Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, has announced a $4 million gift from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation in support of renovating the NADA Hotel and Conference Center.

Constructed in 1973, the facility is set to undergo a transformation that will preserve and honor Alden B. Dow’s architectural legacy. The renewed facility will feature a large, modern conference center that will fill a vital need for large-capacity venues in the Great Lakes Bay Region. When complete, the updated center will house elements of Northwood’s newly established Center for Automotive & Mobility Studies, as well as academic classrooms, upgraded hotel accommodations, and a welcoming lobby area designed to be a dynamic meeting space.

“The foundation is pleased to provide this philanthropic support to Northwood University,” said Dow Foundation president Ruth Alden Doan. “We have charter goals to improve the educational, religious, economic, and cultural lives of those in Midland and across Michigan—and this revitalization project will do just that.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/skynesher)