SHAPING LANSING: Five developers bring new style, energy to city

[RustTown]

A cool article about the new crop of developers that have popped up in Lansing:

SHAPING LANSING: Five developers bring new style, energy to city

Group finds room to cooperate while building dreams

By Tom Lambert

Lansing State Journal

At first glance, the five men resemble fraternity brothers, cracking jokes at one another's expense outside of the Troppo restaurant downtown.

In fact, the five - Richard Karp, Kris Elliott, Gene Townsend, Pat Gillespie and Harry Hepler - represent a new generation of developers trying to pump life into Lansing's core.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../608290329/1312

[RustTown]

Also part of the article was a link profiles on each developer. It was interesting to see Mr. Karp is still moving foward on his Old Town condo project. And, we finally get to see the name:

[MJLO]

This is great! I'm going to ask a somewhat ignorant question, but do you think that they will start thinking upward?

[RustTown]

It's not an ignorant question, and no one really knows. We have to get through this first wave of renovations and low-rise giants before I think anyone will be testing high-rises. Height isn't everything, though. These low-rise projects are still pretty huge with the low-rise, 3-story Prudden Factory housing something like 120 residential units.

Lansing, for some reason, has never been big on high-rise living. There is only one regular, market-rate, legitimate residential high-rise (i.e. over 115ft) downtown, and that's Lansing Towers. All the other high-rise residential are senior towers/public housing.

[fisher191]

I took a card with a scratch off lottery ticket to Richard Karp, wishing him well on the article.

He called and said that he won 15.00, so he should be rebuilding the WTC any time now.

[RustTown]

The Capital City World Trade Center...hmmm...I like the sound of that.

[wolverine]

I checked out the Arbaugh building last time I was in Lansing. They did an amazing job renovating that building. Who knew the building could look so great beneath all of that ugly glass.

[statedude3]

I checked out the Arbaugh building last time I was in Lansing. They did an amazing job renovating that building. Who knew the building could look so great beneath all of that ugly glass.

my thoughts exactly. I didnt think blue windows would look good. But I actually like the look.

Now if all of Washington Ave looked that way...

[RustTown]

Just imagine if they bring the Knapps Center just a block north back. What downtown is missing, though, is just retail, in general. Everything from community-based retail for downtown residents to destination shops for suburbanites.