Building up the Michigan/Grand River Corridor

When it comes to growth and innovation in Lansing, one of the places in the spotlight has been the Michigan/Grand River Corridor, stretching from Lansing to East Lansing and beyond. Over the last few years, a significant effort has been made to build up this corridor with housing, retail and restaurants, and Wolf River Development Company is playing a large part in that growth.

New Year, New Housing

Students at MSU beginning the 2013-2014 school year are just one of the many groups that will benefit from the growth of the corridor. In the past, if students wanted a wider variety of dorms with the touches of an apartment, they would have to venture off campus, braving the traffic and parking of downtown East Lansing. Now, thanks to Wolf River Development, Kincaid Henry, and those involved in the project, students have more options right on campus.

Recently completed, a new, multi-purpose building located at 514 Michigan Ave. is less than one hundred feet from campus and offers students brand new housing options. Occupied by Koehler Printing for over 32 years, the original building was knocked down to make way for the four story replacement, still housing Koehler on the main floor. The 16, four bedroom apartments each have two bathrooms, and their own washer and dryer. Ten of the units are two levels and have their bedrooms on the second floor, which allows occupants a bit more privacy than many dorm options. Dale Inman of Wolf River Development Company says the apartments have been tailored towards students by simply changing their layout a bit. There is no dining room, and the kitchen and living room blend together. The apartments come with all the appliances students want along with high speed internet.

Historical Challenges

While the building it replaced was more than fifty years old and had outlived its useful life, Wolf River Development has always been very conscious of keeping with the historical feel of downtown East Lansing; as showcased in their redesign of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity House. With the Fraternity house, they were able to keep the original building while adding on (the building grew from 12,000 square feet to 20,000) and including their own unique and modern touches such as granite countertops and exposed HVAC.

The most recent project was designed to match the buildings around it, keeping with the appearances of the original dorms, while also providing more modern options for students. The exterior blends in while on the inside they’ve experimented with lines, angles and creating interesting spaces. This building, and hopefully more to follow, have begun to push the envelope when it comes to design. Following the lead set by the Broad Art Museum, it is a modern building among many historic ones. Though, for the people afraid modern will make the historic buildings history, Tom Schmitt of the City of East Lansing says he thinks it’s possible to have both modern and historical buildings, it just depends on the design.

Though meeting the needs of both historical and modern fans can be challenging, Inman says the company also faced other particular challenges when designing the Koehler building. The city had its own parking requirements that needed to be met and also a preference that the lot not be visible from the road. In response to this problem, Inman and the team opted to build the complex on columns and provide parking underneath the buildings. Other challenges met and overcome by the crew were matching student needs with various requirements such as security measures and lighting.
 
The new complex is also tailored towards the ever changing needs of the city and surrounding area by encouraging biking as a means of transportation.  The complex will have “parking” specifically for bikes and also an indoor area for bike storage. In an area that is focusing on how to provide an improved experience for walkers and bikers, this a large step forward. Inman says they also got lucky when a cross walk was installed just feet from the building’s entrance.

Location and the Future

 Transportation needs are also considered simply by where they chose to build; building right on campus eliminates the need to drive to class or other events. The location is also a prime perk when you consider how it contributes to the “density” of the Michigan/Grand River Corridor. “The more people we can get downtown, the better,” says Tim Schmitt of the City of East Lansing. New projects create a certain vibrancy and of course contribute to the growth of the area. These projects have really gotten other people talking, according to Schmitt and he and the city hope that others take an interest in building similar sites. “Just looking at (these sites) to build is a step in the right direction,” he says.

For Inman and those at Wolf River Development, it’s not just about the growth opportunities. They hope to create a good experience for college students and build a quality product they can enjoy. And when it comes to future plans, Inman says they hope to keep doing projects like this. Their 3^rd project is due to start shortly and should be completed by the beginning of the 2014 school year. Inman is excited about the upcoming project, “It’s really easy to see the possibilities of the corridor,” he says. “There are opportunities up and down the street …”
---

Allison Monroe is a freelance writer for Capital Gains.

Photos © Dave Trumpie
 
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.