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Calvin College announces $35 Million expansion

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids

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mja Crossroads

mja

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I'd thought I would add a little on-campus view to this discussion.

1. The current design is the second iteration of this sporting complex. The original version had a covered running track with multi-purpose gyms within it, instead of the arena concept. The pool has been the same in both versions, but with the removal of the track from the first drawing, the track the has been moved to being around the enclosed tennis courts.

2. The original ideas for this construction project called for the removal/significant change of the existing woodlot just north of the current fieldhouse. There was a significant discussion/outcry on campus about losing that woodlot and the result was that the plans were revised and the woodlot was saved.

3. The idea of Calvin having a football team seems to come up about once a year on campus. In the early years, it was more because of the link of football to fraternities and Calvin chose to not have that association. From what I have heard currently, the reason for not having a program factors in that football is one of the most expensive sport to put on the field, and maintain, from year to year. Estimates to start a program have come close to approaching half a million dollars. That doesn't mean it can't work or be a great program, but I'm glad they are weighing all the pros/cons that come with an investment like that.

I believe that the current upkeep of our campus buildings that we already have is a better investment in the long term sustainability of the college. Several of our buildings are getting to the point where they would benefit from an upgrade.

I hope this helps!

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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I'd thought I would add a little on-campus view to this discussion.

2. The original ideas for this construction project called for the removal/significant change of the existing woodlot just north of the current fieldhouse. There was a significant discussion/outcry on campus about losing that woodlot and the result was that the plans were revised and the woodlot was saved.

3. The idea of Calvin having a football team seems to come up about once a year on campus. In the early years, it was more because of the link of football to fraternities and Calvin chose to not have that association. From what I have heard currently, the reason for not having a program factors in that football is one of the most expensive sport to put on the field, and maintain, from year to year. Estimates to start a program have come close to approaching half a million dollars. That doesn't mean it can't work or be a great program, but I'm glad they are weighing all the pros/cons that come with an investment like that.

I believe that the current upkeep of our campus buildings that we already have is a better investment in the long term sustainability of the college. Several of our buildings are getting to the point where they would benefit from an upgrade.

I hope this helps!

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sparky05 Burg

sparky05

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MJA - I add my thanks for your perspective as well. As a calvin Alum, I appreciate the effort put into keeping Knollcrest nice and woodsy. I think it's an important part of the feel of the campus.

You mentioned that there are buildings that may be in need of some upgrades. is there any talk of a renovation/modernization program for the original campus? Which buildings in particular (if any) do you hear about?

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GRCentro Hamlet

GRCentro

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MJA - I add my thanks for your perspective as well. As a calvin Alum, I appreciate the effort put into keeping Knollcrest nice and woodsy. I think it's an important part of the feel of the campus.

You mentioned that there are buildings that may be in need of some upgrades. is there any talk of a renovation/modernization program for the original campus? Which buildings in particular (if any) do you hear about?

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LA Dave Hamlet

LA Dave

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As someone who grew up in GR when Calvin was very Dutch, very conservative and very insular, I can tell you that the college now has a very good national reputation, vying with Wheaton College in Illinois as the "evangelical Harvard." My impression is that Calvin is attracting evangelical Christian students who may not be Dutch-American or even in the Reformed tradition. That is good for both Calvin and GR, as healthy institutions of higher education are vital for an area's success. Look at how little Kalamazoo has benefitted from the presence of Western and K College (though the former is, IMHO, in danger of really slipping, especially in comparison with GVSU).

Given how successful Calvin's basketball teams have been, the fieldhouse is long overdue.

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mja Crossroads

mja

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MJA - I add my thanks for your perspective as well. As a calvin Alum, I appreciate the effort put into keeping Knollcrest nice and woodsy. I think it's an important part of the feel of the campus.

You mentioned that there are buildings that may be in need of some upgrades. is there any talk of a renovation/modernization program for the original campus? Which buildings in particular (if any) do you hear about?

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LA Dave Hamlet

LA Dave

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Glad to be part of this discussion - The commons will be changing shortly. The idea is that Knollcrest Dining hall will be renovated to handle the traffic from the two dining halls and that Commons will become a student union. They have already had some meetings with students, staff and faculty on campus already. WTW Architects of Pittsburgh are consulting on it.

Campus Safety will be moving the majority of their operations to the new building you can see going up just south of Lake drive. That building will also hold the mail/printing services.

The FAC is also on the slate for a renovation, but the college has decided that it won't be a priority for now, partly due to lack of donors interested in the building. The FAC is over 40 years old and hasn't undergone any significant renovations. With the growth of the music department and the amount of use that the auditorium receives it would be a hassle to have it down for renovations but it would be nice to have it a little more updated.

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hombre_de_ciudad Whistle-Stop

hombre_de_ciudad

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Glad to be part of this discussion - The commons will be changing shortly. The idea is that Knollcrest Dining hall will be renovated to handle the traffic from the two dining halls and that Commons will become a student union. They have already had some meetings with students, staff and faculty on campus already. WTW Architects of Pittsburgh are consulting on it.
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downtownGRguy Unincorporated Area

downtownGRguy

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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.

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concretepoem Whistle-Stop

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It's great that Calvin is coming back to the city in a small way with its purchase of the Ladies Literary Society building, but I can't help but wonder what might have been if they'd stayed put back in the late 60s...if instead of building Knollwood, they'd invested all that money in the southeast side of the city.

Imagine a campus that grew to occupy everything north of Franklin and south of Wealthy, and from Giddings all the way west to Eastern. It would have been next to impossible for a modestly endowed private college, I know, and it would've caused a lot of social upheaval, but other private colleges that grew within urban confines during the early 1970s--Columbia and NYU in New York, USC in LA--dealt with similar situations.

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mja Crossroads

mja

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November 16, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

For the complete story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2006-0...nsion-names.htm

The expansion of the physical education and athletic complex at Calvin College has been named, as have several major elements of the project and their lead donors.

The upcoming expansion, slated to begin in spring 2007, will include a new arena, a new aquatics center, a new indoor track and tennis center and a significant renovation of the existing Calvin Fieldhouse (the latter also includes building a new student health center within the facility as part of the renovation). The first phase is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2008, and the entire project by the end of 2009.

Calvin College president Gaylen Byker has been the project's chief fundraiser and says it's been heartening for the college to see the sort of support and excitement the expansion has generated.

"These additions have been part of our campus master plan for many years," he says, "and they are long overdue. When we have talked to donors about the project they have recognized the need and worth of what we are planning. They understand the importance of this project and how it fits into our mission as a Christian, liberal arts college. That has been very satisfying."

Byker says the name chosen for the entire project is the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex. That name marks a lead gift to the effort from John and Judy Spoelhof who are based in Holland. John Spoelhof is the former president of Prince Corporation, and a longtime friend of Calvin, while his wife Judy is a 1961 graduate of the college. They previously endowed the John and Judy Spoelhof Institute for Christian Leadership in Business at Calvin and their four children - Scott, Steve, Craig and Chris - are Calvin graduates as are two of their four spouses. In fact Scott Spoelhof was recently named to the Calvin Board of Trustees.

The new arena at Calvin will measure some 175,000 square feet, seat approximately 5,000 and replace the Calvin Fieldhouse, which was built in 1965, as the homecourt for the school's Division III men's and women's basketball teams and women's volleyball team.

It will be called VanNoord Arena in honor of Andrew and Gladys VanNoord. Andy VanNoord is a 1943 graduate of Calvin and was a pre-engineering major (back in the era when students began at Calvin and finished at the University of Michigan as part of a transfer program). He has been a lifelong inventor who designed many automotive components, including a remote control system for fender mirrors which went on to be used by Ford Motor Company.

The new aquatics center at Calvin, a spectacular multi-use facility, featuring a pool 50 meters long and 25 yards wide, will be named the Venema Aquatics Center in recognition of a lead gift from Calvin alumna Thelma Venema who has been a significant supporter of Calvin's efforts to educate the whole person.

The renovation of the existing Calvin Fieldhouse will be a significant effort and will create both a new health and recreation center and a new student health center within the renovated facility. The retooled fieldhouse will be renamed the Hoogenboom Health and Recreation Center. The new student health center will be named Marian Hoogenboom Health Services.

Both names recognize significant financial support for the project from Terry Hoogenboom, a Goshen, Indiana-based builder and real estate developer. His wife Marian died of cancer and the connections to health and wellness are especially poignant for the Hoogenboom family.

The renovated Calvin Fieldhouse will connect to the aquatic center and the new arena which, in combination with the track and tennis facility, will create a complex of some 350,000 square feet. No name has yet been attached to the track and tennis center.

The other lead donor to the overall expansion project at Calvin is the Grand Rapids-based Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation. Byker says the college appreciates the tremendous commitment to educating the whole person shown by the DeVos gift, noting that while the DeVos name is not directly assigned to a specific component of the project, the gift is central to what the centers will mean for Calvin educationally.

For the complete story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2006-0...nsion-names.htm

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mgreven Hamlet

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I think its great that so many of the major donors for this project are not so well known previously. It's wonderful when the DeVos and Prince families step up to the plate as they do so often, but it's even better when there is a broader base of support.
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hombre_de_ciudad Whistle-Stop

hombre_de_ciudad

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A new aerial drawing of the Spoelhof Fieldhouse shows a couple of changes from the original plans:

1. The arena has been reoriented 90 degrees.

2. The indoor track and tennis facility has been flipped to the opposite side of the complex, instead of being built on top of the existing outdoor tennis courts.

Spoelhof Fieldhouse

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