Story

Triangle was enlisted to help divide the former General Motors stamping plant in Kalamazoo into two separate buildings, divided by a new private road and truck plaza. The 2.2 million square foot facility had been vacant since the late 1990’s when General Motors ceased operations there.

The demolition package alone on the project was similar in size to the construction of a new industrial facility. Approximately 288,000 square feet was removed from the middle of the building, cutting a 240’ x 1,200’ "canyon". Both sides were reinforced to withstand newly introduced wind loads. Prior to the demolition, Triangle redefined and redirected all MEP systems to allow the future two structures to function separately. After the separation, a private road was constructed between the two buildings to accommodate future truck docks.

Midlink Business Park is functioning facility and over 910,000 sf feet of space has been leased. The 769,700 sf Midlink West has 20 foot clear height, 40’ x 40’ bay spacing, and six 10 ton cranes. The 849,000 square foot Midlink East features heavy duty amenities including 38’ to 42’ clear height, 1,450-5,000 pound floor load, nine 50 ton cranes, and inside/outside rail service.

"No one today could afford to build a building like the way this facility was built, with the exception of General Motors," said David Smith, president of Midlink Business Park. "When you walk through the facility and see the quality of the structure, it would have been criminal to tear it down."

Awards include: 2005 Award of Excellence for Specialty Construction under $5 million for the Associated Builders & Contractors