Hunt Construction Group and local, joint venture partner, Owen-Aimes-Kimball, prepare for a soft opening October 29, 2009 of the Van Andel Institute’s Phase II Expansion project.

The 9^th Annual Hope on the Hill Gala will offer attendees a sneak peek of the New Phase II Expansion. The new medical research and education facility is 242,000 square feet on eight levels and triples the lab space at the Institute for expanded basic and translational research. The Van Andel Institute was designed by famed architect Rafael Viñoly.

The project features a new Jay Van Andel Parkinson Research Lab; expanded educational programs will enhance the continuum extending from students to professionals; a new home for Van Andel Institute Graduate School where the space will be utilized by students at the Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine.  The structure will be LEED certified and have a minimal impact on the environment.

The lab space housed on five levels is supported by basement and penthouse mechanical levels as well as one administrative level. The lab section includes BSL-2 labs, open “dry” lab, media prep, crystallography, and a vivarium expansion that includes animal holding, necropsy, quarantine and procedure rooms. The lab and vivarium spaces are supported with centralized glass wash and autoclave sterilizers on each level. Mission critical building systems have built-in redundancy via diesel powered emergency generators, fly-wheel uninterrupted power supply, and electric steam generators. The building enclosure includes cascading skylights facing the downtown area.

The Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved the project in October 2006 and site preparation began in the spring of 2007. The official groundbreaking occurred on April 12, 2007, concrete and steel work and building enclosure was completed by December 2008, and the topping out was October 1, 2008. Final completion of the facility is December 2009 with a ribbon cutting ceremony slated for December 8, 2009.