The good news is that the new Zhang
Legacy Collections Center (ZLCC), future home of the WMU Archives and
Regional History Collections, is progressing. The Archives plans to
move into the ZLCC in late 2013. [1] . Here's a picture taken in
early March 2013, compliments of my mom.
The new building is being erected with
the goal of becoming LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) certified. [2] WMU currently has seven buildings that are
LEED certified and hopes to increase that number to thirteen by early
2014. [2] These LEED-certified new and renovated structures go
beyond simple energy efficiency, though that is certainly part of the
reason for going green (the renovated chemistry building uses forty
percent less energy than a traditional one). [2] Green maintenance
practices, like a storm water retention system, green cleaning
methods and even utilizing beet juice (an anti-coagulant) to reduce
snow buildup on roads and sidewalks are a part of the bigger picture.
[2]
The bad news is that the fate of East
Campus has drastically altered since the middle of 2012. Gone are
the plans for a boutique hotel, conference center and condos with an
underground parking structure. The main stumbling block was the
elimination of state tax credits, without which the cost of the
project was prohibitive. [1] The current plan features a renovation
of the central part of East Hall for alumni functions at a cost of
$15 million. [1] Everything else? Well, due to the lack of funding,
the remaining three buildings and the two wings of East Hall, though
structurally sound, are slated for demolition. This could happen as
soon as the Archives vacates the premises later this year. [1] This
probably seems hasty to those who wish for an eleventh hour save, but
WMU wants to eliminate the costs of security, utilities and
maintenance on buildings it no longer has hopes of saving. [1] In
addition, developing the new alumni center will be easier in the
absence of several abandoned buildings. The University does plan to
salvage important architectural elements from the buildings prior to
their destruction. [1] Green space and parking for the alumni center
are expected to fill the void of the existing structures. [1]
1. Cheryl
Roland, “WMU’s East Hall to be renovated for use as alumni
center,” WMU News, 10 Dec 2012.
http://www.wmich.edu/news/2012/12/3415
2. Yvonne Zipp, “Western Michigan
University celebrates LEED certification of 6 buildings,”
www.MLive.com, 21 Feb 2013.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2013/02/western_michigan_university_ce_4.html
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