GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Valley State University is expanding again in downtown Grand Rapids, this time by buying the Ferris Coffee and Nut facility near their Pew campus.
The university’s board of trustees approved the purchase of the Ferris Coffee building for $6.5 million. It’s located at 227 Winter Ave, right across the street from the Seward parking lot.
GVSU is going to expand their engineering program inside the building, which will be named the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing’s Design and Innovation Center.
Ferris Coffee and Nut is currently remodeling another building and will move their operations there. The university says the retail coffee shop inside the Winter building is expected to remain open to the public. Grand Valley is planning on moving in summer 2018.
Other real estate deals were made by the university, including one that will add parking spaces for commuters. They bought two parcels of land – 4.8 acres total – from the city of Walker for $1.6 million: 411 Standale Plaza Dr and 449 Kinney Ave. The owner of a 2.5 acre parcel at 475 Kinney Ave donated that portion to the university.
More than 400 parking spaces will be made out of the land acquired in Walker, and will be accessible by Grand Valley busses.
A condominium near the Allendale campus was sold. It was purchased in 1987 to house visiting faculty and international visitors and host meetings and small retreats. GVSU says it was no longer needed because of a hotel built in the area, as well as the university’s own Alumni House being built, which includes overnight accommodations.
