Davenport Announces New Campus In Downtown Lansing
LANSING -- Davenport University President Richard J. Pappas last week announced a $10 million project to create a new campus for Davenport University in the heart of downtown Lansing.
Davenport has purchased the Grand View Center on the corner of Grand Avenue and Allegan Street, along with adjacent and nearby parking lots. Working with the Boji Group, renovations are scheduled to begin this fall, with project completion slated for next summer, prior to fall 2013 classes.
"With the creation of Davenport University's Vision 2015, we outlined a path to achieve an unprecedented level of quality in the service we provide to our students and to employers of our graduates," Pappas said. "Market research showed that Lansing will continue to be a growth market for us, but our current facilities are inadequate to support that growth. We are thrilled at the opportunity to find a solution that will allow us to remain in downtown Lansing."
"I'm delighted to see that our diligent efforts to keep Davenport University growing right here in Lansing have come to fruition," Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said."Thanks to President Pappas and the entire Davenport team for believing in Lansing and for working with us to find a permanent home for one of our community's greatest educational assets."
"This is a wonderful announcement for downtown Lansing. It has been a great experience working with President Pappas and Mayor Bernero to put this project together," said Ron Boji. "By bringing a $10 million investment to downtown, it's just further evidence of the growth and opportunity that has been created in Lansing. I would also like to thank Bob Trezise and LEAP for the leadership and assistance provided to get this deal done. I'm honored to be part of this project."
The remodeled nine-story, 55,000-square-foot structure will be designed to eventually support an increased enrollment of up to 2,000 full- and part-time students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees through Davenport's colleges of business, technology and health professions. The completed project will feature a library, public meeting rooms, faculty offices, high-tech classrooms, and state-of-the-art nursing, technology and science labs. Classrooms will feature writable walls, media walls and no fixed front for enhanced learning, and dividing wall systems will be utilized to offer flexibility when configuring classroom spaces.
Founded in 1866, Davenport is a private, non-profit university helping more than 12,000 students at campuses across Michigan and online. With tuition among the lowest of all private universities in the state, Davenport provides high academic quality, small class sizes, conveniently located campuses, faculty with real-world experience, and more than 40 dynamic undergraduate and graduate programs addressing in-demand careers in business, technology and health. More information is available at www.davenport.edu.
