East Lansing Development

[jaredw]

Barnes & Noble replaced Jacobsons (not hometown).

There are plenty of small bookstores in East Lansing, like the one two doors down from Melting Moments (hometown ice cream shop) on Grand River.

Spartan Spirit is still here, it's located next to El Azteco on Albert. Sparty's Coney Island is here, it's located in Frandor near Video To Go. Actually, Olive Garden is not located in East Lansing, it's at the Meridian Mall.

Jersey Giant is in downtown EL, it's next to MSUFCU. The Riveria is downtown EL, it's at the corner of MAC and Albert.

I'm not too sure what you're mad about. All the business that you mentioned that had left East Lansing are still here. The only notable business that I would like back is Small Planet.

[hood]

I really think that making downtown EL more dense with taller buildings and such is a very good thing. The only arguement that I would have against it is that it may take away from Lansing's downtown, but thats not anything bad about EL.

[RustTown]

I think USA's has "It ain't like it used to be" syndrome. Things have changed in EL and Michigan in general, but it hasn't been all that drastic in East Lansing. Truth be told, very few things in life are as good as we originally remembered them to be.

[wolverine]

The new MSU parking garage looks great.

I'm beginning to notice a trend in Mercantile Bank architecture. It's nice, but their building is the same design in other places to, LOL.

[hood]

I'm beginning to notice a trend in Mercantile Bank architecture. It's nice, but their building is the same design in other places to, LOL.

I noticed that too, it's probably going to be their trademark design, as if they are a franchise or something.

[jaredw]

Construction update: Showroom Shine appears to be finishing up the exterior of their expansion. I believe that they added another drive through. Showroom Shine is located between People's Church and Crunchy's on Grand River.

[RustTown]

That's the carwash place, right? I didn't even realize they were exanding. lol I'm wondering if Grand River is the place for them, though, at least that location as things are going to quickly change around it.

[jaredw]

Yeah, but they get considerable business there, especially how some people use Grand River to cruise up and down. The building is made entirely of cinderblocks. I wonder what the possiblities would be to add another floor for lofts in the future.

[hood]

I wonder what the possiblities would be to add another floor for lofts in the future.

With Cinder block buildings I think its much easier and cheaper to just tear them down and build new, especially being that given the growth around there I would four floors is more appropriate. But if they really wanted too I'm sure they could add another floor with little effort.

BTW, looking the listing for West Village on Signature Associates they are now saying completion to be late fall of 2007. Has there been any work on the site yet?

[RustTown]

Nope, none that I've seen.

BTW, maybe it's just me, but living above a carwash is probably one of the very few places I would mind living above. lol

[jaredw]

Moved to Virginia Ave topic.

[JazperG]

Has there any progress on City Center II ? I heard that place is supposed largely increase the density of East Lansing

[hood]

I heard, I think from someone on here, either statedude or Jaredw, that demolition of the current building will begin in December, with no definative time on starting the new construction.

[jaredw]

Yeah, the word that I heard was that demo was supposed to start in the fall on the Evergreen Grill, Scene Metrospace, and the building at the corner of Abbott and Grand River.

[hood]

It looks like MSUFCU has started work on their new headquarters: MSU credit union starts work on new headquarters. Does anyone know if they have even extened West Rd to where their HQ will be yet?

[hood]

LSJ had an article today on the new MSUFCU headquarters and they published a picture of it, and it looks pretty nice:

[RustTown]

I hope we hear more of this soon. They didn't even name the developer, but it sounds pretty serious.

From WILX.com:

High-Rise Could Replace E.L. Parking Lot

Developers are proposing a high-rise tower for East Lansing's Albert Avenue "Lot #1."

"A 10 to 12 story mixed use development," says East Lansing Community and Economic Development Administrator Tim Dempsey.

Mixed-use, meaning the proposed building would have something for shoppers and something for those looking for a home in apartments and condos. A city survey shows demand for housing in the area.

"(The survey) said there was a demand for 200 units in the downtown. Forty units have been built," Dempsey said.

Developers and city officials haven't pinned down a number of units for this project -- a project planned for a parking lot at what could be described at the back-end of downtown.

But the way Dempsey describes it, the building would be a landmark.

"The height will be (such that) it'll be visible from Grand River and campus," he said.

So, what might the building look like?

"You'll see a lot of brick; you'll see a lot of glass. A more sophisticated urban look," Dempsey said.

An urban look to compliment what the city now considers a much more urban downtown. Preliminary sketches show the building will look much like the City Center, the nearby development anchored by a CVS drug store and fast-casual restauraunt chain Cosi.

This project, like the City Center, is proposed by a Detroit-area firm partnering with the Lansing-based Christman Company.

Those developers are already taking to what the city describes as upscale restaurant chains as potential tenants for the first floor.

"(A restaurant) that would have a well-known nameplate ... a major attraction," Dempsey said.

An attraction designed to draw many more customers downtown. But with the building proposed for the site of a parking lot, where would customers cars go?

"The existing parking all of it will be replaced and additional parking will be provided," Dempsey said.

The development will include multiple levels of parking, some underground and some above-ground within the structure.

Reached by phone, a spokesman for the Christman Company said it'll be more than a year before the building is ready.

[JazperG]

Is there any renderings on how its gonna look like, and which parking lot is it gonna be in?

[hood]

The article is sort of confusing, it doesn't really say how serious the proposal is, and the last quote makes it sound like the building will be up in a year, but I assume he meant ready to begin construction or something. Never the less, this sounds great for EL.

[RustTown]

Jazper, they haven't even released the name of the developer, let alone a rendering.

The article also says the number of the parking lot, and the street it's located on.

I agree, Hood. For too long East Lansing leaders have been anti-development when it comes to downtown. Even just getting City Center built was a challenge. They've had an oppresive height restriction downtown for years now, too. I guess they finally realize if they don't want to continue to stagnant downtown, or worse, have it decline, then they need to plan for height as there is little room left to expand downtown.

[hood]

I think the driving force behind their change of heart about tall buildings is that Lansing's downtown is making improvements and if they didn't do something EL's downtown would have been left by everyone except the students. They could of very easily lost a portion of that market also, if not to downtown Lansing, then to the northern tier. EL has been basically forced into doing something different, or they would have been left in the dust.

[RustTown]

Downtown EL doesn't worry about, nor should they, the revitalization of downtown Lansing as the two attract different demographics with little overlap. But, as you said, they should be worried about the Panodora's Box they opened in the Northern Tier, which is in direct competition with East Lansing for students and such. In fact, the only reason that the City of East Lansing is posting a slight population gain is because of the annexation and development of the Bath Township portions.

[jaredw]

I have a picture of a rendering of the Virginia Ave development. It looks nice and I will try and upload the picture to show you. The picture shows rowhouses with full balconies on the second floor. They are two floors with a pitched roof, and kind of reminded me of the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Also, the West Village was in the news today. They have finally gotten all their grants and should now start construction within a month, as reported by the LSJ.

[hood]

I have a picture of a rendering of the Virginia Ave development. It looks nice and I will try and upload the picture to show you. The picture shows rowhouses with full balconies on the second floor. They are two floors with a pitched roof, and kind of reminded me of the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Also, the West Village was in the news today. They have finally gotten all their grants and should now start construction within a month, as reported by the LSJ.

If the Virginin Ave. project includes rowhouses that really changes it's significance to me. I was under the impression that they were just going to build more houses in the old ones place, but if theres rowhouses then I'd like to see more on this.

The LSJ thing on West Village you were talking about, I guess this is what we were waiting on:

West Village project gets tax credit

A residential and retail project in downtown East Lansing was given a $177,800 state business tax credit Thursday to redevelop the site of the former Greyhound bus station. Developer Jerome Abood plans to include 21 condominiums, 15 townhouses and nearly 9,000 square feet of retail space in the project, known as the West Village. In March, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. approved state and local brownfield incentives of $1.8 million. All city approvals are in place for construction to move forward, East Lansing Community and Economic Development Administrator Tim Dempsey said. He said that could happen by the end of the month.

Also heres a State News article on the 12 floor condo tower proposed for lot one: City plans for 12-story building to replace lot

[hood]

Also a new street-level rendering of the Beaumont development from their site: