Riverfront Residence Hall to receive upgrades

Riverfront Residence Hall to receive upgrades, added capacity with latest Mott Foundation grant
By Eric Fish | Flint Journal
January 22, 2010, 11:41AM

A view of the lobby of the Riverfront Residence Hall in downtown Flint that opened to students last fall.FLINT, Michigan — With the help of a $7-million dollar repayable grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, downtown’s Riverfront Residence Hall will undergo further renovation that will see additional capacity and upgraded amenities, the Mott Foundation announced Friday.

The grant — part of a $30-million transformation of the residence hall, which opened in September to students — will add 298 beds, increasing total capacity to 541, and turn a conference center into a state-of-the-art meeting space.

The project is expected to be completed by fall 2010 to coincide with back to school.

The 16-story Riverfront Residence Hall opened as a Hyatt Regency Hotel in 1981 and was a Charter Inn when purchased by the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation (URC) in Jan. 2009 with a $20-million grant from the Mott Foundation.

The initial grant helped fund structural renovations, conversion to apartment-style housing and the construction of study spaces. When it opened last fall, nearly every bed was accounted for by Baker College, Mott Community College, Kettering University and University of Michigan Flint students.

“The growing sense of vitality and excitement in downtown Flint is key to sparking a new future for all of Genesee County,” URC board of directors president and Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Tim Herman said in a statement. “Launching this next phase in the renovations of the Riverfront Residence Hall is yet another step toward that goal.”

Both Charles Mott Foundation Grants are to be repaid within 10 years.