The Howard is a 12-story mass timber student housing community at 401 E Grand River Avenue, steps from Michigan State University. The site was home to the Student Book Store, which Howard Ballein opened in 1960 after moving his family from Columbus, Ohio. Harbor Bay is developing The Howard with the Ballein family, the same partnership behind Landmark on Grand River and Newman Lofts.

Nine stories of mass timber rise above a three-story concrete podium, bringing more than 700 beds and approximately 8,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail to downtown East Lansing. The interiors take their cues from the bookstore that came before, with a library, fitness and yoga studios, and study spaces designed around community and collaboration. The project is pre-approved for LEED Gold certification.