Rendering of Baker College Flagship Metro-Royal Oak Campus
Baker College, Michigan’s largest, private not-for-profit college and the top private transfer school in the state, has announced its new, state-of-the-art metro Detroit campus is coming to downtown Royal Oak. The announcement was made by Baker College President, Dr. Bart Daig.
The planned 86,000-square-foot, seven-story Baker College Royal Oak campus will be located at 420 S. Lafayette Ave., at the intersection of S. Lafayette and 5th Avenue. The new location – which will be designed to accommodate approximately 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students – will incorporate flexible and connected classrooms, laboratories and interactive, collaborative study and gathering spaces for students, faculty and employees. The site also will include on-site parking.
The $51 million project recently broke-ground, with students scheduled to arrive on-campus for the start of the 2022 academic year.
“We have spent a great deal of time and effort on our journey to find the perfect new home for Baker College in Oakland County, and are confident that downtown Royal Oak offers everything we need, want and more,” said Jacqui Spicer, Baker College COO. “We are thrilled to be joining Royal Oak’s vibrant and diverse community, and look forward to contributing to its continued growth and reputation as a premier place to live, work, play and learn.”
The new facility’s modern design will feature sustainable materials equivalent to LEED-Silver, a brick and glass exterior façade, providing plenty of natural light, and relaxing, spacious outdoor terrace spaces. The project team partners include architecture firm Edge Design Associates of Ann Arbor, Mich. and Colasanti Construction Services Inc. of Macomb, Mich.
“We applaud Baker College’s investment in our downtown and look forward to welcoming its staff and students for many years to come,” said Royal Oak City Mayor Mike Fournier.
With more than a century of experience in providing higher education in Michigan, Baker College will offer students at the new downtown Royal Oak campus an opportunity to pursue degrees from nine of its most popular programs, including: business, information technology, nursing, education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, criminal justice, psychology and liberal arts.
In addition to the future Royal Oak location, Baker College currently has on-ground campus locations in Auburn Hills, Cadillac, Jackson, Muskegon and Owosso, as well as its Culinary Institute of Michigan locations in Port Huron and Muskegon, and the Auto Diesel Institute in Owosso. Additionally, Baker College’s online campus offers more than 40 academic program options for students globally.
More information on Baker College’s Royal Oak campus is available at baker.edu/royal-oak.