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Old 05-29-2015, 10:15 AM
 
Location: Louisville
5,293 posts, read 6,052,788 times
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Steelcase sells iconic pyramid to private developer after deal for education hub falls through | MLive.com



Steelcase has finally sold the Pryamid. There was a deal to sell it to an educational group which I wasn't a big fan of, that fell through. Private buyer made a cash offer on it. I am hoping they don't plan to turn it into a run of the mill office building. It would makea great corporate headquarters of some kind. What do you think will happen with it?
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Old 05-29-2015, 04:55 PM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
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It's going to be the new basecamp of the X Prize. Can you picture the launch pads out on the lawn?

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Old 05-29-2015, 07:46 PM
chh
 
Location: West Michigan
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Oh man, I always drive by that on highway 6 it's an intriguing building. I wonder what it was built for?
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Old 05-30-2015, 07:38 AM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chh View Post
Oh man, I always drive by that on highway 6 it's an intriguing building. I wonder what it was built for?
Research and development, corporate development, etc

Steelcase Inc. to desert its pyramid, the furniture industry's most comprehensive research center | MLive.com

What I always wondered about is why they built it slightly off from a North-South-East-West axis. It's maybe 20 - 30 degrees off? Is that based off of the Egyptian pyramids?



Last edited by magellan; 05-30-2015 at 07:47 AM..
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Old 05-30-2015, 08:01 AM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
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The guy who is purchasing it is an interesting character, Roger Norman. He bought an old Pfizer office building in Kalamazoo a few years ago, and owns one of the largest industrial parks in the "world" as they claim in Nevada, where Tesla's new 5 million sf gigfactory will be built:

Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center: A Public-Private Partnership on Steroids - Center for Regional Studies

Tesla in Reno area: 'This is a Nevada victory'

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Old 05-30-2015, 11:24 AM
 
7,072 posts, read 9,609,396 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magellan View Post

So is Steelcase giving up on R&D, and simply pocketing the profits for short term gain?
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Old 05-30-2015, 08:22 PM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
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Originally Posted by ram2 View Post
So is Steelcase giving up on R&D, and simply pocketing the profits for short term gain?
Ha, no. They moved all of their R&D to their main campus at 44th and Eastern. They spent $111 Million to build the pyramid and sold it for probably $10 Million. They're now going to have to show a loss on that property, although it was probably written down long ago.
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Old 05-30-2015, 08:30 PM
 
7,072 posts, read 9,609,396 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magellan View Post
They spent $111 Million to build the pyramid and sold it for probably $10 Million. They're now going to have to show a loss on that property, although it was probably written down long ago.

Some geniuses running that company.
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Old 05-30-2015, 09:17 PM
 
Location: Louisville
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The geniuses running that company, weren't the same geniuses who built the thing 26 years ago. That was back when Steelcase had a small city/fotress complex in Kentwood. Times have changed since they did everything in GR.

I wonder what he plans to do with it. He has business with Tesla...Tesla just purchased a Tool and die shop in GR.....?
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Old 05-31-2015, 07:11 PM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,844,647 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mjlo View Post
The geniuses running that company, weren't the same geniuses who built the thing 26 years ago. That was back when Steelcase had a small city/fotress complex in Kentwood. Times have changed since they did everything in GR.

I wonder what he plans to do with it. He has business with Tesla...Tesla just purchased a Tool and die shop in GR.....?
Yes, the pyramid was built when Steelcase was privately owned, and there seemed to be no end to the growth in office furniture. Knoll Furniture also built a pretty futuristic plant in Kentwood that had an indoor "tram" type system that tooled visitors around the plant. The front door even looks like a tube.

When Steelcase became publicly owned, everything changed. I think they peaked at 10,000 employees in West Michigan in the 2000's and are now down to 3000 here. Most of the rest of their 13,000 employees are overseas or in other states.

They recently renovated their headquarters and added a pretty sweet cafe in the lower level off the main lobby.

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