Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments

[mpchicago]

It's gotta be the bank location. Weren't the pacrcels at Division and Crescent recently sold to MSU or VIA? I

[mpchicago]

That is a HUGE number of employees. How does the VAI support itself and its efforts? My guess is that the annual budget will be well over $100mil when this expansion is complete, and unless it is endowed to the tune of $1bil, there has to be significant outside annual funding sources.

The VAI is basically funded by the estate of Jay Van Andel.

[GRDadof3]

That is a HUGE number of employees. How does the VAI support itself and its efforts? My guess is that the annual budget will be well over $100mil when this expansion is complete, and unless it is endowed to the tune of $1bil, there has to be significant outside annual funding sources.

At 800 employees total (the 580 will be new hires), it will probably be one of the largest downtown employers, after Spectrum and GRCC (?). Where will all those people park?

I wonder if that's why Ellis Parking sought approval to add another level to their parking lot across Division, but with no planned start date? Or maybe that's for MSU?

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...l=ellis+parking

[CK1]

The VAI is basically funded by the estate of Jay Van Andel.

While it is a research institute at heart, and I doubt that chasing the almightly medicine dollar is being displayed at the Institute, I would also assume that once breakthrough's are made within the research being done at the VAI, and when potential treatments are found for serious diseases, there will be significant income from patents and the like.

I would dare say there are few other operations of this size living off of private endowments (the Harvards of the world still rely partially on tiution, regardless of it having a $25B endowment).

[tamias6]

It's gotta be the bank location. Weren't the pacrcels at Division and Crescent recently sold to MSU or VIA? I

I was about to ask the same question.

[mjak68]

There are shovels and backhoes on Crescent Park next to VAI. There is a big trench being dug. I only assume it has something to do with the expansion. Anybody got details on what's going on there?

[GRDadof3]

There are shovels and backhoes on Crescent Park next to VAI. There is a big trench being dug. I only assume it has something to do with the expansion. Anybody got details on what's going on there?

Post 58 in this thread has more details. In essence, they're building a retaining wall along Crescent Park to allow for excavation for phase II.

[tamias6]

There's construction on Division all the way down to Fulton St. I think at least some of that is involving the telephone company as their building on Fountain and Divison has scafolding surrounding it. Last week there were several SBC trucks up and down the Division parked next to car sized holes dug into the road surface.

[mpchicago]

There's construction on Division all the way down to Fulton St. I think at least some of that is involving the telephone company as their building on Fountain and Divison has scafolding surrounding it. Last week there were several SBC trucks up and down the Division parked next to car sized holes dug into the road surface.

Here you go....

Site work is to begin this fall, with construction commencing in the spring. Dedication is expected in late 09.

Edited October 13, 2006 by mpchicago

[GRDadof3]

I think mjak68 means this. All the stakes are North of the stairs, so it appears that the stairs will remain intact. It appears they are moving utilities right now in preparation for excavation. The ground-breaking ceremony tent rental companies and the utility contractors sure are gettting a lot of business downtown lately.

[joeDowntown]

Does anyone else think Ellis' plans to build a second level on a lot that doesn't fill is just a way to up the antey on the price of the lot? This location would make more sense to me than the Mercantile building (though VAI does own the Mercantile building).

Joe

[GRDadof3]

I recently discovered the "Battle of the Children's Hospitals", which may explain the desire to create a "wow" factor with the new children's hospital.

Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies

Orlando, FL

Completion: 2006

$100 Million

273 Beds

11 Floors (2 top left vacant for future expansion)

400,000 Square Feet

Will contain the 4th largest NICU in the country

Designer: Jonathan Bailey & Associates

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin expansion

Wauwatosa

Completion: 2006

$117 Million

294 Beds

12 Floors

425,000 Square Feet

Banner Health Desert Hospital

Mesa, AZ

Completion 2008

$305 Million

220 Beds

6 Floors

538,000 Square Feet

Helen Devos Children's Hospital

Grand Rapids, MI

Completion: 2010

$190 Million

188 Beds

14 Floors (2 top left vacant for future expansion)

440,000 Square Feet

Contains one of the "largest NICU's in the country"

Designer: Jonathan Bailey & Associates

That's just a few of them:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=...amp;btnG=Search

[Allison Slater]

I like the 1st and last one there. The other 2 seem average.

[PBJ]

I like the 1st and last one there. The other 2 seem average.

Probably because they have the same designer.. thus the renderings look pretty similar..

[GaryP]

From the GRBJ:

We want the medical school to have a visible presents in a very striking building in a nearby select a site this week location on a street that you will probably recognize.

From Lou Ann Simon, MSU President

Also says they will narrow down the sites this week.

[Allison Slater]

I was about to say the windows on the first looked a lot like the wall for the helen devos in earlier renderings.

[gvsusean]

From the GRBJ:

We want the medical school to have a visible presents in a very striking building in a nearby select a site this week location on a street that you will probably recognize.

From Lou Ann Simon, MSU President

Also says they will narrow down the sites this week.

wow.... no offense but virtually the entire sentance in blue is just crazy

[gvsusean]

id say we have the best one outa the group.

[GaryP]

Sorry I had to type that myself and didnt proof read

we want a medical school to have a visible presence in a very striking building in a nearby location on a street that you will probably recognize

[gvsusean]

Sorry I had to type that myself and didnt proof read

we want a medical school to have a visible presence in a very striking building in a nearby location on a street that you will probably recognize

lol, your ok. I just thought that was funny

[tamias6]

The first design GRdad posted would look quite at homne on the north side of Chicago.

The 2nd design is pretty cool but will get dated after while.

I must admit that our children's hospital has the most impact out of the bunch, much of which comes from the the suspended skywalk and leaning spire.

Edited October 16, 2006 by tamias6

[tamias6]

What about building the Medschool itself on Cresent and Division and supplimenting it with with dorms and a parking structure on the Elis lot across the street then add some nice streetscaping on that stretch of Division to bring the two sides together?

[gvsusean]

^^^ you know what to do (sketch up )

Edited October 16, 2006 by gvsusean

[GRDadof3]

MSU med school plans focus on "Michigan Street"

Anyone else think the MidTowne Village site is a bad location? It's so far from the core of downtown and VAI. Plus, the Women's Health Center is on the highway side, and a new mixed-use building is going on the Michigan Street side. Having the med school wedged in the middle does not exactly evoke "visible presence in a striking building in a nearby location on a street that everyone will recognize" - Lou Ann Simon

I think they're going to surprise everyone and build it just East of GVSU on Michigan.

[GaryP]

MSU med school plans focus on "Michigan Street"

Anyone else think the MidTowne Village site is a bad location? It's so far from the core of downtown and VAI. Plus, the Women's Health Center is on the highway side, and a new mixed-use building is going on the Michigan Street side. Having the med school wedged in the middle does not exactly evoke "visible presence in a striking building in a nearby location on a street that everyone will recognize" - Lou Ann Simon

I think they're going to surprise everyone and build it just East of GVSU on Michigan.

That wouldn't be the end of the world would it? I hate that parking lot, which is probably the issue with that site. We'd need another 2,000 car garage.