Culinary Institute opens new housing building downtown

The Culinary Institute of Michigan has expanded this fall, adding a second, new student housing building on its campus in Port Huron.
 
The school, part of Baker College, has seen increased demand in the last few years, and president and CEO Bart Daig says that naturally translates into a need for more housing.
 
"Research shows that quality, on-campus housing increases student success and retention, and builds community. These large apartments are designed to meet the unique needs of students and support their success in the classroom," says Daig.
 
By that, he's referring to the nine apartments that make up the new housing building, each accommodating two to four residents. They're about 900 square feet each with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an upscale kitchen area with high-efficiency appliances. The building also offers amenities like lounges, study area and an entertainment area. The addition expands CIM's on-campus housing to a capacity of 82 students.
 
The new apartment-style housing was open in September to allow fall 2016 enrollees to move in, and mirrors a similar building opened last year. Both are located in downtown Port Huron, next to the convention center and along the St. Clair River. Last year's new housing building was named River View, and the newest is called Bridge View, for its outlook on the Blue Water Bridge.
 
Grand Rapids architect Progressive AE designed the building, and Orion Construction, Inc., also from Grand Rapids, was the contractor.
 
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Baker College