In an interesting move, the State News is reporting that MSU will open a Starbucks location inside Wells Hall upon completion of the renovations. The story, albeit quite concise, does note the forthcoming elephant-in-the-room: what type of effect would this have on Sparty's?
It seems odd to me that the University would be willing to sacrifice their own coffee shop/convenience store in the name of "brand awareness," as Sparty's service manager Joe Garza put it, but to each their own I guess.
I think the competition will help, and I'm sure that there are students/staff that prefer Starbucks over Sparty's anyways. I would like to see more restaurants located within parts of campus. It can be quite a distance to Trowbridge or Grand River for some food when the cafeterias are closed.
MSU is planning on tearing down the parking garage between Bessey Hall and the Computer Center and using the land as green-space (I'm not sure when), as well as demolishing Spartan Village Apartments by 2017. There are also a few more notes about some traffic adjustments that the university would like to make on the east side of campus, and talks about a new multi-modal transit center for buses and trains.
For more detailed information regarding construction at MSU I suggest that you go directly to www.construction.msu.edu. It is constantly being updated.
1. A big project indicative of the future of transportation on-campus is the improvement of East Circle due to the Broad Museum. The administration wants a more park-like designs, remove cars from the middle of campus, encourage CATA use, and more multi-level parking structures preferably in the outskirts of campus.
2. The university is planning for the demolition of the former MSP HQ in EL.
3. Around 2007 Pres. Simon tried to push for a new music building close to the former Kresge Art Museum and the RCAH in order to assign that area as a type of arts district (also close to Wharton). As she said in an interview about the new BAM, Pres. Simon back then had contacted Eli Broad to renovate KAM but Eli kind of declined that idea and told her to give him some time (I guess he was waiting for income generated from interest rate in his accounts or something like that). Nevertheless, with the economic downturn the possibility of a new music building, which already had a preliminary designed from fancy music architects, dissipated. Now the university has decided to renovate the music building auditorium. I do consider this a short-term remedy and that the music building will eventually undergo comprehensive renovations or there will be a new building.
4. The bio engineering building is a great development for MSU. Medicine and engineering are prime areas for research grants. Still, given that MSU's medical schools haven't been research intensive, the engineering school hasn't been able to expand its research and increase grants. This is not a defect rather a historical specialization on primary care by the medical schools. Ironically, one of MSU's most important findings is the drug of cisplatin. Now the university has decided to increase research efforts in medicine (this is one of the arguments in favor of CHM move to Grand Rapids) in order to help expand research opportunities in the College of Engineering.
5. The FRIB continues to move forward. The university has modified its original design to reduce costs and make it more feasible for the federal government.
Comments
Cyclotron/FRIB office addition:
Plant Sciences expansion:
Wells Hall addition:
Emmons Hall renovation: (Is this part of the Brody complex?)
A view from the Broad Museum construction cam earlier today:
It seems odd to me that the University would be willing to sacrifice their own coffee shop/convenience store in the name of "brand awareness," as Sparty's service manager Joe Garza put it, but to each their own I guess.
The only downside to this is that it sounds like its going on the south end of campus by the medical buildings.
The State News article has a little more information: http://statenews.com/index.php/article/2011/11/officials_discuss_plans_for_msu_construction
I'll be looking forward to learning more about these.
1. A big project indicative of the future of transportation on-campus is the improvement of East Circle due to the Broad Museum. The administration wants a more park-like designs, remove cars from the middle of campus, encourage CATA use, and more multi-level parking structures preferably in the outskirts of campus.
2. The university is planning for the demolition of the former MSP HQ in EL.
3. Around 2007 Pres. Simon tried to push for a new music building close to the former Kresge Art Museum and the RCAH in order to assign that area as a type of arts district (also close to Wharton). As she said in an interview about the new BAM, Pres. Simon back then had contacted Eli Broad to renovate KAM but Eli kind of declined that idea and told her to give him some time (I guess he was waiting for income generated from interest rate in his accounts or something like that). Nevertheless, with the economic downturn the possibility of a new music building, which already had a preliminary designed from fancy music architects, dissipated. Now the university has decided to renovate the music building auditorium. I do consider this a short-term remedy and that the music building will eventually undergo comprehensive renovations or there will be a new building.
4. The bio engineering building is a great development for MSU. Medicine and engineering are prime areas for research grants. Still, given that MSU's medical schools haven't been research intensive, the engineering school hasn't been able to expand its research and increase grants. This is not a defect rather a historical specialization on primary care by the medical schools. Ironically, one of MSU's most important findings is the drug of cisplatin. Now the university has decided to increase research efforts in medicine (this is one of the arguments in favor of CHM move to Grand Rapids) in order to help expand research opportunities in the College of Engineering.
5. The FRIB continues to move forward. The university has modified its original design to reduce costs and make it more feasible for the federal government.