Calvin College announces $35 Million expansion

[GRDadof3]

Calvin approves $35 million in athletic upgrades

Calvin's 31-member board of trustees has approved a $35 (I think they mean $million) expansion and renovation of athletic facilities, the centerpiece of which will be a new 175,000-square-foot, 5,000-seat arena directly east of 42-year-old Calvin Fieldhouse.

[CK1]

Calvin approves $35 million in athletic upgrades

Calvin's 31-member board of trustees has approved a $35 (I think they mean $million) expansion and renovation of athletic facilities, the centerpiece of which will be a new 175,000-square-foot, 5,000-seat arena directly east of 42-year-old Calvin Fieldhouse.

Being a 2002 Hope College alum, IMO they are trying to play catch-up

Actually, being that Calvin is double the size of Hope, are much bigger than the other liberal arts colleges in the area, and have had a very successful athletics program for many, many years, I'm surprised it took this long to upgrade the facilities. But, I suppose better late than never!

[gvsusean]

Being a 2002 Hope College alum, IMO they are trying to play catch-up

Actually, being that Calvin is double the size of Hope, are much bigger than the other liberal arts colleges in the area, and have had a very successful athletics program for many, many years, I'm surprised it took this long to upgrade the facilities. But, I suppose better late than never!

you mean other than GVSU

will it be on the east beltline then??

[CK1]

you mean other than GVSU

will it be on the east beltline then??

I definitely don't consider GVSU a college (university, yes...all semantics, I suppose), but it is considered a liberal arts university, correct?

Also, how is GVSU compared size-wise to other Michigan colleges / universities? I am guessing 5th...behind UofM, MSU, Wayne State and Western.

Its great to see other education-based institutions outside of GVSU (not meant to be a knock against GVSU!)growing in and around Grand Rapids. These are invaluable assets to the community!

[gvsusean]

I definitely don't consider GVSU a college (university, yes...all semantics, I suppose), but it is considered a liberal arts university, correct?

Also, how is GVSU compared size-wise to other Michigan colleges / universities? I am guessing 5th...behind UofM, MSU, Wayne State and Western.

Its great to see other education-based institutions outside of GVSU (not meant to be a knock against GVSU!)growing in and around Grand Rapids. These are invaluable assets to the community!

youre right it is a university. it has 23,550 i believe.

[sparky05]

Not bad.

oh...

Being a 2002 Hope College alum, IMO they are trying to play catch-up

Well, being a 1998 Calvin alum, just be sure to let us know when you hang some championship banners in that sparkling new arena of yours.

And Calvin is undefeated in football. Remember that.

[euphoria]

GVSU would not generally be considered a liberal arts university. It is primarily a business, health sciences, technology, etc... school. That is, most people do not go to GVSU for it's general education curriculum and self-development, but to learn skills. It's not a tech/trade school by any means, but there's a clear distinction. GVSU does call itself a liberal arts university, but I don't think that's accurate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_arts_college might help people get a feel better... I'm having a hard time defining a liberal arts school.

[The one & only]

GVSU would not generally be considered a liberal arts university. It is primarily a business, health sciences, technology, etc... school. That is, most people do not go to GVSU for it's general education curriculum and self-development, but to learn skills. It's not a tech/trade school by any means, but there's a clear distinction. GVSU does call itself a liberal arts university, but I don't think that's accurate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_arts_college might help people get a feel better... I'm having a hard time defining a liberal arts school.

What they should do is get a football program going there. They have had people front the money. they just don't want one. Why i don't know. It would make that school just a better all around school.

[CK1]

What they should do is get a football program going there. They have had people front the money. they just don't want one. Why i don't know. It would make that school just a better all around school.

To be honest, I can't blame them for NOT wanting a football program. They are extremely expensive to operate, and I doubt any DII or DIII football programs operate in the black (only a handful of DI programs do, for that matter!)

If football didn't have such a long-standing tradition at Hope, and if Hope wasn't a perennial conference fore-runner, I'd dare say it'd be worth scrapping the program. Fortunately Hope doesn't have to maintain hardly any football dedicated facilities, which helps in the cost category.

I think Calvin is doing just fine with a top-class athletic program that doesn't include football.

[suydam]

Enrollment of public Michigan Universities (source: www.pcsum.org)

1. Michigan State University - 45,200

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor - 39,700

3. Wayne State University - 33,000

4. Western Michigan University - 29,000

5. Central Michigan University - 24,500

6. Eastern Michigan University - 23,500

7. Grand Valley State University - 22,500

8. Oakland University - 17,300

9. Ferris State University - 12,500

10. Saginaw Valley State University - 9,600

11. Northern Michigan University - 9,500

12. University of Michigan - Dearborn - 8,600

13. Michigan Tech University - 6,600

14. University of Michigan - Flint - 6,400

15. Lake Superior State University - 2,900

[CK1]

Enrollment of public Michigan Universities (source: www.pcsum.org)

1. Michigan State University - 45,200

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor - 39,700

3. Wayne State University - 33,000

4. Western Michigan University - 29,000

5. Central Michigan University - 24,500

6. Eastern Michigan University - 23,500

7. Grand Valley State University - 22,500

8. Oakland University - 17,300

9. Ferris State University - 12,500

10. Saginaw Valley State University - 9,600

11. Northern Michigan University - 9,500

12. University of Michigan - Dearborn - 8,600

13. Michigan Tech University - 6,600

14. University of Michigan - Flint - 6,400

15. Lake Superior State University - 2,900

Wow, that's suprises me! I thought that I recently heard GVSU was predicted to grow past Western within two years...I could be wrong.

[hombre_de_ciudad]

More info on the project:

http://www.calvin.edu/building/overview/

Interesting that Calvin's original plans for this project didn't include a new arena but were just for new fitness and recreation facilities to adjoin the existing Fieldhouse. I'm hearing that a big donor said he would increase his contribution if they also built a new arena. Probably isn't too hard to figure out who that donor might be...

[mgreven]

Probably isn't too hard to figure out who that donor might be...

Hmmm... that's a tough one.

[GRDadof3]

Wow, that's suprises me! I thought that I recently heard GVSU was predicted to grow past Western within two years...I could be wrong.

Those stats are a bit outdated. Western is down to 24,841 this year.

[tamias6]

The layout of the Arena portion of this project looks like a baby VanAndel Arena which would be great for concert performances.

[sparky05]

I'm curious about the exterior architecture of the facilities. The Knollcrest campus (especially the original campus buildings) have a distinct Prarie school/Frank Lloyd Wrightish quality about them. If there's a part of the eastern expansion of the campus (across the beltline) that disappoints me, it's the lack of that quality.

[joeDowntown]

And GVSUs are up.

Those stats are a bit outdated. Western is down to 24,841 this year.

[grcitydog]

I'm curious about the exterior architecture of the facilities. The Knollcrest campus (especially the original campus buildings) have a distinct Prarie school/Frank Lloyd Wrightish quality about them. If there's a part of the eastern expansion of the campus (across the beltline) that disappoints me, it's the lack of that quality.

That is something I was wondering about too. It seems that they did such a good job with integrating the architecture on the west side of the Beltline and making sure everything fit, and then...the new buildings just went off on their own, complete with a suburban style block retaining wall. I just don't understand what happened.

[MisterMike]

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't putting the new arena (and the adjoining indoor track & tennis courts) east of the old arena, place the new facilities in the southbound lanes of the Beltline?

[GR8scott]

this is very needed. Calvin an underated college and does not get a lot of attention for everything its got going for it. Its a very large Christian college with national championship calliber basketball programs and very good in academics too. IMO a football team is needed. Look, the rest of their conference foes have them and they are all smaller schools, a football program would draw more attention and i dont think it would be that expensive at that level, start play at housman field

[sparky05]

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't putting the new arena (and the adjoining indoor track & tennis courts) east of the old arena, place the new facilities in the southbound lanes of the Beltline?

Nope. The fieldhouse is across campus from the beltline. It's in the middle of the aerial shot below, right at the end of Hampshire street:

[hombre_de_ciudad]

The GR planning commission is to consider this project today. Agenda:

http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us//download...2d2c9356d3f.pdf

Lots of interesting info in that packet. It's the first I've seen the new facility referred to as the "Spoelhof Fieldhouse," which is interesting since it wouldn't then be named after major donors. Spoelhof is a much-revered former president of the college who was instrumental in developing the Knollcrest Campus back in the 60's.

[twoshort]

Nope. The fieldhouse is across campus from the beltline. It's in the middle of the aerial shot below, right at the end of Hampshire street:

[Yankee Fan]

I am just happy that, with all of the expansion that has occurred at Calvin, that they have done a really good job of trying to preserve as much of nature as they can.

I was always worried that they would do away with their nature trail. Instead, they made it a permanent feature of campus by building an education building to support it.

It appears that they have again taken nature into consideration with the new athletic facilities. Having attended Calvin, they are doing what they can with the location to respect the green space.

[sparky05]

The GR planning commission is to consider this project today. Agenda:

http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us//download...2d2c9356d3f.pdf

Lots of interesting info in that packet. It's the first I've seen the new facility referred to as the "Spoelhof Fieldhouse," which is interesting since it wouldn't then be named after major donors. Spoelhof is a much-revered former president of the college who was instrumental in developing the Knollcrest Campus back in the 60's.