By Sarah Schuch | sschuch@mlive.com
This article originally appeared on MLive.
February 12, 2015
FLINT, MI – Located just blocks away from the heart of downtown, Kettering University is striving to be part of a Flint comeback story.
The Kettering master plan — newly released Thursday, Feb. 12 — shows big vision for the private engineering school and its connection to the Flint community.
Here’s a breakdown of what the master plan has in store for the future:
- Create new green space and facilities to enhance learning opportunities on campus.
- Enhance student life by creating more opportunities for students to be connected to campus — new living options, dining options (food service in every building) and more seamless connections between buildings.
- Open new opportunities for industry research and partnerships in new labs/facilities.
- Connect Kettering’s campus with surrounding community assets, including Flint River Trail system, city of Flint’s Chevy Commons nature/park project and create safe, walkable areas through the University Avenue Corridor to connect Kettering to downtown Flint, UM-Flint and other key city resources.
- Create flexible space throughout campus that encourages collaboration, creativity and offers new opportunities to work across academic disciplines.
Major projects include:
Learning Commons
- This first project will be constructed near the recreation center, forming a “quad” with the rec center, Campus Center and residence hall.
- The building will be a modern, multi-use academic student life building with open spaces, food service, a new, modern library and a new entry to campus off of University Avenue and Hasselbring Street.
New dorms
- New, modern dorms will be constructed to replace Thompson Hall, a current dorm building built in 1969 that will be torn down when the new dorms are completed.
- New dorms will feature open, collaborative spaces that mirror what will be available in academic spaces on campus.
- Green space, athletic fields and outdoor recreation areas will be added.
- New dorms will have enhanced entertainment options that encourage community building among students.
Community Academic Building
- Space in the current Academic Building will be opened up when some programs move into the Learning Commons.
- Space will be converted into community and pre-college spaces.
- The space will give pre-college students and under-served students access to a leading STEM institution and labs at young ages by adding partnership opportunities with schools and organizations.
Community connections
- New fields/recreation spaces, as well as trees, green space and walking paths will be created.
- Connections to existing Flint projects like Chevy Commons and the Flint River Trails will be created.
- Public art spaces that inspire students to explore creativity/connections between arts and the sciences/engineering will be infused throughout campus.
- Thresholds will seamlessly connect campus buildings, including an enclosed bridge over Chevrolet Avenue, that pay homage to the bridge that used to exist at the Chevrolet Complex.
The master plan is still in its concept and idea phase. All building and development plans are subject to change based on funding, Kettering officials said.