The Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, in partnership with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has launched a significant initiative to safely demolish 22 deteriorating structures across the south campus farms. This effort aims to create 66,000 square feet of usable space for future agricultural and educational needs, ensuring a safer environment for students and researchers alike.

“Deciding to remove any structure on campus is always a challenging choice,” said Dr. Thomas Glasmacher, interim executive vice president of administration. “In the case of the farm district, we must strike a balance between honoring history, ensuring efficiency, and maximizing reusability, all while recognizing that many of these buildings have far outlived their useful life. The costs associated with maintaining these structures are not justified, and we believe it is more prudent to refocus resources and utilize funds for other strategic projects for the south campus farms.”

The land from this project will be utilized in several ways:

• Conversion back to farmland for research support by growing hay and corn, essential crops for beef and dairy operations.
• Held as fallow land for future needs that meet updated standards and aid research beneficial to the university mission.
• Intentionally capping utilities in certain locations keeps the infrastructure available for future agricultural development in a sustainable way.

This initiative prioritizes safety through the careful removal of hazardous materials and the capping of utilities in the affected areas. As part of the project, two barns have been identified for potential salvage, with materials such as cement, bricks, and blocks to be crushed on campus and recycled for use in roads and walkways. By minimizing waste and maximizing resource reuse, the initiative underscores MSU’s commitment to sustainability.

“Over time, many of MSU’s structures have aged, necessitating decisions regarding maintenance and capital renewal investments,” said Dan Bollman, Vice President for Strategic Infrastructure, Planning, and Facilities. “Selective demolition of structures that have outlived their useful life will become increasingly common as we explore further capital renewal initiatives. By removing these storage buildings, MSU IPF and CANR will avoid $5-7 million in deferred and future maintenance costs, allowing us to better allocate resources for transformative projects, like the new dairy facility.”

The new MSU Dairy Teaching and Research Center, part of a larger effort by Michigan State University to advance sustainability and food security. In October 2023, MSU greenlit significant renovations to the Plant Sciences Greenhouses and the construction of a state-of-the-art Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, reinforcing the university’s commitment to modernizing agricultural infrastructure and supporting cutting-edge research that aligns with evolving programmatic needs.

“Some of our agricultural facilities face challenges due to deteriorating facilities, with some ultimately needing removal,” said Interim Dean of CANR Dr. Matthew Daum, “while changes like these can be daunting, our effective and time-proven partnerships with IPF and other units on campus allow us to create successes for our agricultural facilities, and provide the best possible learning experience for our students.”

Looking ahead, capital renewal projects will create opportunities for growth and expansion of teaching, research, and extension facilities within MSU’s existing footprint, minimizing sprawl into the agricultural land base. Balancing reinvestment in existing infrastructure with new development is crucial, especially as the university faces challenges related to deteriorating facilities. With insufficient resources to maintain the Facility Conditions Index for all buildings, IPF is conducting building-by-building analyses to assess repair costs and energy efficiency. This integrated planning approach will support future demand models and determine the optimal size and use of university facilities.

For more information on this project, please visit the Infrastructure Planning and Facilities website.