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Sneak peek at $90M Secchia Center, Michigan State University's med school in Grand Rapids

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Deborah Johnson WoodMembers of the media received a sneak peak at the completed Secchia Center, the new home of Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. The tour showcased one of the most advanced – and beautiful – energy-efficient structures in West Michigan. Construction of the $90 million state-of-the-art facility strategically situates the building at 15 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids, to maximize exposure to daylight and views of the city and Grand River. A four-story atrium faces west with windows that frame nearby Bridgewater Place like a photograph. "This is the 'living room' of the building," says Elizabeth Lawrence, assistant dean and project lead for the Secchia Center. "This is the focal point where students will gather."Honey-colored wood, custom designed tile art, sage greens and burnt oranges fill the 180,000-square-foot building with warmth. Daylight streams through the windows, and a smart lighting system illuminates spaces only when light levels are low. The building features 25 "exam rooms" where students learn how to interact with patients by "treating" standardized patients – actors hired to follow a script of medical maladies. Several empty rooms will be configured to fit the needs of the students and can simulate a room in a nursing home, a patient's house or a hospital. The pristine lines of a five-story wood and glass staircase zigzag upward through the center of the building, open from top to bottom, creating an eye-catching sculptural effect. On each floor, study pods, open spaces with comfortable couches, and alcoves with tables and chairs provide communal and semi-private areas where students can study and engage with each other one-on-one or in groups. Two lecture halls enable students from MSU's other six campuses to attend classes taught in Grand Rapids via video conferencing. The college expects some 250 students this year, and predicts that many of them will complete their residencies in West Michigan after graduation."Last year, 17 of our 30 graduates stayed here for their residencies," says Margaret Thompson, M.D., associate dean. The building is named for MSU alumni and lead donors Ambassador Peter and Joan Secchia. Funding for the project comes entirely from private donations, bonds and other sources, says Lawrence. The architect of record is URS Corporation, the design architect is Ellenzweig of Cambridge, Mass., and the Christman Company constructed the building.The college plans a public open house from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, September 11.Source: Elizabeth Lawrence and Margaret Thompson, MSU College of Human Medicine; Wondergem ConsultingRelated ArticlesGood Medicine: MSU College Brings New Professionals to Grand RapidsCuring the Doctor ShortageMSU Medical School moves intellectual hub to West MichiganDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Grand Rapids goes mobile citywide with new Clear 4G wireless Internet service

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Deborah Johnson WoodThe city of Grand Rapids and Clearwire announced this week that years of efforts to provide mobile WiMax Internet access throughout the city has culminated in the availability of CLEAR 4G for businesses and individuals. Grand Rapids is the first city in Michigan to have WiMax citywide, and one of the first 48 cities in the nation. Subscribers can use the Internet at speeds four times faster than 3G using laptops, smart phones and portable gaming devices from anywhere in the city, including while on the go states a press release from Clearwire."If you have a laptop, you can take it with you anywhere in Grand Rapids, plunk down on a park bench or anywhere, and access the Internet – you won't have to find a specific hotspot," says Mayor George Heartwell, who put together a wireless broadband advisory committee to spearhead the project. "We'll be able to put the service in our police cars, fire engines, and our building inspectors can use it," he says. "It will be cost neutral to the city; we'll pay to have it in our vehicles, but Clearwire pays the city for use of the towers." The CLEAR coverage area extends as far north as 7 Mile Road, south to Route 6, east to I-96, and west to Route 11. Subscribers who want to access Internet service when traveling outside the service area can purchase a dual-mode 4G/3G modem to stay continually connected through Sprint's 3G data network. Non-subscribers can access the service at any of a number of hotspots across the city, says Mayor Heartwell. These include neighborhood libraries and city busses. Clearwire says subscriptions for home use start at $30 per month; mobile access starts at $40 per month. Low-income residents can get subsidized access through the city of Grand Rapids for $9.95 a month. Click here for more information or visit The CLEAR Blog.Source: Grand Rapids Mayor, George Heartwell; Clearwire press releaseDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Graduates of Ferris State University's digital animation and game design program landing jobs

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Source: Grand Rapids Business Journal

Muskegon economic leaders push to attract more business start-ups to Muskegon County

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Source: Muskegon Chronicle
An article in the Muskegon Chronicle says that the chamber of commerce coalition is behind a new push to attract business start-ups to the region.According to excerpts from the story:Those who knew Jennifer Cross in 1997 at Mona Shores High School aren't surprised. Classmates who saw her single-minded focus with the school's D.E.C.A. Club understand the risk and hard work she has expended to open Continuity at 1115 Third. Her "antique, vintage and renewed goods" retail outlet in a developing urban neighborhood south of the Muskegon's downtown business district has been open for a month. Cross is a perfect example of what the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce is preaching with its "entrepreneur-driven economy" initiative. In fact, Cross left the chamber earlier this year to start her own business and remains a promoter of Muskegon and its small business community. Read the complete story here.

Grand Valley State University students do the math on ArtPrize

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Source: MiBiz.com
A report by MiBiz says recent study commissioned by the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority calculates the economic impact of the 2009 ArtPrize competition in the multi-millions.According to excerpts from the story:Two groups of senior economics students at Grand Valley State University, under the guidance of economics professor Paul Isely, studied the economic impact of last year's ArtPrize on Kent County at the request of the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority. The students found that the estimated 150,000-200,000 visitors to Grand Rapids generated between $5 million and $7.6 million during the contest's inaugural run. This year's ArtPrize competition runs Sept. 22-Oct. 10.Read the complete story here.

New York Times touts West Michigan's, state's growing clean energy industry

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Source: New York Times
A New York Times report touts Michigan's burgeoning clean energy industry, citing the industry's growth in Holland with the promised electric-vehicle battery manufacturing.According to excerpts from the story:In February 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which among other things, provided $2.4 billion to encourage the development of a domestic industry to make lighter, more energy-dense lithium ion batteries to power electric vehicles. Two weeks ago, on July 15, the president flew to this small city on the shore of Lake Michigan to attend the ground-breaking for a $303 million, 650,000 square-foot battery plant operated by Compact Power, a subsidiary of Korean company LG Chem, and to see other evidence of the stimulus bill's influence in Michigan. He did not have to travel far. There are 17 new plants in production, under construction or approaching ground-breaking in Michigan's nascent electric-vehicle battery sector, according to the state Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. Two of them, representing an investment of $523 million, are in Holland, a city of 34,000. Read the complete story here.

The Rapid teams with Goodwill Industries to sponsor farmers' market at its Central Station

Wednesday, August 4, 2010
To bring healthy fresh food options to residents in the Grand Rapids downtown area, Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapid, Inc. has partnered with The Rapid to sponsor "Fresh on the go Market" every Friday on the east side of The Rapid's Central Station platform.
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GeekAid v5.0 paves the way for kids to follow their dreams

Victoria MullenThursday, July 29, 2010
It blurrs the line between technology and art, but that is exactly the purpose of GeekAid version 5. Keith Brophy, Mark Schmidt and Nate Lewis say the community needs to support kids who want to enter the technology and art fields, and the GeekAid fesitval to be held Aug. 28 is the ticket to do just that.
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Playful makeup: moms in metro Grand Rapids launch children's cosmetics line

Stephanie DoublesteinThursday, July 29, 2010
Who would have thought that there's a market niche in ecofriendly cosmetics for children? Natalie Bauss and Katy Scheffler did, and the two moms say they are now nuturing a thriving little company along with their families. 
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MM2030 Task Force Plan Adopted by The Rapid Board

Robin LuymesThursday, July 29, 2010
After a year of hard work, the Mobile Metro 2030 Task Force submitted its final recommendations to The Rapid's board which, a month later, adopted them as its long-range plan. RoMan Manufacturing's Bob Roth served as chairman of the MM2030 Task Force and talks about the experience.
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G-Sync – It Truly Is Grand

Tommy Allen, Lifestyle EditorThursday, July 29, 2010
Along with many others recently, Tommy Allen discovers that the Grand River runs through the hearts of us all. 

Researchers at DeVos Children's Hospital discover glucose in diabetics better controlled with pump

Thursday, July 29, 2010
Diabetes research conducted at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids and 29 other trial sites shows that Type 1 diabetics achieved better glucose control using a sensor-augmented insulin pump, hospital officials say. The more common approach for care today is multiple daily insulin injections.

Spectrum Health is first in West Michigan to offer adult bone marrow transplants

Thursday, July 29, 2010
Spectrum Health has earned state approval to perform adult bone marrow transplants in Grand Rapids, the first medical facility in West Michigan to win that status. The approval means that local families no longer have to endure long journeys to visit loved ones involved with the procedure.

Cascade Engineering's Renewable Energy division to create 183 jobs over seven years

Thursday, July 29, 2010
Cascade Renewable Energy, a three-year-old division of Cascade Engineering, expects to create 183 jobs over the next seven years due to anticipated growth across its product lines.

Blue House Bistro opens in Holland with Cajun, Creole, American and Mediterranean offerings

Thursday, July 29, 2010
An aging vacant wood-frame building near the historic section of Holland has been transformed into a real delight for hungry visitors with its newest arrival: the Blue House Bistro. Diners can choose from a large and tasty selection of Cajun, Creole, American and Mediterranean dishes, including Greek and Spanish, which are unique to the Lakeshore area.

Grand Rapids engine parts wholesaler will stay, expand headquarters on S. Division

Thursday, July 29, 2010
Deborah Johnson WoodRon McKey says his engine parts wholesale business at 728 S. Division Ave. has vacant buildings on all sides and a plot of polluted land to the north where American Cleaners used to be. But he's decided to keep the business where it's been since 1984 and keep jobs in the urban core by adding a 3,000-square-foot expansion. The Perfit Corp., which operates under the trade name Engine Pro Distribution Center, specializes in engine components only. The company's Grand Rapids headquarters is currently 19,000 square feet. With locations in Livonia and Cincinnati, Ohio, Perfit employs 27 workers company-wide."Business is good and we need more room," McKey said, following this week's Grand Rapids Planning Commission meeting where the expansion was approved. "We could put the money into moving to a real nice location and we could probably come out better financially," he says. "But we've been there for a long time and our customers know where we are."McKey told planning commissioners that he spent $10,000 in 2009 alone, painting over gang tags on the property – and the effects only lasted about a month. But he's determined to stay and keep the jobs in the city. "We've been struggling for a long time in that neighborhood to make it down there and we're comfortable there," McKey says. McKey and his wife and business partner, Susan, did not speculate if the expansion will mean more jobs. Source: Ron and Susan McKey, The Perfit CorporationDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Holland restaurant offers intimate dining paired with a walk-in wine cellar

Thursday, July 29, 2010
Deborah Johnson WoodA walk-in wine cellar greets diners as soon as they walk through the doors of Theodore's, but the aroma of gourmet dishes for vegans and meat-lovers alike is what beckons them in to enjoy an intimate dining experience. Theodore's at 217 E. 24th St. is a new addition to Baker Lofts, which also houses Baker Lofts Events Center banquet facility and Deli Joe's – all owned by Scott Bosgraaf. Executive Chef Eric Fick is the mastermind behind the menu, with creations that include shared plates, the house specialty chicken pâté that changes daily, and delectable entrées like bourbon braised filet mignon and rack of lamb with pomegranate glaze. Vegetarian offerings include eggplant with puff pastry and tomato saffron sauce. "We have a walk-in wine cellar, but we're not a high-end pretentious place," Fick says. "I have cooked for two people on a Wednesday night for a 30th wedding anniversary. We have vegan offerings and will cook anything to order."As for the wine selection, sommelier Michael Sweeney says he has "30 wines by the glass from $5 to $8.50 a glass, and bottles in those categories from $20 to $34." Number of wines to choose from? Right now, about 600.The cellar list features a number of '89, '94 and 2000 Bordeaux, a '96 Dom Pérignon which Sweeney say is "one of the best vintages of the century for Dom Pérignon" and retails at $400, and a "big group of California Cabernet 'cult wines' like Harlan, which sells for $2,500 a bottle."Hours are Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 7 p.m. with a wine tasting and a limited menu of shared plates; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight with a full menu. Source: Eric Fick and Michael Sweeney, Theodore'sDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Michigan's first virtual charter school selects downtown Grand Rapids site, accepting applications

Thursday, July 29, 2010
Deborah Johnson WoodA virtual charter school sponsored by Grand Valley State University will welcome its first students on September 7 at what school leaders say is its first Michigan location – a former office space at 678 Front Ave. NW. Michigan Virtual Charter Academy, operated by Herndon, Va.-based K12, Inc., will launch with a curriculum geared for high school dropouts ages 17 to 21, offering onsite and online learning in half-day formats. "It's a hybrid blend of onsite and online learning, and we'll have two shifts of students," says Randall Greenway, vice president of school development. "This was a promising location and it's close to where we believe our students reside and work. It also has public transportation nearby, and that's a big part of it."Greenway says the school is not a GED program. Students can select the morning or afternoon shift, they will work at individual computer stations, in a group format and one-on-one with teachers. There will also be counseling and social services onsite."[K12] is the nation's largest provider of online learning and services for public schools in the country," Greenway says. "We currently have over 70,000 students enrolled in the high schools where we're providing services."K12, Inc. will review student applications and school transcripts, then will select qualifying students by lottery. According to the K12 web site, students must:• Currently reside within the state of Michigan, and be• Identified in the Michigan student data system as a student under the age of 21 who has dropped out of high school and can attend the learning center five days a week for site-based instruction (grades 9-12 only).The school is accepting applications now. Click here for more information or to apply. Source: Randall Greenway, K12, Inc. Related ArticlesGVSU trustees approve state's first cyber academy for grades K-12Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Proposed $1.5 million downtown Grand Rapids concert venue clears first major hurdles

Thursday, July 29, 2010
Deborah Johnson WoodA new concert venue complex proposed for downtown Grand Rapids has received the stamp of approval from Grand Rapids' Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority. A couple more hurdles to clear and Pyramid Scheme at 68 Commerce Ave. SW and a restaurant, brewery and pub in the adjoining 62 Commerce can begin construction for a projected 2011 opening. Pyramid Scheme is a partnership between brother-sister duo Jeff and Tami VandenBerg, owners of The Meanwhile bar, and HopCat owner Mark Sellers. They plan to develop 68 Commerce into a 400-person capacity concert venue and a neighborhood bar. The DDA awarded a $50,000 Building Reuse Incentives Program grant earlier this month toward the redevelopment of the building and also approved liquor licenses for both buildings. Mark Sellers is the sole developer of the adjoining building, 62 Commerce. He proposes development of Beatnik Brewing, which includes a restaurant, banquet facility, and, according to the brewery's Facebook page, a bowling alley. A rooftop deck atop the concert hall next door at 68 would be accessed via a door from the second level of 62.The planning commission approved the redevelopment of both buildings this week.Sellers said in an email that he still needs to procure funding for 62 Commerce and get approval for the rooftop deck from the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). The HPC has approved the concert venue's new façade, says Tami VandenBerg. VandenBerg says the purchase and development of the concert venue will run about $1.5 million."This is something we (Jeff and Tami) wanted to do even before we opened The Meanwhile," she says. "We love music and have gone to shows in Detroit and Chicago and have always wanted to bring shows and bands here. We're doing this to bring more jobs and activity downtown, and to make the city a better place to be so that people stick around."Lott3Metz is the architect for the project.Source: Tami and Jeff VandenBerg, Pyramid Scheme; Mark Sellers, HopCatRelated ArticlesRock solid: entrepreneurs propose Pyramid Scheme for downtown Grand Rapids Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].
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