Grand Rapids' Heartside attracts another $17M in medical development

Grand Rapids' Heartside is bursting with medical development and another new $17 million project will sprout some major structural steel soon.

Directly across the street from the new $60 million Hauenstein Center at Saint Mary's, a half block from the $7 million American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge and a short walk from the soon-to-be $30 million Heart of the City Health Center, rises a 50,000-square-foot addition to the building known as 245 Cherry -- a physician-owned structure that will more than double in size.

Highpoint Real Estate & Development is developing the expansion in partnership with Saint Mary's Health Care and Advantage Health Physician Network, says Brian Sikma, a partner in Highpoint.

"This will bring into Grand Rapids more (healthcare) services that are now outside the city," Sikma says. "It's part of Saint Mary's commitment to Grand Rapids. They're creating a very nice walkable campus. Good health care and primary care is great for the community, and the investment in the Cherry Street district and what the Catholic diocese is doing at Cathedral Square is going to be really cool."

Advantage Health's Jefferson Avenue and State St. offices will move into the new structure, as well as lab services and rehabilitation services. Some of the physicians' offices in the current building will relocate and their spaces will be remodeled for new tenants, including Advantage Health's Weigh to Wellness program, which is relocating from the East Beltline soon, says Sikma.

"The building will have some of the same design elements as Advantage Health's Southwest and Caledonia offices, like the cylindrical glass lobby," Sikma says. "We'll build it using sustainable practices, but we're not going through the expense of LEED certification."

Integrated Architecture designed the addition. Elzinga & Volkers are the construction managers. Sikma expects the addition to open in February 2012.

Source: Brian Sikma, High Point Real Estate & Development
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor