Metro Health Village - University of Michigan Health Systems

[francishsu]

I'm sure much of it had to do with cost as well, but it sure detracts from an environment by looking over a sea of car rooftops.

Imagine THIS SHOT full of cars.

Not sure about cost being a big factor. If they did a couple parking ramps, that could free up space for additional business to locate there which would provide additional revenue to offset the costs.

Imagine the parking lot you showed with all the construction stuff removed and the parking lot landscaped. In other words, it's your typical large parking lot although I imagine they'll probably keep it looking nicer than average. The view you showed is also from the south side. I don't know what they have planned for the southern part of the whole thing, aside from a daycare and the existing Frog Hollow playground. A hotel might be a possibility. So I don't know what kind of exposure it's going to get, except that people walking in the retail village part are not going to see that.

Edited August 1, 2006 by francishsu

[Nitro]

I was on site today so I took a few pics......

[DwntwnGeo]

I was on site today so I took a few pics......

Nice close ups of the Hospital Nitro

[DwntwnGeo]

I biked around the Metro Hospital Site today and took some pictures for those that are interested.

The front of the first "outbuilding" of Metro Village.

A close up the entrance

A view of the front of the Main Hospital

Showing the south side of the Main Entrance

A closer view

The vertical tower section

A view looking at the NE corner of the main Hospital

A rear view showing what looks like the Mechanicals on the right and also a drive for deliveries

A close up of the lightposts that are placed along most of the entrance drives. But they are not being used in the parking lots directrly around the main hospital.

Construction crews were digging out the southern water retenting pond today. Looks like they will be rather deep.

Someone posted there will be two ponds (northern and southern) with a bridge in the middle connecting Bryon Center Ave and Metro Village. I am guessing these are the footings for this bridge.

A view of the completed northern pond.

A view looking east at the Hospital from Bryon Center Ave.

Now from the same spot but looking west. What a wonderful view of not one, but two rows of strip malls on the west side of Bryon Center Ave.

Here is the first strip mall retail section of Metro Village. It is along one of the entrances to the Village off of Bryon Center Ave. The suite on the far end will be the newest Starbucks because Construction workers and doctors need their coffee fixes too

[Rizzo]

Metro looks really impressive comming up the hill Westbound on Gezon Prkwy. Nice pictures....

[ericnmu]

I was checking out the construction site on Google Maps, and notice they have a nice sized jet on the grounds. Whats their plan with that?

Link to google maps

Its in the upper left corner.

</joke>

[Rizzo]

On further expection there is no shadow, its just flying over head...

Edited August 6, 2006 by Rizzo

[ericnmu]

On further expection there is no shadow, its just flying over head...

Yeah, I know. Just some lame humor D:

[6th Gen local]

I was checking out the construction site on Google Maps, and notice they have a nice sized jet on the grounds. Whats their plan with that?

Link to google maps

Its in the upper left corner.

</joke>

Great find!

[civitas]

On further expection there is no shadow, its just flying over head...

There's a shadow. It just happens to be in Grandville.

[Rizzo]

There's a shadow. It just happens to be in Grandville.

Bingo, but in the context of the single frame there isnt. I just saw that it was a joke though. /joke.

[GRGyp]

I'm sure much of it had to do with cost as well, but it sure detracts from an environment by looking over a sea of car rooftops.

Imagine THIS SHOT full of cars.

On another positive note: Metro health recognized for environmental excellence

It depends what they do with medians in the parking lot. I know from environmental standards that big parking lots like that generate alot of heat from the sun warming the blacktop. If they truly are being lauded for environmental excellence, I expect that those medians will be filled with trees that can grow to sufficient height to keep the lot significantly shaded.

The building itself maybe very green and environmentally friendly, but the parking lot and landscaping need to follow in the same concept to be truly "environmentally excellent". Exposed blacktop needs to be shaded, and landscaping needs to be designed to minimize water use. So they need plenty of trees in the parking lot and a minimal use of large grass lawn areas that would require daily watering.

[Josh]

It depends what they do with medians in the parking lot. I know from environmental standards that big parking lots like that generate alot of heat from the sun warming the blacktop. If they truly are being lauded for environmental excellence, I expect that those medians will be filled with trees that can grow to sufficient height to keep the lot significantly shaded.

The building itself maybe very green and environmentally friendly, but the parking lot and landscaping need to follow in the same concept to be truly "environmentally excellent". Exposed blacktop needs to be shaded, and landscaping needs to be designed to minimize water use. So they need plenty of trees in the parking lot and a minimal use of large grass lawn areas that would require daily watering.

I guess we'll be finding out what they do as far as landscaping, because they're working on it right now. Sidewalks are being poured around parking lots and connected to various entrances around the hospital. Top soil and grading are also being worked on.

[LSP]

I hear the Bridge over the pond is going to be installed sometime in mid August. it would be great if someone could get some photos of this. Have they started the installation of roads in the actual "Village" area?

[DwntwnGeo]

I hear the Bridge over the pond is going to be installed sometime in mid August. it would be great if someone could get some photos of this. Have they started the installation of roads in the actual "Village" area?

In post #29 I have a picure of the footings for the bridge. They are still working on digging out the North and South pond areas.

[CK1]

Curious - what, if anything, is going to happen with Metro's main hospital up in GR near EastGR? Business as usual when the new facility is full operational?

[Nitro]

Curious - what, if anything, is going to happen with Metro's main hospital up in GR near EastGR? Business as usual when the new facility is full operational?

Nope, that facility will close when the new hospital opens. Last I heard they had a redevelopment plan for residential use on the site.

[twoshort]

Nope, that facility will close when the new hospital opens. Last I heard they had a redevelopment plan for residential use on the site.

Yeah I read about townhomes I seem to recall. Maybe a renaissance zone too?

[DwntwnGeo]

A while ago someone asked about seeing pictures of the entrance bridge being constructed. Here are a few more to see the progess.

Entrance from Bryon Center Ave.

A view looking at the North side of the bridge.

The pillars will have some nice stone work on them.

A couple pictures of the bridge deck

Some of the southern side of the bridge.

A few of the underside

This isn't bridge related, but I couldn't forget a snapshot of the new Starbucks that is getting ready to open on the site. It will be complete with a drive thur too!

[tamias6]

I'm sure that the new Metro is going to be a nice state of the art hospital. But I wish they could have found a way to stay and renovate their existing location instead moving way and gone out in urban sprawl-topia. It's not the additional urban sprawl that gets me, its the fact that there will be one less hospital serving the core leaving Spectrum and St. Mary's as the only good hospitals in the core. Well there is Kent County Hospital, but I've been in there to visit a family friend who was one of its patients at the time. The place was very dated. Infact much of the time she had to be transported to Spectrum to get most of the medical care she received.

[numstead]

nothing says "village" like a drive-thru 'bucks.

[soleil9]

I'm sure that the new Metro is going to be a nice state of the art hospital. But I wish they could have found a way to stay and renovate their existing location instead moving way and gone out in urban sprawl-topia.

Metro was bursting at its seems. The land footprint that Metro Hospital had was tiny by hospital standards. It had nowhere to expand (surrounded completely by residential) and add services, like more operating suites, procedure rooms, more beds, nicer OB dept, rads, cardio, the list goes on and on. Definitely couldn't have been done on the current site. And to top it of, its gonna be one kick-a hospital!

Also, hospitals need to be where the people are to provide the best care. If you are in Easttown, and have a heart attack, will you go to St Mary's, Blodgett, Butterworth, or Metro? All are extremely close. But what about the people in the southern suburbs? They've got to truck into downtown for services. Really, GR probably needs to decentralize the hospitals even more. What about the northern suburbs? I don't know enough about the pop. density of the area to know for sure.

Anyway, MetroHealth Hospital is going to rock! There's going to be an employee hard-hat walk through today, anybody have a report or picts? I can't wait to see the inside!

[michaelskis]

The GF got a job as a care tech there and looks like she stands a good chance of getting a nursing job there once she finishes her program in the spring. She is very excited about everything and says that it seems like a wonderful place to work.

[GRDadof3]

Is it just me, or does that bridge seem to have a pretty tight arc to it for cars to go over? Is it for pedestrians, or cars?

Edit: never mind, that's the arc of the underside of the bridge.

[francishsu]

It'd be nice if I could find employment there. A 5 minute drive to work sounds real nice. Ironically, my wife just got a job at Spectrum.