FLINT, MI – There's a new major player in Flint, gobbling up land and becoming one of the city's largest property owners.

Virtually any land that becomes available around the University Avenue corridor is being snatched up, including one of Flint's historic landmarks. Many of the structures will be leveled, unabashedly changing the city's landscape.

The unlikely new crusader is Kettering University.

In just a few short years, the private university has amassed more than 100 properties in Flint, according to tax data analyzed by The Flint Journal/MLive.

With that many parcels, Kettering University now owns almost 50 percent more than General Motors and its offshoot RACER trust combined. It far exceeds the 30 city properties owned by the University of Michigan-Flint and eight owned by Mott Community College.

And perhaps best putting it in perspective, Kettering owns five times more properties than the Uptown group, the downtown developer and investor that frequently grabs headlines but that records show owns just 18 properties.

In Kettering's case, however, most of the properties -- at least 66 -- are literally worthless. Another dozen have a value of $1,000 or less.

So why exactly is this nationally ranked university -- touted for its co-op program and training students in automotive, aerospace, science, mathematics and technology -- snatching up so much of Flint?

The goal is simply to be a part of an exceedingly complex mission: Fix Flint.

It may seem grandiose.

At least until you consider the source.

After all, Kettering University trains some of the best engineers in the world and this is what engineers do. They fix things.

From the top

Ben Schuman, 22, of New York was one student that came to Kettering with a negative view of Flint.

"I heard Flint was in the top list for crime, but when I got here it was more classic than I would have imagined," said Schuman, a Kettering senior. "I hope Kettering can actually push it forward."

The neighborhood surrounding Kettering shows more stability than many in the city, but it also has show signs of deterioration for years.

It wasn't hard to see the blight.

Or the increasing concern over safety on campus and off.

Or that the city was struggling.

"We are not an island. Our success is tied to Flint's success," Kettering President Robert McMahan said. "We have an obligation of service. One of the things we want to teach our students is community service."

Heather McCoy, who lives in the nearby Mott Park neighborhood, has seen her neighborhood decline. Now she sees a potential to reverse that trend, a new hope.

"In the past six years the neighborhood has changed. Worse, it's gotten worse," McCoy said. "I think (Kettering) is the one keeping the neighbors going. ... I think they are the glue."

After years of seeing the blight build and spread, the university stopped just watching it happen. It bought at least 50 abandoned properties from the Genesee County Land Bank over the last year, propelling itself onto the scene as one of Flint's major landowners.

According to Genesee County and city records, Kettering University owns at least 104 parcels valued at $3.8 million, with much of that value coming from just a few key properties such as the president's house and the building housing Einstein Bros Bagels and the police mini-station. And soon the historic Atwood Stadium will be added to that list.

The properties range from 0.02 acres to 37.4 acres, from basic abandoned homes to the old Chevy in the Hole site.

The properties include vacant residential, commercial and industrial properties, as well as improved residential and commercial properties.

Kettering is purchasing parcels from the Genesee County Land Bank that surround the university. University officials pay the Land Bank $100 per parcel and agree to cover the demolition costs of any structures, which typically range from $8,000 to $15,000.

The goal is to demolish blighted and burnt out structures and beautify the area. Although there are not specific plans for future use of the parcels, for now they will be cleared, seeded and maintained.

And, make no mistake about it, there is more to come.

Re-engineering Flint

Lots of smaller steps led Kettering to take the giant leap to major Flint stakeholder.

In some ways it started with University Avenue.

Until 2008, what is now University Avenue was Third Avenue, a fairly non-descript crumbling Flint street that ran through the heart of Kettering's campus.

The name change coincided with a building effort to highlight the stretch of roadway that stretches between UM-Flint and Kettering.

In the summer of 2010, the Kettering Gateway Project was completed with $3 million in road construction that rerouted Kettering-bound traffic onto a new, easily accessible route to campus off I-69.

In August 2011, McMahan arrived on campus, the seventh president in the history of Kettering, once known as the General Motors Institute.

In August 2012, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation granted Kettering University its largest-ever gift: $15.5 million to lead several community improvements.

The same month, Kettering University created a new position to boost community outreach by naming Jack Stock the director of external relations to act as a liaison between the university and community.

Shortly thereafter, the University Avenue Corridor Coalition was created, bringing together residents and area institutions, including Hurley and McLaren hospitals, to work collectively to beautify the area.

Members of the group and the community cleaned up curbs and yards, fixed broken windows and brought in some fresh paint.

It's all about putting resources together, Stock said.

"You send a message to bad guys: 'Hey, we care. We are paying attention,' " said Stock, who is part of the University Avenue Corridor Coalition.

This year, the university opened Einstein Bros Bagels and a Flint Police Service Center.

Kettering has demolished seven houses so far this year with six more planned in the next couple of weeks. Several large parking lots will also be returned to green space.

Mayor Dayne Walling said the demolitions are the first step to helping the area revitalize by opening up the area to development.

"The new direction for Kettering University in regards to the community, I think long-term it makes Kettering University more competitive and attractive for students. The real key is the efforts that Kettering are making now are multiplying the benefits to the community."

Last month the city of Flint transferred ownership of Atwood Stadium and property in the surrounding area to Kettering – which raised some concerns, especially after city officials moved to remove the historic district designation in the area.

McMahan said the stadium is a key property to fully develop the corridor along University Avenue.

"Our mantra is to make University Avenue walkable. And to make that happen we have to do something about it," McMahan said, adding that connecting to downtown is the next step. "It really does snowball once you get started."

Kettering junior Jessica Bruce, who grew up in Flint, said the university is becoming connected to the heart of downtown – but would really like to see a bus service for students, shuttling them the 1.5 miles from Kettering's campus to Saginaw Street downtown.

"I think Flint needs to embrace the change and become a college town and not so much an industry town," said Bruce, a 2011 Carman-Ainsworth High School graduate. "We have such a gem here in Flint. The possibilities are endless."

So, why do they do it?

The end goal is to eliminate crime in the area and make it an economically viable community, Stock said.

And, they do it because they have to: Flint must succeed for Kettering to succeed.

And, they do it because they can.

And, they do it because they are one of the few with the brains and financial brawn it takes to do it.

"We have an amazing capability to have an impact to play a part in the economic revitalization in Flint -- but we have to engage," McMahan said.