By Jo Mathis
A year ago, the 16-story vacant hotel in downtown Flint was a symbol of the struggling city’s dashed dreams.
That’s about to change.
Next Wednesday, some 250 college students will move into the first eight floors of the newly renovated Riverfront Residence Hall, the latest boost to a city on the upswing.
“Studies show that one of the keys to revitalizing the Rust Belt urban centers is institutions of higher learning,” said Ridgway White, project manager for the nonprofit Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, which is focused on revitalizing downtown Flint. “We thought student housing was a great way to boost enrollment at the local universities and expand the geographic boundaries of the universities.”
There’s also an economic advantage, he said.
“If students have a good experience here, sometimes there’s a likelihood they’ll stay around and create a new company or work for a company in the area,” said White. “The key to attracting new businesses is having local talent.”
The new Riverfront Residence Hall is a full-service housing option for students enrolled in the city’s four institutions of higher learning: University of Michigan-Flint, Baker College, Kettering University and Mott Community College.
A second phase next fall will bring the total number of residents to 330. A third phase the following year will bring it to 550.
That’s in addition to U-M’s nearby First Street Residence Hall – the first residence hall in its 50-year history — which opened last year with 310 students. And coming on board next year is the former Durant Hotel, now being renovated to offer apartment living to “urban pioneers,” including faculty and students.
“It’s not hard to imagine 1,000 students living right downtown in three years,” said White. “And that’s going from zero a year ago.”
The new residence hall is yet another sign of downtown Flint’s resurgence, according to Tracy Atkinson, director of Flint’s Department of Community and Economic Development.
Atkinson said downtown has been on the upswing for the past five years as professional buildings have been renovated, restaurants opened, and loft-style living has been made available. Riverfront adds new life to the street and a new customer base for downtown businesses.
“We’re trying to create a vibrant place for people to have a good core town experience,” said Atkinson. “It’s becoming a place for folks to spend time, meet, network, socialize.”
Giving students another residential option is great for both the city of Flint and the affected universities, agreed Frank Hribar, vice president for enrollment services at the 2,200-student Kettering University.
“Students are the focus, and that’s consistent with the mission of the university to provide students with as broad a range of opportunities as possible,” he said.
Because Kettering’s residence hall and its Campus Village adjacent to campus are often filled to capacity, Riverside Residence offers Kettering a potential for growth, Hribar said.
Riverfront amenities include a three-story lobby atrium; a quiet study hall overlooking the banks of the Flint River with computers and print stations; an Internet café; a movie theater room; laundry facilities; study rooms; student lounges; a fully-equipped fitness center; and a game room. The whole building is wireless.
“Students walk in and say, ‘Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to live here. This is amazing!’” said White.
Because of its proximity to U-M-Flint across the street, it’s expected that about 90 percent of the residents will be U-M students.
“We’re thrilled that building will be used for student housing, and really welcome it,” said Jennifer Hogan, spokesperson for the University of Michigan-Flint. “The more people living and learning in our downtown, the better for all of us.”
“Flint is truly becoming a college town.”
The city’s crime statistics have dropped considerably in recent years, and Hogan said U-M-Flint has one of the lowest crime rates of any Michigan campus.
“Crime happens everywhere,” she said. “What we do is talk about it quite a bit more. We have lots of security in place on this campus. We have our campus police force. When you look at crime statistics in downtown Flint, it’s extremely low. We always advise everyone to use common sense, but I’d advise it to people going to the mall or the grocery store or anywhere.”
Riverfront Residence Hall features 24/7 staffed entry with keycard access. Parking is available in the attached Riverfront Residence Hall parking ramp.
The former hotel has had a number of identities since it opened in 1981 as a Hyatt Regency largely through grants from the Mott Foundation.
Plans range from a one-bedroom, one-bathroom suite to a four-bedroom, two bathroom suite with a study. Some have kitchenettes, and a voluntary meal plan is available through U-M-Flint Dining Services at the University Center.
White explained that the state’s sixth largest hotel was built in 1981 to accommodate General Motors’ training programs. But when GM soon pulled all its training programs from Flint, the hotel’s 340,000 square feet was overbuilt for the market.
The hotel became the Radisson in 1991; the Riverfront Hotel in 1997; and a Ramada in 1999. In 2000, the Institute in Basic Life Principles, an Illinois-based nonprofit religious group, bought the building for classes, seminars, and outreach programs. It renamed the building Riverfront Character Inn and banned alcohol and tobacco. It also became home to the institute’s residential Verity University.
After the building was put up for sale in 2005, it handled only small events and previously booked contracts.
The Uptown Reinvestment Corp. bought the building on Jan. 30 with a $20 million loan from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
In the past five years, Uptown has spent $40 million on downtown development, not including Riverfront.
One Comment
Wow – now that’s perspective! Please more like this!