Oakland University will soon be setting up shop in downtown Mount Clemens after it received a donation of a building for classes.
The Towne Square Building, 20 South Main Street, was recently given to the university by developers Gebran S. Anton and Stuart Frankel. The building, valued at about $2 million, was built in 1984. It's two stories, 25,422 square feet, and constructed of brick and glass.
Mary Otto, Oakland University's vice president for outreach, said the university hasn't yet nailed down which programs will be offered there, but both criminal justice and social work have been considered. While some university programs can be completed in Macomb County, others require going to the main campus for at least part of the time.
"One of our goals right now is to increase the number of programs that Macomb County students can complete in Macomb County," she says. "This will give us the opportunity to expand to yet another (area), in Mount Clemens."
Another boon to the donation is that the site is located right on Gratiot, on a public transportation line. "It's very exciting that we will be able to offer course work and programs to a broader audience," she says.
The building itself is in good shape, as it used to hold offices, but it still needs to be remodeled into classrooms. Otto hopes to be in early enough to offer classes by January, but would be happy if it could be open by next summer.
Faculty and staff enjoyed a recent tour of the building. "It's small enough that they could easily navigate it, but it's big enough that there's a lot going on, and it's right downtown," she says. "We've had extraordinary response from students who think it'll be a great place to go."
Source: Mary Otto, vice president for outreach, Oakland University
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.