Final piece of Grand Rapids' $225M Michigan Street Development Project to open doors in July

Planning began in 2004, construction in 2005 and this summer and fall will mark the opening of the final piece of the $225 million Michigan Street Development Project -- a project that has been a driving force behind the creation of a healthcare Mecca along Grand Rapids' Medical Mile.

Since breaking ground in 2005, Michigan Street Development Corporation, a 50/50 partnership of RDV Corp. and The Christman Company, has constructed the $90 million Secchia Center campus of the Michigan State University College Of Human Medicine, the $92 million Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion, 25 Michigan, and now 35 Michigan, which will house outpatient services and labs for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

With 200,000 square feet spread over seven levels, 35 Michigan will consolidate pediatric outpatient services (floors 2, 3 and 4) that now extend over a two-mile stretch of Michigan St., says Bridget Menzel, who oversees operations of the children's hospital substations. The hospital, located across the street, connects to 35 Michigan via an elevated, enclosed pedestrian bridge over Michigan Street.

"(The building) will have administrative space for physicians and their support team, an outpatient lab and a pediatric sleep studies area," Menzel says. "Plus we'll have neurology, nephrology, infectious disease, pulmonary, rheumatology and orthopedic practices. We (want) to bring everyone together so we can have our consultative physicians in one area for patients who access multiple practices."

Joe Hooker, development services manager for The Christman Company, says 25 Michigan and 35 Michigan connect via a two-story atrium that will be a gathering point for a food court serving patients, visitors and medical staff. Six retail bays provide space for various restaurants to offer their wares.

"The building will be completed in phases from July through the third quarter of the year as we bring in the tenants," Hooker says. "The first to open will be the food court in July. Right now, we're excited about putting these final pieces of this entire project together."

URS is the architect. The Christman Company is the construction manager.

Source: Bridget Menzel, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital; Joe Hooker, The Christman Company
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

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