Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments

[Rizzo]

I really didn't like the thought of MSU medical school being in the RDV Christman building...with everything else being built or "proposed" to be built -cough DeVos Children Hospital cough- that does not have decent pedestriability (is that a word?)...basically why does a school want to be in a building on an extremely busy street with no sidewalk attraction...I think if anything the school would move to somewhere where there can be a little green space too and not just a building...just my small 0.02

not to mention being as close as possible to the bars/shopping/etc

I hope where ever this is built that it might include some kind of peaceful retreat, maybe a small park with water features. I think this could be a great source for inspiration and balance to budding medical professionals. I'm serious... I was pissed one day and went to the fountain in front of Gerry's and it did wonders. I felt a lot of inspiration and peace flow into me.

Edited September 2, 2006 by Rizzo

[joeDowntown]

Is that a nod to the native american folks who came before us?

Joe

UNOFFICIALLY - it will be called The Hopewell Centre. totally unofficially, but if it sticks - you heard it here first folks.

[GRDadof3]

Actual news on this project. VAI is seeking an encroachment agreement with the City to construct a temporary earth retention system (retaining wall) along Crescent Park. "...necessary during the 3 year construction period". That gives us some massive construction work carried through the end of the decade. I'm guessing this will be the first sign of construction.

[tamias6]

Is there an official construction start and finish date yet? I know phase II will get built. No doubt in that. But when?

[GRDadof3]

Is there an official construction start and finish date yet? I know phase II will get built. No doubt in that. But when?

Spring 07 for official ground-breaking, according to mpchicago a few posts up. It may start earlier than the official ground-breaking though.

[tamias6]

Spring 07 for official ground-breaking, according to mpchicago a few posts up. It may start earlier than the official ground-breaking though.

Great. Phase II will be a very nice shot in the arm in Downtown's construction boom and will be a huge vitamine pill for GR's long term econamy. Also if Phase II stays true to the models and renderings, all of that glass and shiny metal cascading down the hill will be a sight to behold. Needless to say I'm excited about this project.

[egrguy]

was there ever a published reason why there was the original delay? is the spring groundbreaking still (speculative only) still tied to an announcement with the MSU med school?

[Kayak1]

was there ever a published reason why there was the original delay? is the spring groundbreaking still (speculative only) still tied to an announcement with the MSU med school?

MSU is still looking at 3 site options. One of them could be VAI. They were looking at RDV/Christman but have passed on that site.

[tamias6]

Ah. The football shaped glass tower....again. That's what I see when I look at the Children's hospital's official renderings. It's a clone of the new Marriott now under construction-not that there is anything wrong with that new spiffy hotel what will take its rightfull place in the GR skyline, but one football shaped glass tower is enough. Now I've already posted some of my renderings of what I think the children's hospital should look like on this thread. But thanks to some very cool modernist ideas GRdad relayed to me, I decided to do a second version of the Children's Hospital to prove that something more imspiring needs to live on that location other than a Marriott clone. So here's a series of my renderings of the Children's Hospital, the way it should look...Take 2.

West Facade

East Facade

Main Entrance

North West Street Level Entrance

Michigan Street Frontage

Rather we'll see somthing like these renderings built or somthing else all together is another story. But that location along with Spectrum Health proper sits at the sumit of a very visible piece of realestate that can be seen for miles around. Thus Spectrum has a prime opportunity to build a very distinctive landmark that would set them apart from any other hospital, (great PR asset) and would give GR a signature landmark to make the city clearly recognizable to the rest of the world.

[GRDadof3]

Thanks for posting these tamias! My thought was that the curved glass H&R Block HQ/Football Marriott/Renaissance Center idea had been done to death, and really does not convey a "National Center for Health Excellence in the Treatment of Children". Too 1990's. A more modernistic cube idea, to me, evokes images of children's building blocks, especially in bold playful colors. It also makes it far less intimidating to children and their parents who will be trekking from all over the Midwest.

tamias6 added the rooftop gardens, which I think is a great addition. Imagine being in the hospital with your child and looking down upon a rooftop garden below, maybe even complete with sculpted topiaries in the shape of animals. It certainly would raise the spirit of the children, which studies have shown goes a long way toward treatment and recovery.

And the design is so earth-shattering that it would instantly thrust GR onto the national stage as a future mecca of noticeable architecture. Combine this with the VAI next door when completed, and all of a sudden GR's Heathcare Hill becomes not just another regional healthcare destination like SO MANY OTHER CITIES are trying to create. It would also dramatically alter the skyline to reflect a vibrant modern progressive Midwestern city.

I just gave tamias6 the inspiration. He/she did all the rest. I think it's fantastic. Of course, the final design would get whittled down to something that can be built, but the principle would remain the same.

[numstead]

feeling "hyper-rational" tamias? did you get your Joshua Prince-Ramus fix?

interesting take but the colors are a bit silly.

[dbrok]

I kind of like tamias' design. Right away the building reminded me of giant children's blocks.

[Prankster]

Architectural Jenga. I like the design, but would we want that to be our most prominent tower on the skyline?

[GRDadof3]

Architectural Jenga. I like the design, but would we want that to be our most prominent tower on the skyline?

Which begs the question, do we want another glass football as the prominent tower? This may be cancelled anyway. WOODTV at 11:00 to find out which healthcare project downtown is NOT going to happen.

[Rizzo]

http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5393706 -- I think it maybe that speculated clinic that could have been brought out by the merger of Spectrum and MMPC.

Bummer if something should go wrong with any of the health care projects.

Edited September 12, 2006 by Rizzo

[GRDadof3]

http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5393706 -- I think it maybe that speculated clinic that could have been brought out by the merger of Spectrum and MMPC.

Bummer if something should go wrong with any of the health care projects.

Thanks Rizzo. MMPC is not a clinic, but it's a giant consortium of healthcare providers all over West Michigan. I really didn't see the merger happening anyway. That Geha!

Bring on tamias' building block design!

[Rizzo]

No I know MMPC isn't a clinic, but the merger would have created a Clinic. I hope you guys are watching the Geha, I don't get channel 8 here.

Edited September 12, 2006 by Rizzo

[GRDadof3]

No I know MMPC isn't a clinic, but the merger would have created a Clinic. I hope you guys are watching the Geha, I don't get channel 8 here.

She just confirmed it's the deal between Spectrum and MMPC that is dead. Apparently a slow news day due to all the 9-11 stuff, and they had to tease us with something at 11:00.

[GRDadof3]

golscorer -

Since I was unfamiliar with Joshua Prince-Ramus, I did some searching. I didn't realize he was the designer of Louisville's bizzaro Museum Plaza. However, after watching THIS VIDEO (about 20 minutes) of his description of his projects, it makes a lot more sense. Although, I think he's disengenous by saying he's "not making a statement". I think as an architect, by so strongly "not making a statement", you're making a statement.

Would I want GR filled with stuctures like these, hell no! One or two, absolutely. It definitely depends on the use of the site. The Seattle Library that he designed is great.

[AlexPKeaton]

You mean the building that was named eyesore of the month?

-nb

[GRDadof3]

You mean the building that was named eyesore of the month?

-nb

Kunstler who? I wouldn't place too much credence in someone who throws around the f-bomb so freely. I like the design. I'm just tired of looking like every other mid-sized city in the country.

[AlexPKeaton]

He did write The Geography of Nowhere, I'd give the guy's opinion a little respect.

-nb

[GRDadof3]

He did write The Geography of Nowhere, I'd give the guy's opinion a little respect.

-nb

Never heard of it. Should we also extend the same unearned respect to the architect?

[numstead]

golscorer -

Since I was unfamiliar with Joshua Prince-Ramus, I did some searching. I didn't realize he was the designer of Louisville's bizzaro Museum Plaza. However, after watching THIS VIDEO (about 20 minutes) of his description of his projects, it makes a lot more sense. Although, I think he's disengenous by saying he's "not making a statement". I think as an architect, by so strongly "not making a statement", you're making a statement.

Would I want GR filled with stuctures like these, hell no! One or two, absolutely. It definitely depends on the use of the site. The Seattle Library that he designed is great.

I'm glad someone got the reference, even if it did take some research, and didn't think I wasn't ripping on tamias. It was actually somewhat of a complement because I kinda like J P-R's work. In fact, I've been wearing a lot more collar-less shirts to work with dress slacks so that I look like him. Now I just need to shave my head and start lifting weights to get that Ivy League Rower appearance.

And I totally agree with both points GRdad... he's definitely making a statement, and something crazy like Museum Plaza or Seattle Public in any urban environment would be cool as long as it didn't become the norm.

Alex, Museum Plaza was also an "eyesore of the Month". Kunstler called San Francisco's deYoung Museum an eyesore as well. He can be an idiot some of the time.

[AlexPKeaton]

Yeah, I think he's often just trying to stir the pot a little. A lot of his "eyesores" really are bad. I think his point of the library was that it was a bit pretentious, not that it was poor urbanism or anything. Anyway, I found his little commentary amusing.

-nb