University of Michigan buys property near Grand Rapids Hospital

The University of Michigan plans to purchase two properties and office buildings adjacent to its Wyoming hospital for $45 million, which could lay the foundation for future expansion.

The University Council on Thursday afternoon approved an agreement to purchase a 10.2-acre site adjacent to the University of Michigan Health-West Hospital and two office buildings measuring 12,077 and 29,763 square feet, respectively.

“We are acquiring this strategically located property adjacent to the University of Michigan Health West Hospital to secure our long-term growth opportunities in the development of The Village,” The university’s executive vice president and CFO, Geoffrey Chatas, wrote this in a memo to the university council.

A completion date has not yet been set, and the university will continue to lease space in the buildings, the memo said.

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A university spokesman was unable to immediately identify the seller.

Wyoming city property records show the parcels are owned by Metro Health Village Retail LLC and Metro Office Building LLC, two companies registered with the state in 2006 and 2005, respectively, by developer Gary Granger of the Granger Group LLC.

The Granger Group developed the Health Village around the 208-bed UM Health-West hospital, which opened in 2007 at Gezon Parkway and Wilson Avenue SW after relocating from the southeast side of Grand Rapids. UM Health-West was then known as Metro Health before being acquired by UM Health in 2017.

The completion of the purchase depends on “the university being convinced of the ecological condition of the site and otherwise exercising due care,” Chatas wrote.

UM currently has no plans for the parcels, which “could be used for future growth,” UM Health President Dr. David Miller said in a statement to Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

“We are just beginning to evaluate how the properties might fit into our growth strategies, and all current leases with tenants of the buildings will continue at that time,” Miller said.

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