WMU to purchase Newell Rubbermaid’s facility on Parkview Campus

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University will purchase the Newell Rubbermaid building located on Parkview Campus following approval by the WMU Board of Trustees at a special meeting on Tuesday, March 10.  

The University will acquire the 62,000-square-foot building for $6 million—an opportunity that will help Western meet several future academic, operational and athletic needs in a cost-effective manner. It will replace WMU’s Physical Plant building, which was built in 1921 and carries approximately $7.6 million in deferred maintenance.  

Newell Rubbermaid’s building was completed in 2014. It will become the new home of WMU facilities operations—facilities management, custodial services and maintenance.  

The acquisition will support other WMU units as well: “Collocating University planning, engineering and design functions near firms with which they have established partnerships will also support collaboration,” says WMU President Russ Kavalhuna. 

These functions are now located in the Campus Services Building on Oliver Street. On the Parkview Campus, home to WMU’s Business Technology and Research Park, they will be close to several private-sector partners with which they regularly collaborate. 

The Newell building will additionally be evaluated as potential future office space for staff supporting the University’s Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE). Crews will soon break ground on a new facility designed to house MGRRE’s archive of geological samples on the Parkview Campus. The Newell building will also be assessed to determine whether it can accommodate long-needed locker rooms for the adjacent WMU soccer complex. 

The purchase will allow the University to retire its 105-year-old Physical Plant building sooner than anticipated. The facility has been identified in WMU’s Campus Master Plan for decommissioning and demolition.  

In addition to carrying some $7.6 million in deferred maintenance, the Physical Plant building presents significant accessibility challenges. The nearby Campus Services Building also has a substantial maintenance backlog. 

Consolidating these facilities management functions currently distributed across multiple WMU buildings into the newer space will improve coordination and operational efficiency. 

WMU officials note that removing the Physical Plant building—which is located near the base of Oakland Drive where it meets Stadium Drive—will enhance a key eastern gateway to campus and strengthen connections between campus and downtown. At the same time, the change aligns with the city of Kalamazoo’s plans to redesign the roadway network in that area. 

Jan Van Der Kley, vice president for business and finance, says the newer building offers a practical solution to infrastructure challenges present in older facilities. 

"By relocating functions currently housed in aging buildings, we can improve efficiency while avoiding the significant costs associated with addressing deferred maintenance in those facilities," Van Der Kley says. 

"The Newell Rubbermaid building provides a modern, well-located space that supports our needs and positions us well for the future."

University leaders will begin planning next steps for transitioning operations to the new facility later this calendar year.

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