Oct. 18, 2011

The building will feature new and renovated space for collaborative energy research.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Renovation and expansion work began late last month on the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory (MMPL), the North Campus facility that will become the Energy Institute’s new home.

Targeted for completion in 2013, the $11.1 million project includes the renovation of approximately 10,000-square feet of space into advanced laboratories for energy research, replacement of its existing electrical substation and the addition of 10,000 square feet of new space for research collaboration and interaction as well as administrative offices for the Institute.

“This prominent resource will serve as a fulcrum for energy-related activity at the University of Michigan, providing outstanding facilities for energy research and inter-disciplinary cooperation,” said Johannes Schwank, the Energy Institute’s interim director. “The building offers an ideal environment for the Institute to support the University’s energy community and share our faculty’s important achievements with the world beyond campus.”

The newly launched project, designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent, follows the 2009 renovation of approximately 9,750-square feet on the building’s third floor, which now includes Hydrogen Energy Technology Lab and associated offices. Located on Bonisteel Avenue, the MMPL building was built in 1955. It stands adjacent to the former site of the Ford Nuclear Reactor, which ceased operations in 2003.

Contact: Paul Gargaro, Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, 734-615-5678, pgargaro@umich.edu.