I think people don't realize exactly how deep these lots on Michigan Avenue are. Almost all parking for the Avenue is on the back of the lot. I figured that if they even had a problem with parking for this project, they'd just buy up some spaces behind existing businesses.
Aren't the lots your standard 100' deep. Glad they are sharing parking, but that's typically only easy when
1. City owned lot
2. Privately own parking garages, developed as such for generating revenue long term only. Not for example....land banking.
Basically any other sort of deal between two private parties would be a short term lease. My apartment building's lease on a floor of a shared garage for example is short in the event the owner sells and the garage is demolished and the tenants are out of luck.
It's good to hear Lansing has relaxed on-site parking requirements
While the this lot in particular is one of the shorter ones (85'), it seems that generally, the larger commercial buildings along the Avenue measure at about 165' deep. Still, this lot in particular directly abuts an unusually large surface lot to the north, which I'm sure the developer wouldn't have even begun this project if he also hadn't put in a bid for the parking lot to the north.
Just in case anyone still wanted to know, off-street parking requirements for multifamily properties are:
- 2 spaces for units with 2 or more bedrooms
- 1.5 spaces for units with 1 bedroom
- 1 space for studio units
For single-family homes and duplexes its two per dwelling.
Since this property is in one of the city's four overlay districts (East Michigan, Old Town, Reo Town, and West Saginaw), though, the parking requirement is reduced to one per unit (1:1) instead of the formula that includes bedrooms, and a developer can use on-street parking, parking in adjacent city-owned lots, and parking agreements with neighbors in private lots toward the requirement. Commercial properties in these zones don't have a requirement, at all.
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EAST LANSING - Demolition could begin as soon as next month on four downtown buildings to make way for two mixed-use developments.
Developers of one project, called St. Anne Lofts, will raze two commercial buildings at 213-217 Ann St. and replace them with a four-story residential and commercial building.
The other project involves adjacent buildings along Grove Street that will be torn down to make way for an eight-story building with apartments and retail space.
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Quote:
Grove Street High Rise
• Where: 211 Albert Ave. (At corner of Grove Street)
• What: Mixed-use development with apartments and commercial space
• Cost: $9.7 million
• Size: Eight stories, 64,000 square feet
• Apartments: More than 40 upscale units. A 1,100-square-foot unit with two bedrooms and 1.5 baths will go for about $1,600 per month
Quote:
St. Anne lofts
• Where: 213-217 Ann St. in downtown East Lansing
• What: Mixed-use development with lofts, restaurant and retail space
• Cost: $7.9 million, including building construction, environmental cleanup, water and sewer work, and improvements to Ann Street plaza
• Size: Four stories, 40,000 square feet
• Apartments: 31 high-end loft-style apartments
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Interesting. It seems like a lot of these developers are trying to push these projects through really quickly to snatch up tax credits before they disappear.
Lmich, two questions:
Know anything about East Village and if it's moving forward?
What about the projects lining Grand Ave near Biggby?
Are you talking about the East Village in East Lansing or the one in Lansing? Also, I'm not sure what projects you're talking about lining Grand Avenue, because there isn't a Biggby anywhere along Grand Avenue, downtown. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
BTW, even more development news, the Eastwood Towne Center expansion is to begin next month...
Quote:
NCG plans to build a 17,470-square-foot addition on the side of its existing building. The addition would have two split levels, 530 seats and a large-format screen. / Lansing State Journal file photo
LANSING TWP. - The township's Board of Trustees and planning committee discussed a proposed expansion of the Eastwood Towne Center during a joint meeting that continued late into Wednesday. No votes had been taken by press time.
Plans include several new restaurants and stores, 124 upscale apartments, a parking structure and an expansion of NCG Eastwood Cinemas.
The township expected to begin work on its portion of the project near Lake Lansing Road and U.S. 127 in the next couple of weeks. It wasn't immediately clear when the work on the NCG expansion would begin.
The 76,386-square-foot theater opened in 2002 on the northern edge of Eastwood Towne Center. It has a second-level concession area, 18 screens and 3,800 seats.
NCG plans to build a 17,470-square-foot addition on the east side of the existing building. It would have two split levels, 530 stadium-style seats and a large-format screen.
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Plans include two freestanding commercial buildings with restaurants and stores, surface parking and a mixed-use parking garage with commercial and residential space.
Arden Freeman of Built Form Architecture said the buildings would be "simple and contemporary and have an urban feel but be warm and inviting."
Lansing Township-based DTN Management Co. would build 124 apartments above the commercial space and adjacent to the parking ramp.
The apartments would range from 750-square-foot efficiencies to 1,250-square-foot three-bedroom units, said DTN's Allen Russell. Rent could range from $750 to about $1,350 per month, he said. A courtyard in the center of the building would feature a spa-sized pool.
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Are you talking about the East Village in East Lansing or the one in Lansing? Also, I'm not sure what projects you're talking about lining Grand Avenue, because there isn't a Biggby anywhere along Grand Avenue, downtown. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
BTW, even more development news, the Eastwood Towne Center expansion is to begin next month...
Yes, East Village in East Lansing. And there is a Biggby at Delta and Grand River in East Lansing...it's the original Beaner's. That whole area near the park behind, and next to, People's Church, was supposed to be redeveloped up to Abbot.
Oh, Grand River. You just said Grand, so I thought you were talking about downtown Lansing.
I forget what happened to East Village, exactly, but I seem to remember it was just generally the economy. I'm sure the city still has plans shelved to redevelop the area, but the actual redevelopment never panned out.
Up by Biggby's? Are you talking about City Center II? It was revealed a few days ago that the owner finally payed the back taxes on the sites that he owns, but there isn't any set date to restart that project. The economy also stalled that one, though, the the developer in this particular case has never given up on the project having had his development rights for the sites extended nearly every year since he announced it.
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I didn't realize I typed "Grand" instead of "Grand River". Sorry about that.
Yeah, I kind of figured the economy stalled East Village, but I didn't have a clue as to what happened over at Grand River/Abbot. One day I saw some pretty decent renderings of row houses...they even put in a few...but then I never heard anything about it.
BTW, Eli and Edythe Broad museum is coming along. It looks pretty intense and imposing with beams and concrete coming out of the ground. I'll try to get over there and take a few pictures one of these days.
I've driven by it, myself, but just haven't taken the time to photograph it. It really is quite imposing. I didn't expect it to be as visible as it is, because from the renderings, it looks kind of hidden.
EDIT:
The museum as a facebook and flickr page. Here's a photo from this month showing the west entrance looking northeast toward Grand River.
I've driven by it, myself, but just haven't taken the time to photograph it. It really is quite imposing. I didn't expect it to be as visible as it is, because from the renderings, it looks kind of hidden.
EDIT:
The museum as a facebook and flickr page. Here's a photo from this month showing the west entrance looking northeast toward Grand River.
No kidding. Those angles are so impractical it's not even funny. In fact, they had to rework the entire facade after they ran into the fact that it wouldn't drain properly when it snowed or rained.
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BWL power plant project under way in Lansing's REO Town
By Melissa Domsic | Lansing State Journal
May 25, 2011
LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder commended the Lansing Board of Water & Light this morning for its innovative plans to use natural gas to produce electricity and steam at a new plant in Lansing's REO Town district.
“This is a leading-edge facility. It’s the first of its type in Michigan,” Snyder said this morning at a ground breaking ceremony for the $182 million plant.
More than 350 people, including BWL employees, local and state officials and area residents, packed into a tent on the future site of the plant next to the former Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot on Washington Avenue.
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About 180 BWL employees will move to the plant, which will replace the coal-fired Moores Park Steam Plant. It also will generate electric power as the BWL looks to phase out portions of the coal-burning Eckert Power Station nearby.
BWL this week sold $250 million in bonds to pay for the plant and other capital improvements. Construction should begin next month, and the plant should be online by early 2013.
About 1,000 construction workers will be needed to build the facility and restore the train depot for office and meeting space.
Rod Sanford | Lansing State Journal
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, center, and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, right, talk as they take part in groundbreaking ceremonies Wednesday 5/25/2011 for the Lansing Board of Water and Light's new REO Town natural gas powered cogeneration facility. At left is BWL's General Manager, J. Peter Lark.
Rod Sanford | Lansing State Journal
The large crowd can't quite fit in the tent during groundbreaking ceremonies Wednesday.
A public hearing for a brownfiled redevelopment package for both this project and Reutter Park Place, downtown, was set at monday's meeting for June 13.
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Yeah, save for the historic Grand Trunk Western Depot. BTW, updated the story with the new renderings that were released. I guess the old ones were just a concept, and thank god for that. Also, the architects that designed this are almost just across the street from the plant.
More development news. The Knapps renovation continues to move forward on the Square:
LANSING - A project to redevelop the former Knapp's department store project passed another hurdle this afternoon.
The Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a renaissance zone to eliminate most state and local taxes on the building and for tenants for 12 years.
East Lansing-based Eyde Co. wants to turn the historic building at the corner of Washington Square and Washtenaw Street into a facility for retailers, office space, a business incubator, high-end apartments and underground parking.
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Another month-over-month drop in the local unemployment rate due partly to a slightly smaller workforce this month, but a marked improvement over the last two years:
The Lansing area's jobless rate dropped more than 2 percentage points last month, hitting its lowest level in more than two years.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget reported Thursday the region's unemployment rate was at 7.6 percent in April. That was down from 8.6 percent in March and 9.9 percent in April 2010. That is the lowest rate for the area since December 2008.
Much of April's gain from March came because of seasonal hiring that typically picks up at this time of year, said Mark Reffitt, a regional economic analyst for the state.
...
However, while more businesses hired workers, the rate also fell partly because there were fewer people in the work force - 243,300 in April, down from 245,900 in March.
...
Compared with a year earlier, though, Reffitt said the jobs picture brightened considerably as more employers add to their payrolls.
Clinton County had the second-lowest jobless rate among the state's 83 counties last month, at 6.6 percent. Only Washtenaw County fared better, at 6.2 percent.
Eaton County, with 6.9 percent unemployment, ranked third -lowest in the state and Ingham County came in ninth-lowest with an 8 percent jobless ate.
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The downtown westbank section of the Lansing River Trail finally opened in front of the Accident Fund Headquarters, which means that there is currently nothing under construction on the riverfront for the first time in a few years until construction starts on the Market Place mixed-use development sometime this year.
Outside of downtown, redevelopment is starting to finally creep west of Old Town in North Lansing. The Walker Building at the corner of Grand River and Washington is to be renovated into apartments and ground floor retail. I think it's already started. And deeper into the residential Walnut neighborhood a block to the west at Grand River and Capitol has been the renovation of a long dilapidated corner gas station and adjoining house:
I wish I had a before picture of the two. This area is still a bit rough (though increasingly populated/not abanonded), but these are signs of life.
REO Town is turning into something of an arts district in the past year or two. It looks to be developing more as a counterweight to the more refined arts of Old Town. Here is some commissioned graffiti for Lansing's Hip-Hop Appreciation Week Graffiti Day that took place a few weeks ago:
It was a sort of continuation of the neighborhood's invitation to graffiti artist to display their work on the Deluxe Inn at the northern end of the district before they took it down. Speaking of the old site of the Deluxe Inn, they've temporarily set up a sign on the site and grassed it over until a development proposal is found for it. They also saved the pine tree that used to sit at the middle of the hotel near the pool to be used for the neighborhood's Christmas celebrations:
It seems that the near-downtown districts if REO Town, Old Town and East Michigan Avenue are seeing green shoots, but it's still not enough to keep pace with the national economy.
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LANSING TWP. - Lansing Township is taking a developer's role - and risk - with its plan to build restaurants, stores and a parking ramp near Eastwood Towne Center.
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The township board of directors will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday to consider final site plan approval for the project, which includes several new restaurants and stores, a parking structure, 124 privately built upscale apartments and an expansion of NCG Eastwood Cinemas.
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City leaders want to use $1 million in federal brownfield dollars to clean and revive contaminated sites along East Michigan Avenue, in south Lansing and at old auto manufacturing plants.
Private interest will play a key role in determining which sites are redeveloped first, Lansing's economic leaders said.
Overall, the city's share of funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - the largest of Michigan's $2.9 million and part of more than $76 million nationwide - will be offered as revolving loans to spur public and private investment.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson joined Mayor Virg Bernero on Monday outside of the Lansing City Market to announce the funds.
...
Among his interests is cleaning up the former Lansing Car Assembly plant, once known as Fisher Body, on Verlinden Avenue, but he said the private sector will drive where and when projects happen.
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Always good to be recognize by the federal government for effectively using what they grant us. It's even better to hear that the speed-up for the Lansing Car Assembly (LCA) - Verlinden. The quicker we can get that site cleaned, the quicker the city and township can start marketing it.
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