East Lansing Development

[RustTown]

You have the prints? Is it something scanned (or that you could), and post or email it to me? Also, is the height given to the top of the entire structure including any parapets or elevator/mechanical penthouses that may rise above the main roof? I'd be interested in gleaning as much information from it as I can. BTW, does it have a dedicated address, yet?

[hood]

Kissinger, just so you know, the reason Lmich is asking for all this info is primarily to determine if it can be added to Emporis.com, if it is 65 ft to any parapets or penthouses it can be added. What is your connection with this architectural firm? If it is close, are you aware of any other 65 ft+ tall projects going up or being planned in or around the city?

[kissinger]

As far as I can tell from elevations 55' is going to be it. I will look at it closer tomorrow. I ran out of time today. Architectural Solutions is the architect. They also designed the the two buildings at Coolidge and Saginaw that holds the fifth third bank and beaners. As well as the Gumby's building as I call it on Grand River. I will more info on Stonehouse tomorrow.

[jaredw]

There is a story in the State News today about Lingg Brewer's project being passed. It still seems shaky, and Lingg is quoted as saying that the project is probably not feasible.

Here is the link: http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=36037

[hood]

They also designed the the two buildings at Coolidge and Saginaw that holds the fifth third bank and beaners.

Do you mean the two five story buildings? If so, the height on those would be appreciated also.

[jaredw]

I'm pretty sure he is talking about "The Point". The buildings you are referring to are at the other end of Coolidge.

The Point:

[hood]

I guess I was thinking Coolidge and Lake Lansing.

[hood]

Kissenger, I was looking at the Architectural Solutions site and noticed several interesting projects. First is this one in EL:

I have no clue what this is, if it is one of the old proposals or if it is something new, I would really like to know more about it though, either way. If I'm not mistaken, this site would be in back of or kitty-corner to City Center 2.

Then there is this "office building on a corner - Lansing"

I also can't imagine what this is...

Also, under ratail projects, what is the "Resturaunt - Lansing, Michigan" and the Grill 115?

[jaredw]

The drawing of the highrises in East Lansing would be across the street from the "hamster cage", the multi colored parking ramp. Next to the Marriot, kiddy corner to BW3 and kiddy corner to Lingg Brewer's development. On the same block as Saper Gallery's. I hope that helps.

[hood]

Next to the Mariott and across the street from the milti-clored ramp is helpful . Whats currently on the site of these? This isn't the same development as the 14 floors condo tower that was discussed awhile back is it?

[RustTown]

Currently, there is a mixed of old businesses and a frat house.

[wolverine]

Wow, that is pretty sweet.

[hood]

Heres another rendering I left out from the EL hgihrises, its an interior pic, it makes me hope even more that this project is for real.

[RustTown]

I'm pretty sure are all concepts.

[jaredw]

E.L's downtown neighborhood grows up

By BOB DARROW

The State News

Drive down Grand River Avenue and you'll see a narrow strip of one- and two-story brick buildings

[RustTown]

That is a very cool article. It really does seem like only a matter of time before downtown EL is taken to the next level. I always found it a little odd that as MSU expanded, downtown EL stayed at the same relative scale.

[hood]

In the May 16 EL city council agenda there is an attachment that reads as follows:

"Consideration of a Special Use Permit application from Ernest Schaefer, Campus Village Properties, to construct a three-story apartment building at 1231 Michigan Avenue. The project would consist of 47 residentialapartments and 5,314 square feet of commercial space on the lower level. Parking for 209 vehicles will be provided under the structure and in a fourlevel attached parking structure. The property is located in the B-2 Retail Sales Business District."

Sounds good, but one question: About where is this?

[RustTown]

I'm pretty sure this sounds like an expansion of Campus Village, which is also at or near that address. It's actually the old car dealership just west of the current Campus Village Building. I posted a picture of Campus Village in talking about the new 3-story, apartment complex that's going to rise nearby on Clippert.

[jaredw]

Yeah, there's an article in tomorrow's State News about it:

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Plan could transfer renters by Brody

By KRIS TURNER

The State News

Working about 40 hours a week to meet the costs of attending MSU and living off campus, Rory Medina said he can't afford a rent increase.

The advertising senior, financially independent of his parents, pays about $400 a month to live in a rental home on West Grand River Avenue.

"I like to live in a house

[RustTown]

This really does seem like a concerted effort by the city to increase sprawl in the Northern Tier by pushing students and others out of the homes near downtown. I'm not so sure I like this concept. What it does is push the poor students and the small poor families in East Lansing out further and further to sprawlville, and in effect reduces population density as single-families are usually smaller than multiple students currently filling these houses.

I guess the only silver linning, for me, could be that the City of Lansing should put together a program to capture pushed out students instead of letting them go to the Northern Tier.

[JazperG]

East Lansing is a college town, they should allow students to live in houses rather than just apartments. Student houses add so much more life to an area simply because students use the resources of the downtown: the bars, the restaurants, the bookstores on Grand River. If students keep getting pushed away from the housing area which is right behind downtown, they will take their business away too which will hurt the growth of East Lansing. Richer students will still be able to buy houses and do their thing. House parties make a college town more alive, but that really leaves the poorer students in the dust since they will be living so far out in the northern tier or far down on Michigan ave. I feel bad for those students because living so far has a negative effect on grades as well because all the resources of the campus and the city are farther away. This will just make the rich richer, and the poor poorer. Anyone from East Lansing or Lansing should present this information to the City Council and Sam Singh, the mayor, and show them what the effects will be in the future if they don't allow a college town to be a college town. They've already become really strict with house parties and noise violations even up in the the northern tier area. Its as if they are choking the life out of the city, the students bring in money, they want a reward for their studying, they shouldn't have to be afraid to enjoy college. It will have a negative impact for the city as well as the university because students will not want to come to East Lansing/MSU anymore. East Lansing has something to offer that very few other cities can, its very unique compared to our other college cities, Ann Arbor, Wester Michigan, Central (Mt. Pleasant).

[hood]

If East Lansing could get rid of a vast majority of the students in its older neighborhoods, those neighborhoods will become very affluent. And those neighborhoods, with those houses deserve to be very affluent. I don't think that student housing is the best use for a quality built 1920's home. Students can live in the not so nice neighborhoods and apartments. If they want to live in the nicer areas, they can, but they have to start treating the areas a lot better. Students in general are very careless and rude, they are not a group I would want to invest near.

[jaredw]

Actually, one of East Lansing's goals for 2006-2007 is to start a program to give incentives for MSU professors and employees to move to East Lansing, filling the gap that the students leave when they move to these apartments.

By the way, does anybody think it will look funny if the Campus Village 2 has a parking structure taller than the building itself? It said that Campus Village 2 would be 3 1/2 stories, but the parking structure would be 4 stories.

[statedude3]

I assume that UV2 that you're talking about is the resort style apartments MSU is building, like what I live in on Chandler Road?

I laughed when I heard The U was actually going to try to match the Chandler Crossings lifestyle. I wonder if they realize that parties and a liberal lifestyle is what makes living north of Lake Lansing popular.

[jaredw]

Sorry, I meant the Campus Village 2, which I have edited to show.

About the University Village, I am looking forward to see how they are built. They probably will be successful, given their close location to campus. These should be drawing students not only from the Northern Tier, but also from places like Dover's Crosssings.