Meadows Crossing is proud to announce that the Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce has awarded us the 2019 Chamber Catalyst Award. This award recognizes Meadows Crossing as a business that has catalyzed advances in security and safety among off-campus student housing communities near GVSU.
Meadows Crossing has worked hard for over a decade to create a safe community for all people living in off-campus housing in Allendale. We are so pleased at this public acknowledgment of our efforts.
The Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce business awards are presented to member businesses or organizations that demonstrate outstanding achievement in business practices, making a positive impact in the community, and championing the Chamber’s commitment to building a better business community.
Meadows Crossing has been investing time and effort in creating a dialogue between our neighbor apartment communities and cooperating with them since 2007. While every apartment community near GVSU competes with the others in terms of trying to provide what is most important in an apartment community, we all want our students and the community to be the safest and the best that they can be. By working together and with the Grand Valley police and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s office, we have pioneered services in order to prevent sexual assault. We have thwarted targeted crime schemes on student parties. We have been able to identify problems, communicate and advise our students on how to protect themselves, and shut down theft and violence from outsiders as well as curb bad behavior in our own community.
The 2019 Chamber Catalyst Award
When the AACC presented us with this award, they gave us the great compliment of saying we exemplified “… through leadership, collaboration, and strategic partnerships.”
“Twelve years ago, Allendale didn’t look like it does today. Grand Valley State University didn’t look like it does today, and the off-campus student housing surely didn’t look like it does today. Twelve years ago there were just a couple of student housing options off campus including Meadows Crossing. Owner Glenn Turek opened Meadows Crossing with the personal philosophy of service to the students who chose Grand Valley State University as their home away from home.
“While all of the off-campus student housing communities are competitors, it was Glenn and another original housing development…that originally came up with the idea to create a strategic partnership to join together and contract a private security company to ensure the safety of their residents. Even today, as housing developments pop up with newer and shinier amenities, the original group of off-campus student housing management companies invites the others to participate in this unique collaboration of shared services.
“This group, which involves local law enforcement and first responders, meets regularly which allows for open communication, uniform enforcement, and saves taxpayers dollars because most of the non-emergency calls can be handled by staff. Most recently, Meadows Crossing has exemplified leadership in their industry through the creation of their innovative Safe Walk program. Students can call a phone number and request a safe escort to their destination. In this day and age, when you have to be careful who you look at in the grocery store, this service demonstrates innovative and responsive leadership.
“As a locally owned and managed property it is obvious through the number of awards and almost perfect Google rating that Meadows Crossing strives to provide a memorable and rewarding living experience to students during their time at Grand Valley.”
It’s exciting for our staff and management to receive acknowledgement that their efforts on behalf of our residents and the greater Grand Valley community have had a real and positive impact. That’s why this 2019 Chamber Catalyst Award means so much to us at Meadows Crossing. Thank you, Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce!
