come you don't call yourself FloridaLaker? (Insert my usual "spartan lover" joke here.)

The Freep ran an article back when school was starting about Detroit kids coming out here to attend GVSU. I don't have the numbers, but apparently there's been some recruiting done in Wayne county...

Did my undergrad at MSU...will always be a Spartan. GVSU is a nice school, but unfortunately not many people have heard of it outside of MI. Maybe they should change the name to Grand Rapids State or something.

[GRDadof3]

MSU has lots to offer and excells in many areas. For example, MSU's nuclear physics program is second only to MIT. To compare MSU to GVSU is ridiculous, and that is coming from a person with degrees from both. http://www.msu.edu/thisismsu/points_pride.html

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.

[Raildudes dad]

I would have thought Michigan Tech would have had the hardest admission standards, of any public Michigan college.

Because of their location (attractive only to to snow lovers and outdoor enthusiast's willing to live in small town a long way from an urban area) they do not have to restrict admissions. If you have decent ACT's or SAT's and apply, you will most likely be accepted. They run a little "crowded" the first semester knowing there will be a number of dropouts the first semester due to students not liking the "isolation" or can't handle the academics. It's easy to get accepted but not easy to stay (academically). They are up front about it, incoming students at orientation are told to look to the left and the right - 2 of you won't be here to graduate.

Class of 1972, parent of a Class of 2005

[coolbrezze]

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.

Edited December 7, 2008 by coolbrezze

[LA Dave]

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.

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?