Trustees approve plans for campus gateway project at Michigan State University

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees has authorized the university to move forward with the construction of the Spartan Gateway District, a public-private campus community development project on the west side of the East Lansing campus.

The university says the district will include a new hotel and retail space and an athletics arena. A 6,000-seat Olympic sports arena will support volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, locker rooms and coaching office space in addition to a number of university classrooms supporting various academic units.

The Lansing State Journal reports that the Olympic sports arena is expected to cost the university $150 million. The rest of the district will be paid for through a public-private partnership; a developer would finance the hotel, housing, retail, office space and parking facilities. 

The first phase of the project includes the arena, which is slated to be operational by late 2027. Additional phases featuring a variety of commercial uses including a hotel, housing, office, and retail spaces will follow.