EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The latest addition to Michigan State University’s campus is taking shape on a former parking lot across the street from the home of Spartan basketball.
The Lansing State Journal (https://on.lsj.com/2rcfWnT ) reports that 1855 Place - named for the year of MSU’s founding - is MSU’s answer to students’ desire for apartment-style housing.
The 10 buildings in the complex will ultimately hold more than 420 new student housing units, ranging from studio apartments to townhouses.
The largest building in 1855 Place is a four-story, 102,000-square-foot, mixed-use building that’ll house staff from Residential Hospitality Services and the MSU Athletics Department.
Planted near the corner of Kalamazoo and Harrison, its eastward-facing windows give a sprawling view of campus, including the Breslin Student Events Center and Spartan Stadium.
The southeastern corner of the building will feature a Hall of Champions exhibit on the first floor, centered on a massive Spartan helmet and a three-story wall of TVs playing MSU sports highlights.
A first-of-its-kind on-campus grocery store will also be on the first floor, said Kat Cooper, spokeswoman for Residential and Hospitality Services.
“Our focus is really on fresh foods,” Cooper said, including produce, milk and sandwiches.
A Starbucks will occupy space next to the market, along with a ticket office, a service desk where students can apply for on-campus jobs and an apparel shop.
Much of the first floor will be ready for students before the start of the fall semester. The rest of the building, including the office spaces, is expected to be finished by early October.
In total, MSU is adding 429 student housing units with 1855 Place, including 189 family apartments that opened last fall. Prices range from $785 per student per month for a four-bedroom unit to $995 for a studio.
The gradual closing of Spartan Village, coupled with the increase in international students in recent years, prompted MSU to look at building more modern housing, Ray Gasser, executive director of Residence Education and Housing Services, said last fall.
All told, 1855 Place is expected to cost $156,700,000, with funding coming from Residential and Hospitality Services, parking services and athletics, all of which have budgets separate from MSU’s general fund.
___
Information from: Lansing State Journal, https://www.lansingstatejournal.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.