KALAMAZOO (MICH.)-Friends of Historic East Campus (a committee dedicated to preserving Western Michigan University’s East campus) will open its monthly meeting to the public to discuss the new plans to renovate East campus building, East Hall. A public meeting will be held at Noon Friday, Dec. 21 in Walwood Commons on East campus of Western Michigan University. Public input regarding the new development plans are encouraged.
The topic of the meeting will focus on a recent update provided to Community Voices by the Friends of Historic East Campus from by Bob Miller of WMU that:
Given the end of State Historic preservation tax credits as they had existed prior to 2010, the KDC Corporation has decided that the projected reuse of the East Campus buildings is not financially feasible and has withdrawn from the partnership with WMU.
The WMU Trustees have approved WMU President John Dunn’s decision that the university itself will rehabilitate East Hall as an Alumni Center and new home for the Development Office (which now encompasses the Alumni Office), and a Center for New Student Orientation.
The need for adequate surface parking will require the demolition of West Hall, the Speech and Hearing Building, and almost certainly North Hall but the University is committing itself to salvage all historically significant architectural elements from the latter.
