LanCity

It has everything to do with cost, putting them on supported poles is significantly more expensive than to hang them on wires... however, they look better strung around the perimeter of the intersection than criss crossing over it, which is the new state standard. I believe it increases visibility and, personally, I think its more aesthetically pleasing. Though, I agree, poles would be best.

Of course wolverine "fans" and "cheering" is a relative term... I had heard a few years ago that there were actually plans to carry on the facade around the entire stadium in phase II and phase III, but to do that would have required another 60 million or so up front.

How long would it take to go through the approval process of a Casino? The reason I ask is because it seems to me (and I know nothing about this) that to put a casino in an urban area would be a rather lengthy process. I'm sure the public would be pretty split on this one too, with all the religious groups coming out fiercely against it.

Don't you think they want a little high-tax revenue development outside of their DDA though?

Well it was off by at least 1 person in 2000 because I filled out a short form census while I was at school in arizona and my mom put me on her long form back in Michigan. I don't remember all the details but I figured out that I was counted twice and they never caught it, I think because she didn't know my S.S. # or something.

Well, its a visual nightmare for the immediate area, it stinks, and its completely unnecessary. You'll see a more productive community trash disposal method replace the ugly dumpsters in the future. And why not make downtown more aesthetically pleasing? Even our alleys can and should look presentable. Trust me, everyone on allegan, washington, washtenaw, etc. that came in contact had an issue with that alley. "Dumpster Alley" wasn't a positive name.

I dunno, red cedar is mostly in the flood plain and with waverly being completely out of the city it might be best, politically, to turn it over to delta twp or something. I don't think thats the biggest issue... i think that was reserved for the 38 jobs that were spared with the council's budget... It'll be tough to say that revenue is going to increase in the city and that spending will go down when health care and wages/salaries are going nowhere but up.

I don't get the impression its a matter of siding with the regulars but more going against the mayor. In the end they didn't get everything they wanted and he didn't get everything he wanted. The question that needs to be addressed is who's budget would have made things better on the 2007-2008 budget cycle. If the mayor is right and his cuts addressed the "structural" deficite this city is running, then it's going to come squarely on Council's shoulders if these same issues come up again next year. If they want to keep on drawing down the rainy day fund they could end up creating massive issues. Two things that I think will be issues next year is going to be health care costs and wages.... at the same time, is revenue to the city going to go up?

Who says size is the problem right now? Wouldn't you think that a convention saying "we'd choose you guys but you're short 250 downtown hotel rooms" pretty much means another hotel would be the kicker to get more interest in the Lansing Center?

Yep, I think you're right. I think the abundant interest in lofts on washington square, prudden place and motor wheel, the stadium district, and others indicates that the perceived "risk" of putting housing downtown is bunk. We'll see how well printer's row sells considering they've got NEZ and target a much much higher target demographic than probably 95% of the other developments we've got going right now. I hope to see some of the more stagnant properties downtown get a little action... there are always going to be the prospectors who sit on their hands and wait for development to occur around them so they can pump up the price of their buildings, however, if people are making money hand over fist even those guys might realize how much money they're missing out on by NOT developing. I think the Coal Storage/Power Station RFP is going to be very very attractive to some big national developers because they'll be able to see that there is plenty of demand for housing downtown. I think the fact that the city can attract 85,000 + people downtown for events like Silver Bells and Common Ground display the fact that people aren't resistant to coming downtown... they just need a reason. That plays into the "entertainment" angle I have envisioned for the powerstation (maybe not on the same scale but I'd love to see something like the re-use of Baltimore's old power station for example) On that end if we can get enough downtown hotel rooms to start attracting some major conferences (while it was contraversial at least city council got rid of that stupid non-compete clause that radisson handcuffed the city with) so we can get some downtown usership... wouldn't you enjoy coming in from out of town if you had a conference and had the option of entertainment, sports, bars, and shops all within a 2 block radius? I've been to enough out of town conferences to know that Lansing would be particularly unique in proximity to all of these things to its conference center if they could pull it off... now its just a matter of somebody stepping to the plate and making the investment.

Personally I'd like to see paths on both sides of the river from Michigan to north of grand river ave.

First off, what makes you think that gillespie would have gone ahead and agreed to buy the land from the city if they'd made him build a multimillion dollar structure that he would have a tough time getting his money back from? Especially considering there is NO example downtown to look at to say "yes this is undeniably going to be a success" he's taking a massive risk and frankly i'm glad the city incented the hell out of him to get it done. Second, are you comparing Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor to Lansing? You honestly think that we can just go out there and say "nope, we're as good as them we're going to hold you to the same standards that they are" LANSING IS NOT THERE YET. As hard as a pill as that may be to swallow we're not at the point where we can pick and chose who we give abatements to because there is such massive competition for sites locating downtown. Now someday I'm sure we'd love to be at that point where we can afford to be selective because thats the situation, but face facts... we're just not there yet. New development is a downtown lansing because its been such a depressed area for so long, proof of this is by how much banks are willing to fork over for these developments... which is what tax credits are typically used for, leveraging more money from the banks. So to just say that council has been a doormat to the business community is just ignorant. Bioport could have just as easily moved their stuff to maryland and had the tax abatement no questions asked, we should be so lucky that they're willing to put up with the verbal abuse from the community just to create jobs and increase investment.