EAST LANSING — Months after approving a plan to build a $150 million Olympic sports arena and partnering with a developer to build a hotel, private housing, restaurants and office space on the western edge of campus, Michigan State trustees will vote on a slimmed-down plan.
A 6,000-seat Olympic stadium, mostly for non-profit sports including volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling, is no longer part of the plan. Apparently neither is the 14-acre wooded area south of the Student Health and Recreation Center on Harrison Road near Trowbridge.
MSU’s health care or academic facility health care area was also excluded from the plan. Trustees are expected to vote on Oct. 31.
According to MSU documents, the new plan focuses on “creating a vibrant downtown that promotes community and engagement with an increased focus on retail, office space, dining and housing.” “In addition, we will explore opportunities to use existing facilities to support Olympic sports in line with current strategic priorities.”
MSU spokeswoman Amber McCann could not immediately be reached for comment. It’s unclear why MSU is asking trustees to approve the much smaller offer, but the university is closing in on the $50 million.
April the board agreed to work with Lansing developer Pat Gillespie to bring the vision to fruition, including a mixed-use development including a hotel, apartments, office space and more.
A view of the proposed Spartan Gateway neighborhood at the corner of S. Harrison and Trowbridge roads on the Michigan State University campus. MSU is expected to vote on scaled back expansion plans, which include eliminating the $150 million, 6,000-seat Olympic Sports Stadium.
During October 31 meeting, the board is expected to vote on a revised Spartan Gateway project that offers alternative campus sites as part of a public-private partnership model.
Plans for the Spartan Gateway District originally called for an arena on the southwest side of campus, but revised plans call for the development to be more centralized, according to university documents.
More: Lansing developer Pat Gillespie decided to build a massive Spartan Gateway neighborhood at MSU
The new plan, if approved by trustees, would allow the university to accept applications for different development plans for all areas of campus that could support mixed-use development.
The site identified in the board’s materials as a potential development site is in the university’s athletics and recreation district, near Spartan Stadium and Munn Ice Arena east of Harrison Road and north of West Shaw Lane.
The original project was unique because MSU officials planned to lease the land to a developer under a long-term contract in exchange for development without an arena, such as a hotel.
The property, seen at the northeast corner of South Harrison Road and Trowbridge Road, is expected to become home to the 14-acre Spartan Gateway District. MSU is expected to vote on scaled back expansion plans, which include eliminating the $150 million, 6,000-seat Olympic Sports Stadium and considering other locations.
MSU has selected developer G&G Project Sparta, LLC, a joint venture between Gillespie Group and Omaha, Nebraska-based Goldenrod Companies, as the developer for the Spartan Gateway District. Goldenrod Companies specializes in public and private sector development and has completed projects at the University of Nebraska and Colorado State University.
MSU trustees were not unanimous when they voted in April. Trustee Mike Balow, a Plymouth Republican, was the only GOP board member to vote against the project. Trustee Sandy Pierce of Northville, of no party affiliation, abstained.
in 2023 MSU’s Board of Trustees approved Vision 2050, an integrated infrastructure and land management plan that serves as a strategic planning tool for the university’s 26,300 acres of land.
University documents show the revised space plan is in line with Vision 2050 goals, including a second hotel on campus, office space, market-rate housing and parking.
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Elements of the development would be privately owned, with parts built, financed, owned and operated by developers on land leased by MSU, with planning processes involving multiple groups across campus.
A view of the proposed Spartan Gateway neighborhood at the corner of S. Harrison and Trowbridge roads on the Michigan State University campus. MSU is expected to vote on scaled back expansion plans, which include eliminating the $150 million, 6,000-seat Olympic Sports Stadium.
The developers would finance the non-MSU facilities, and the university would “provide a minimal financial investment for the construction of the shared facilities,” according to the materials.
Any contributions to MSU would come from donations or general fund dollars.
— Contact Karly Graham at kgraham@lsj.com. Follow her at X @KarlyGrahamJrn.
This article originally appeared in the Lansing State Journal: MSU trustees to vote on slimmed-down Spartan Gateway plan