By: Deborah Johnson Wood
A plan that's been in the works off and on for the past 20 years is finally coming to fruition. Kent County leaders have proposed a $27 million building to replace the outdated Sheldon Complex at 121 Franklin Street SE, allowing the Department of Human Services, ACSET-Michigan Works! and the Sheldon Health Clinic to come together under one roof.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) will move from 415 Franklin, and Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services will move from Cascade.
"It will be a one stop shop," says Wayman Britt, assistant county administrator. "For instance, ACSET and the DHS are working together on our Jobs First program. That means that people who are searching for jobs can also connect with the services DHS provides, rather than having to go down the street to 415 Franklin."
Construction of the135,544-square-foot building will follow LEED criteria. Plans include an additional 235-space lot adjacent to the new building. Demolition of a building at 811 Jefferson will provide space for a 165-vehicle surface parking lot by combining the land at 801 and 811 Jefferson.
"This is a win/win for the city of Grand Rapids, Kent County, for Michigan, and the neighbors in that community," Britt says. "They deserve a better space for those services and programs, so the county's taken the lead with support from the city."
Developers expect to break ground by early 2008, and complete construction in June 2009. Design Plus is designing the building and landscaping.
Source: Wayman P. Britt, Kent County; Linda Rensland, Kent County; Matthew E. Heidloff, Design Plus
Illustration: Proposed design of the south entrance (courtesy of Design Plus)
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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