[DetroitMan]

$335M biomedical research center in Detroit approved by MSU board

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees on Friday unanimously approved the construction of a $335 million biomedical research center in Detroit.

The center is part of a $3 billion development with Henry Ford Health and the Detroit Pistons that also includes a new hospital tower and campus, as well as mixed-use/mixed-income residential buildings.

Construction on the research center near the intersection of Amsterdam Street and Third Avenue is expected to begin in mid-May and wrap up in time for a 2027 opening, MSU said. n related moves Friday, the board also approved ground leases with Henry Ford Health for land on which the new research building will be located, and an occupancy lease with a medical research organization for use of one floor in the new building. The East Lansing-based university will own the seven-story, 335,000-square-foot facility and jointly fund and operate it with Henry Ford Health.

Officials had previously announced that the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute will occupy an entire floor of the research building, establishing the first brick-and-mortar institute solely dedicated to neurofibromatosis.

Designed by ZGF Architects LLP, the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Research Center will be the university’s largest to date. It will house more than 80 principal investigator teams working on research in areas including cancer, neuroscience, women's health, imaging and public health and include a focus on addressing health inequities and disparities and the social determinants of health. “MSU has a long history of working in Detroit, and our partnership with Henry Ford Health allows us an even greater impact on the health of those in the city and across the state,” MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz said. “As Spartans, collaborating to advance the common good is in our DNA, and we look forward to working with our partners to address health equity and other grand challenges of our time.”

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/education/335m-msu-biomedical-research-center-approved-board