Trustees approve new parcel sales in BTR Park North

KALAMAZOO, Mich.— The Western Michigan University Board of Trustees approved selling two parcels in the new Business Technology and Research Park North.

The 55-acre business park is the northward expansion of Western's original BTR Park situated at the corner of Parkview Avenue and Drake Road. The expansion formally opened this past fall, and the first property owner, Ascension Borgess Cancer Center, opened its doors in September.

During their formal meeting on Thursday, March 17, trustees approved Bronson Properties Corp.'s $414,000 offer for a 5.52-acre parcel in the park. The corporation is a division of Bronson Healthcare. The other approved sale at $350,000 was for a 4.45-acre parcel for Faraday Defense Corp., a materials company that provides solutions to protect equipment and personnel from electromagnetic field radiation, electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference.

Five acres now remain available for development at BTR Park North, which was honored earlier this month as a sustainable land use project. The U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan's Innovative Project Award recognized the development for remediating environmentally impacted land and creating space for sustainable businesses and use.

Trustees approved an additional property sale Thursday—the Kendall Center in downtown Battle Creek. Kendall housed one of the University's regional locations, but that programming relocated to the new Aviation Education Center facility at the College of Aviation, also in Battle Creek. The Kendall Center will be sold to the city of Battle Creek for $1, which was the facility's original purchase price in 1993.

The University division responsible for regional education—WMUx—continues its engagement with the Battle Creek community. WMUx has expanded the criteria for the Kendall Teacher Scholars Scholarship Fund. Established by the Roy and Beulah Kendall estate, the fund supports Calhoun County educators who are continuing their education, including to complete degrees. Recipients can now use the scholarship to pay for online classes as well as courses delivered in person at the Aviation Education Center.

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