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Old Grand Rapids Press building to be torn down, research campus to be built

Posted at 8:03 PM, Dec 12, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-12 20:03:46-05

LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State University Board of Trustees gave approval to tear down the former Grand Rapids Press building on Friday.

Medical Mile is now expected to get even bigger. The MSU owned site is expected to turn into the Grand Rapids Biomedical Research Center.

While it was initially thought that a single building would go up on the site, Peter Secchia, who's fundraising and contributions led the way for the MSU College of Human Medicine Building, told FOX 17 it'll be much more.

He said when the campus is finally built, it'll be a benefit to the entire community.

"This will bring between 250 [to] 300 people to Grand Rapids who will have above average paying jobs--will be highly educated," He said. "The first building will be going up and will be inhabited by a group of investigators, some of which, have already been hired from great institutions around the world."

With demolition of the Grand Rapids Press building set to begin in March of next year, it's expected to be completely torn down by December 2015.

Secchia said funding is still needed for the project, but that it's too early to say exactly where that will come from.

"I'm sure that Grand Rapids will help and philanthropy," he said.

Regardless of how the campus is built, Secchia said once the project is complete, it will be quite the eye-catcher.

"The research campus is actually spectacular," he said. "Grand Rapids will be very proud of it. It will be the gateway to the North and it will be the gateway up the hill to the East. So, it's just an exciting part of Medical Mile. It's the capstone."

The research center is planned to open in late 2017.