GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Valley State University held a groundbreaking Tuesday, Oct. 27, for the Blue Dot Lab, a tech center in downtown Grand Rapids with a $166 million price tag that will remake the Eberhard Center, the school’s first downtown building.
Crews are already working inside the 10-story center at 301 West Fulton Street. The budget splits into $101.4 million to renovate the current building and $64.6 million for an addition, which brings a new north entrance by the Blue Bridge. GVSU expects to finish in 2029.
When the job is done, the complex will be home to the new GVSU College of Computing. Plans call for a cyber range, a driving simulator, a showcase where students and the public can try new digital tools, a cube-shaped room built for immersive virtual simulation work and a studio for quick prototyping.
President Philomena V. Mantella told the crowd of administrators, faculty, students and regional leaders that the project is about linking people, ideas and new technology, not just adding space.
To cover the cost, the university signed off on a $139 million bond in February. Final state approval came in July and opened the door to $30 million more in state money. The spending has drawn criticism on campus: in March, more than 200 faculty members and students put their names on a letter questioning where the school is headed, and on April 10 the academic senate sent a memo voicing worry about the bond.
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