By Staff
DOWAGIAC – Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees awarded the bid for the student housing and student activity center project, accepted gifts and grants and conducted other business during a meeting for June held on Thursday on SMC's Dowagiac campus.
The Board of Trustees awarded the bid for construction of on-campus student housing and the renovation/expansion of the Student Activity Center (SAC) to Shelton Construction Co. of Benton Harbor.
Shelton was the low bidder meeting the specifications, with the combined project construction cost of $10,881,428.
According to SMC President Dr. David Mathews, "This initiative is designed to meet students' need for an affordable total college experience while generating additional revenue to offset significantly reduced state funding. The modern floorplans include two- and four-bedroom suites, all with private bedrooms, living rooms and fully-equipped kitchens.
As previously reported, students will be especially impressed by the private bedrooms and social common areas.
Parents will be especially impressed by the high level of security that has been incorporated into the building design, and of course, by the fact that SMC's tuition is less than 40 percent the cost of many other colleges and universities.
"The greatly expanded SAC will be a tremendous resource, not only for residential students, but also for commuter students and for our community," continued President Mathews.
"Currently the SAC is open only limited hours because all of our students commute. The expanded facility will be open many more evening and weekend hours, which will provide greater access to not only residential students, but also to commuter students and to our community members."
"The Board of Trustees is pleased to be able to award this construction contract to Shelton Construction Co.," said Dr. Fred L. Mathews, chairman of the board.
"Being able to work with a local organization that is familiar with the area and understands SMC gives great added value to the project. In addition, Shelton Construction Co. draws from a strong subcontractor and supplier base that is derived from local communities and the surrounding area which is a real plus for our local economy."
Shelton Construction Co. was founded in 1993 by Daniel A. Shelton, president and chief executive officer.
Since its inception, Shelton Construction Co. has successfully completed hundreds of projects in southwestern Michigan.
Recent projects that Shelton has completed for SMC include construction of the M-TECSM facility on the college's Niles Area Campus, the Conference Center East expansion to the Fred L. Mathews Library, the renovation of the automotive training facility in the A.C. Kairis Complex and the most recent expansion of the fitness area in the Charles O. Zollar Building.
Design Plus of Grand Rapids has been the architect on this project.
Design Plus has been offering design services including architecture, mechanical, electrical engineering, interior design and landscape architecture, site planning graphic design and school bond issue assistance for the past 20 years.
The firm has completed projects for other academic institutions including Grand Valley State University, Hope College and Western Michigan University. It has also worked with K-12 schools, manufacturing plants and private industry.
SMC has partnered with Design Plus on numerous projects, most recently creation of an IT Center in the renovated Barbara Wood Building.
The city water extension project to support this project is already set to begin this week.
Construction of both the on-campus student housing and the Student Activity Center is slated to begin in June.
Both projects will be complete before fall of 2009.
The following local gifts and grants were received with a resolution of thanks from the Board of Trustees:
From the St. Denys Foundation, Dowagiac, a contribution in the amount of $2,500.
From an anonymous donor, a contribution in the amount of $196.