KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Western Michigan University board of trustees has decided at a special meeting not to resell the former Newell Rubbermaid Research Facility at the BTR Park, but it was not a comfortable decision.
Rubbermaid announced last year it was consolidating operations in Atlanta, Georgia but apparently did not notify the university until recently that it was negotiating a deal with another occupant of the BTR Park, Faraday Defense, to sell the property to them.
WMU has plans to use the 62,000 square foot facility as the new home for their Physical Plant, Grounds, Maintenance and transportation operations, for additional office space, as well as locker rooms and parking for the nearby Soccer Complex.
WMU Vice President Jan van der Kley says their current Physical Plant facility sits right at the east entrance to campus. It’s 100 years old and hasn’t been updated in 70 years.
Faraday Defense official and WMU graduate Jason DeVries made an appeal to the trustees to consider allowing his deal to go ahead instead.
But, the university has rights for first refusal on all the properties in the BTR Park, on the city’s east side, to make sure that any firm locating there meets their requirements, and trustees voted to buy the property for their own uses.
WMU President Russ Kavalhuna offered to meet with DeVries to try and ease his disappointment.
Trustee Jon Hoadley urged University officials to remind other occupants of the BTR Park about WMU’s first right of refusal, to avoid this in the future.
The special meeting of the WMU board was called because Faraday had plans to close their deal later this week.
Faraday Defense has developed a fabric that can block electronic signals, and sells bags, backpacks and other containment systems that can protect electrical and digital devices during transport.
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