GRAND RAPIDS ? Michigan State University could establish a medical school in downtown Grand Rapids ? in the heart of a health-care and life sciences Smart Zone ? within five years, according to a plan disclosed this week.
The plan calls for shifting the core of MSU?s College of Human Medicine from East Lansing to Great Rapids by 2010. The Medical School building, and the $70 million in construction work that goes with it, will likely be built on Michigan Street, where Spectrum Health operates the old Butterworth Hospital complex, and Van Andel Research Institute calls home.
City fathers hope the proposed MSU West Michigan Medical School will be the keystone for the development of West Michigan as a center for life science commercialization.
Van Andel Research Chairman David Van Andel, son of co founders Betty and Jay Van Andel, also is chairman of the group spearheading the effort, which could bring up to 200 first and second year MSU Med students to Grand Rapids. Some second year students could begin classes at an interim site by 2008.
The building would house the dean?s office and a four-year medical school program with more emphasis on research than is currently conducted.
The plan calls for MSU to sign contracts with Spectrum, Saint Mary?s hospital, Grand Valley State University and Van Andel Institute, Van Andel said at a news conference. About half the cost of the med-school building would come from a capital campaign organized by MSU and Grand Rapids economic development group Grand Action. The other half would come from bonds that would be sold to repay college operations.
?West Michigan can use a medical school and Michigan State needs a home for its medical school expansion ? together we can serve the community in a better way,? said Amway co-founder Rich Devos, another city father trying to bring the MSU Med School to Grand Rapids.
