Michigan State University (MSU) has announced a Public-Private Partnership (P3) that will expand the medical research capabilities at the site of the Grand Rapids Research Center (GRRC).

The University is proceeding with negotiations on the ground lease and development agreement with Health Innovation Partners, a joint venture between MB Real Estate, Walsh Construction/Walsh Investors and Rockford Construction & Development. The ground lease will require the development team to construct a new building and provide tenant lease space for MSU and other stakeholders that will support the MSU research and health care innovation cycle.

The facility will enable synergies between academics, medicine, health care delivery systems, and private industry. The facility will also provide space to accommodate the growth of the human health research teams that exist in the GRRC and on MSU’s East Lansing campus.

The development will also include a new parking structure, which is required to meet the City of Grand Rapids parking requirements on this site. The project may also include an additional future building (Building 3) on the site for yet-to-be-determined program space. 

The existing Grand Rapids Research Center spans approximately 145,000 square feet and facilitates the research of six principal investigators and their teams. Construction of phase II is anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019, with substantial completion expected in late 2021.