ABSTRACT
Designed by James Knox Taylor, supervising architect for the US Treasury, Kendall College Of Art And Design significance was recognized in 1974 with the Inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Since the art college had become affiliated with Ferris State in 2001, its student numbers had soared from 520 to 1,400 eventuating in a serious space shortage. The federal building, sitting directly opposite to Kendall's extent properties, was ideally positioned to answer its calls for additional facilities. In 2010, construction work began to recast its aging fabric into an education building housing an auditorium, library, galleries, cafe, workshops, classrooms, and communal space. The transformation presented challenges on several levels, not least its financing. Funds were raised via a public-private partnership which drew upon a range of city, county, state, and federal resources, capturing tax credits available for historic preservation projects.
