A Concept Plan to Recycle Contaminated Commercial and Industrial Properties While Providing Experience to WMU Students COPYRIGHT 1993 SPUNKY DUCK PRESS Appendix I WMU Can Still Use Research Park to Aid Community by Dok Tael Stevens Kalamazoo Gazette Viewpoint: June 7, 1993 The recent suspension of Western Michigan University's research and development park conjunctive with the administration's voiced consideration of relocating the project to another area evidences a weak attempt to sway public opinion in favor of Asylum Lake territory development. Describing their opposition as a "small but vocal minority that misinforms the public," WMU officials have painted themselves as victims of environmental fanaticism while conveniently providing a scapegoat for the "lost opportunities" the park's suspension has negated. Generally, the opposition is in favor of a R&D park, their objections concern its location. WMU's depiction of the area's lost benefits enhance the philanthropic image, claiming they were only pursuing the R&D park for the good of Kalamazoo. By threatening to relocate their precious R&D park, WMU appears to be directing jobs away from our area. In reality, the R&D park employment that would probably be available to the local public was primarily minimum wage, menial positions in the clerical and janitorial fields. The site was severely limited in the kinds of business it may house, inadvertently focusing on companies that hire employees with advanced college degrees. Any possible economic losses could be rectified through other local development. As it turns out, one of the initial tenants, AvTech, is already located in Kalamazoo. The R&D park would've been contributing to the blight that already plagues our urban areas by attracting tenants from within the community. It seems that WMU expects the citizens of Kalamazoo to panic, rejecting the call to ecological considerations to endorse an economic "kick in the pants" that Kalamazoo desperately needs. WMU's "all or nothing" attitude reeks of false martyrdom as they attempt to muster public outcry at the loss of the R&D park. Abandoning the Asylum Lake site doesn't automatically require forsaking Kalamazoo. WMU could still develop their R&D park in Kalamazoo by renovating historically-industrial abandoned sites throughout the community. Ass a state institution, WMU is exempt from the fines levied against owners of contaminated property. They are the perfect stewards for these vacant sites. WMU's own hydrogeology department in combination with the Institute for Water Sciences could implement remediation programs for these contaminated sites, engaging the chemistry department in groundwater analysis, the biology and consumer resource technology departments in landscaping, and the College of Business in attracting and managing tenants. Nearly all their academic programs could participate in the reclamation of Kalamazoo. Creating a research and development network system throughout the community, WMU would be on the frontier of technology; the recycling of land. Ample research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students would be provided, with WMU standing above other universities as a research facility. WMU initially claimed that one of the goals of the R&D park was to provide opportunities for students. These opportunities already exist in Kalamazoo, in our abandoned warehouses, office buildings and malls littering our neighborhoods and major thoroughfares. Abandoning development of the Asylum Lake site was the best thing WMU has done in a long time; let's hope the administration is open-minded enough to consider alternatives which retain their actives in Kalamazoo, benefiting both the citizens and university. Postcript: AvTech Laboratories located to a 10-acre site at Bishop and Sprinkle Roads in Portage, the ground breaking ceremony was on December 1, 1993 (Branscom, 1993). |
Asylum Lake Alternatives Kalamazoo County, MI |
A Concept Plan to Recycle Contaminated Commercial and Industrial Properties While Providing Experience to WMU Students COPYRIGHT 1993 SPUNKY DUCK PRESS Appendix I WMU Can Still Use Research Park to Aid Community by Dok Tael Stevens Kalamazoo Gazette Viewpoint: June 7, 1993 The recent suspension of Western Michigan University's research and development park conjunctive with the administration's voiced consideration of relocating the project to another area evidences a weak attempt to sway public opinion in favor of Asylum Lake territory development. Describing their opposition as a "small but vocal minority that misinforms the public," WMU officials have painted themselves as victims of environmental fanaticism while conveniently providing a scapegoat for the "lost opportunities" the park's suspension has negated. Generally, the opposition is in favor of a R&D park, their objections concern its location. WMU's depiction of the area's lost benefits enhance the philanthropic image, claiming they were only pursuing the R&D park for the good of Kalamazoo. By threatening to relocate their precious R&D park, WMU appears to be directing jobs away from our area. In reality, the R&D park employment that would probably be available to the local public was primarily minimum wage, menial positions in the clerical and janitorial fields. The site was severely limited in the kinds of business it may house, inadvertently focusing on companies that hire employees with advanced college degrees. Any possible economic losses could be rectified through other local development. As it turns out, one of the initial tenants, AvTech, is already located in Kalamazoo. The R&D park would've been contributing to the blight that already plagues our urban areas by attracting tenants from within the community. It seems that WMU expects the citizens of Kalamazoo to panic, rejecting the call to ecological considerations to endorse an economic "kick in the pants" that Kalamazoo desperately needs. WMU's "all or nothing" attitude reeks of false martyrdom as they attempt to muster public outcry at the loss of the R&D park. Abandoning the Asylum Lake site doesn't automatically require forsaking Kalamazoo. WMU could still develop their R&D park in Kalamazoo by renovating historically-industrial abandoned sites throughout the community. Ass a state institution, WMU is exempt from the fines levied against owners of contaminated property. They are the perfect stewards for these vacant sites. WMU's own hydrogeology department in combination with the Institute for Water Sciences could implement remediation programs for these contaminated sites, engaging the chemistry department in groundwater analysis, the biology and consumer resource technology departments in landscaping, and the College of Business in attracting and managing tenants. Nearly all their academic programs could participate in the reclamation of Kalamazoo. Creating a research and development network system throughout the community, WMU would be on the frontier of technology; the recycling of land. Ample research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students would be provided, with WMU standing above other universities as a research facility. WMU initially claimed that one of the goals of the R&D park was to provide opportunities for students. These opportunities already exist in Kalamazoo, in our abandoned warehouses, office buildings and malls littering our neighborhoods and major thoroughfares. Abandoning development of the Asylum Lake site was the best thing WMU has done in a long time; let's hope the administration is open-minded enough to consider alternatives which retain their actives in Kalamazoo, benefiting both the citizens and university. Postcript: AvTech Laboratories located to a 10-acre site at Bishop and Sprinkle Roads in Portage, the ground breaking ceremony was on December 1, 1993 (Branscom, 1993). |
