MSU's College of Human Medicine will expand its presence in Grand Rapids, but a number of question marks remain in the proposed plan.
Stakeholders in the project announced their intention to create a four-year medical school in west Michigan on Wednesday — a plan that would roughly double the size of the college, move the dean's office to Grand Rapids and necessitate the construction of a new building to house the school.
Exactly where that building would be located has yet to be announced. The stakeholders group — which includes MSU, Grand Rapids hospitals and the Van Andel Institute — estimated the building would cost $60 million to $70 million in a detailed report released last week.
The report included four possible locations for the building in Grand Rapids.
Marsha Rappley, acting dean of the college, said a preferred location has not been identified.
"We think they're all good possibilities," Rappley said. "It's really a matter of discussing the pros and cons of each area."
The building could be from 112,000 to 182,000 square feet in size and will include classrooms, offices, labs and common areas.
"The sooner we can get underway with the building, the sooner we can begin a four-year medical school," Rappley said.
MSU hopes to raise about half the money for the building in partnership with the Grand Action Committee, a Grand Rapids community organization. The remainder of the funds will likely be secured with bonds, said Denise Holmes, the college's assistant dean for government relations and outreach.
One of the proposed locations for the building, near Ottawa Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids, is in a new development adjacent to the Van Andel Institute, a key research partner in the project.
"That is, to me, the most exciting site," said MSU Trustee Dee Cook. "The convenience there would be really wonderful."
The site's proximity to Interstate 196 would give the university added visibility, Cook said.
The three other potential sites are Division Street, College Street, and Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.
The MSU Board of Trustees still has to vote to approve the expansion, and trustees will likely tackle the issue at their January meeting. Cook said there is an "excellent chance" the plan will be approved.
The board will want to examine aspects such as the project's funding in more detail, she said.
According to projections, the Grand Rapids school should be supporting itself by the second year of the project. The college is counting on $9 million in annual support from the Grand Rapids community to balance the budget.
Funding will come from many sources in the community, Rappley said, but was an amount the stakeholders considered to be feasible.
The most substantial challenge at this point is negotiating contracts with individual stakeholders, Rappley said — a process that is expected to continue for the next three to four months.
"There will always be challenges," Rappley said. "Every step of the way we need to be careful about details."
