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During their meeting at the University of Michigan’s Dearborn campus Thursday, the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents discussed renovations to Bursley Hall Dining Facility, a new transit center and the appointment of a new interim chief officer at the medical school.
Renovation Approvals
The Regents approved a $4.3 million project to renovate the Bursley Dining Hall on North Campus this summer. The project aims to remodel the dining area — which covers approximately 4,700 square feet — and create five separate serving stations with different types of foods, much like the East Quadrangle and South Quadrangle dining halls. Funding for the project will be provided from University Housing resources, and construction is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2016.
Over the past few years, significant parts of Central Campus housing and dining have seen renovations, including West, East, North and South Quadrangles, but this is the first major renovation initiative planned for North Campus.
The Regents also approved a $46 million project, funded by the Hospitals and Health Centers’ resources, to build a new University health center west of Ann Arbor, replacing the current West Ann Arbor Health Center facility. The new center will be roughly 75,000 square feet, compared to the existing 6,000-square-foot facility. It will house a new ambulatory diagnostic and treatment center as well as a walk in clinic, primary and specialty care, infusion, clinical pathology and radiology services.
The project is scheduled for completion in Fall 2017.
Transit center public comments
During public comments at the end of the meeting, the regents heard from several community members concerned about a planned North Campus transit facility near several residential neighborhoods. The $38.5 million project, approved in a 2014 meeting, is slated to include a full-service bus depot and maintenance site.
University President Mark Schlissel paused the plans for the project earlier this month after continuous concern from the surrounding residential areas, including during a February meeting held about the center by the University
During the February meeting, Ann Arbor residents expressed concern about the proximity of the site to residential areas, the environmental implications of the construction and its impact on the community’s character. Several also claimed that the University failed to engage with the residents and lacked transparency.