At the fourth meeting in 2010 of the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees, the board resolved a newly proposed Student Recreation Fields Project at an established budget of $8.3 million drawn from bonds sold from the recently completed housing project and university capital development accounts.

James Moyer, assistant vice president for Facilities Planning, said the Student Recreation Fields Project will reconstruct the area west of an existing soccer field into a 400-meter, nine-lane competition track, a competition throws area, a lacrosse field and two softball fields. The softball fields will be changeable for three other playing fields.

“This project proposes the construction of a new student recreation fields,” Moyer said. “With this new space, student recreation, club sports and athletics will be afforded space necessary to support the needs of growing student recreation and intramural programs, student club sport programs, men and women’s track and field and women’s varsity lacrosse.”

The proposed project will include facilities for public restrooms, lockers rooms, concessions, student activity support space and equipment storage. There will also be support facilities that include visiting team rooms, toilets, vending areas and maintenance facilities.

For both the Seidman College of Business Building and the new Student Recreation Fields, the university selected Integrated Architecture LLC as the project architect and engineer, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr and Huber, Inc. as the civil engineer.

Triangle Associates will serve as the construction manager for the Student Recreation Fields project, which is scheduled to begin in March of 2011 and to open for use by August of 2011.

It was resolved that the Seidman College of Business will begin its own construction in April of 2011 and be completed and ready for occupancy in May 2013. The $40 million budget will be a blend of capital development funds, university fundraising, grants and tax credits, though there is no official breakdown of the dollar amounts yet.

“If we could raise it all, we would,” Moyer said.

Pioneer Construction has been selected as the project manager/contractor for the Seidman College of Business Building.

Matt McLogan, vice president of university relations, followed up his state appropriations request with the 2012 capital outlay budget request. It will undertake a lab/classroom/office development of 150,000-200,000 square feet on the Allendale Campus with an estimated project cost of $55 million obtained from of GVSU capital and GVSU bonding paid off with General Fund Revenue Capital. Construction would begin in April of 2011, and operation would begin in July 2013.

President Thomas J. Haas’ accountability report showed GVSU as the fastest growing institution in Michigan with an enrollment increase of 58.4 percent in the last 10 years.

“Grand Valley is frugal, efficient, student-centered and is producing and shaping life-long graduates for Michigan,” Haas said.

Haas said the university is actively pursuing and achieving its goals of what he calls the three R’s; relevant, rigorous and return on investment. “I think what our main drivers here at the university are to provide, for student’s access, affordability and great quality of education and experiences here,” Haas said. “We’re becoming an institution that’s going to be much more relevant to the state than ever before and that’s an important responsibility that we have. We’re producing outstanding graduates and that’s a very noble calling.”

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