There’s a certain something about East Campus that captivates WMU students. From this past photoblog to an entire RSO lobbying for the historic preservation of Prospect Hill, there’s an energy a lot of students have for East Campus. East Campus even adorns the front cover of Western’s strategic plan. And recently, an announcement came to those eager for some word on the future of this historic area of campus.
The Kalamazoo Gazette reported that Western has a plan for this plot of land that students have such a passion for.
Bob Miller, associate vice-president for community outreach at WMU, announced Friday, 30 September, that it was partnering with Dallas-based KDC Real Estate Development to redevelop East Campus into, among other things, a hotel and high-end commercial apartments. The Gazette reported that this was hailed by President David Brose of Friends of Historic East Campus as “one of the strongest proposals right off the bat.”
The proposal, which WMU admits is still largely conceptual, calls for East Hall to be renovated into a boutique hotel with underlying Prospect Hill turned into a parking structure, while North and West Halls would become apartment complexes for commercial availability and the Speech and Hearing Building would be renovated into office space. While not repurposed in the proposed plan, Vandercook is also within the scope of redevelopment.
Students for East Campus’ Vice President Tiffany Holland said that her organization supported the plan, “but we wish for more of a student focus in the new development.” Holland added that Students for East Campus plan to meet with Miller this week to discuss the consideration of student use in the redevelopment plan.
When looking over images for the photoblog HC ran last week, Tara Bell, President of Students for East Campus, remarked on how President Waldo and the faculty built the steps up Prospect Hill. A great concern for students, Bell said, was that today’s students wouldn’t be able to sit on those steps, or enjoy that historic campus given the security a high-end hotel and apartment complex would warrant.
“Those steps have been a public promenade for over 100 years and should still be available as a place for people to admire Kalamazoo,” Bell explained.
When asked what this meant for the future of Students for East Campus, Bell responded by saying that their work is, if anything, more important in light of the development plans. She said that now more than ever the group needs to raise awareness of East Campus, and remind administration how much students care about it. Perhaps, she admitted, the group would need to transform into something new when the developments are complete, but that day is a long way off still.
As for right now, Students for East Campus has mixed feelings about the development, Bell explained. While the buildings are going to be used and life will return to East Campus, the organization wonders how much of the historic woodwork and fixtures inside the buildings will remain, and how much of a role students will have in the East Campus of tomorrow.
Bell had a lot of pictures and stories of the past of East Campus, and at the outset of a new chapter in the history of Prospect Hill, it’s easy to be lost in where Western is headed, but looking over those pictures it also is important to remember where it has been.
There is no timeline available yet for the development, but one is expected in early 2012.
Editor: Helena Witzke