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Lansing: Accident Fund Headquarters (Ottawa Street Station Redevelopment)
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- CommentAuthorMichMatters
- CommentTimeAug 22nd 2006 edited
I wish this would have been something more solid, but at least it's interests:
2 firms interested in Ottawa power plant
By Jeremy W. Steele
Lansing State Journal
August 22, 2006
Two firms want to work on a potential redevelopment of the riverfront Ottawa Power Station.
Chicago-based Morningside Group and Lansing-based Abe Property Investments met a 5 p.m. Monday deadline to tell the city they're interest in the mostly vacant power plant and 3 acres of adjacent riverfront property.
The firms could not be reached for comment.
The "letters of interest" are not the full proposals officials had hoped for, but do show interest in downtown, said Bob Trezise, manager of the Lansing Economic Development Corp.
"I do think it's substantial that one of these two developers that we've been able to attract to the city of Lansing is from way outside our area," he said. "They want to take a serious look at this building."
A committee of city and state officials charged with overseeing the developer search will meet within two weeks to begin discussions with the firms. Those talks are hoped to be completed within 30 days, Trezise said.
The developers have said they need data on downtown demographics and property use. Such a market study could cost $50,000.
Chicago-based Morningside has built several loft condominium and retail projects in downtown Royal Oak, including the 70-unit SkyLofts, and is building the 68-unit Liberty Lofts in Ann Arbor.
Abe Property Investments is affiliated with Abraham Real Estate Inc. of Lansing.
Contact Jeremy W. Steele at 377-1015 or jwsteele@lsj.com.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060822/NEWS01/608220315/1001/news -
Do you think this has to do with the building? or is it because Lansing still hasn't fully taken off?
I also wonder what type of company would want to have the cooling towers next to their offices? -
- CommentAuthorMichMatters
- CommentTimeAug 22nd 2006
A little of both, really. It's such a big vacant building for such a small city. Not to mention how much extra work needs to be done to it to turn it into a conventional high-rise (i.e. equally spaced floors, an addition of an elevator core,...)
BTW, where you the one that left the cooling towers question on the projects website?
Also, why is this thread labeled "Off Topic" for its category? Shouldn't it be labeled "Lansing?" -
I asked that question, I still think leaving them is a huge mistake, whether the project goes forward or not. The BWL has such a large amount of money to play with that they have no excuse to cheap out on these.
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- CommentAuthorMichMatters
- CommentTimeAug 23rd 2006
I hope Morningside decides to go through with this. They've done good work. But, they aren't exactly known for historic preservation/renovation work. Most of there stuff is new construction. In fact, they are one of the firms chosen to design a residential building for Detroit's new RiverEast District nextdoor the the RenCen. -
Hopefully they getr this project and maybe it can lead to other ones in Lansing in the future.
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** I fixed the topic and moved it to the Lansing category **
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anything new about this project? is the city keeping things quiet while they're in negotiations or is this a dead project right now?
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Last I heard the project was supposedly moving along, that was at least three months ago though. Anything could happen, but I'm not holding my breath.
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any idea what might be going in there?
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Bob Tresize said there were two proposals, but refused to go any further, and as far as I know theres been nothing new sine then.
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- CommentAuthorMichMatters
- CommentTimeSep 12th 2007 edited
I seriously doubt anything is going on with any of the proposals. We've been given this run-around for YEARS, now. The OSS redevelopment is one of the many campaign promises mayors never intend to keep. Either that, or they promise something not knowing how incredibly complicated getting something of this size up and running again can be.
It seems to me that the city planners are in a bit of a disarray at the moment. -
I agree with LMich... this project has been going in circles for a long time. It almost makes me dizzy.
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Posted by sabatoa but moved to this thread
Source
Accident Fund moving to Ottawa power plant site
Jeremy W. Steele
Lansing State Journal
UPDATED AT 10:58 a.m. - Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America will redevelop the idled riverfront Ottawa Power Station in a $182 million project for downtown Lansing.
The Lansing-based workers compensation insurer would move its downtown headquarters to the plant and several adjacent acres of riverfront land. The Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved a tax credit this morning worth nearly $26 million to help finance the project. More local and state incentives are expected.
Some work would start this year, including taking down the smokestack on top of the power plant. The project is expected to be completed by January 2011.
The project will include converting the power plant into a 10-story office tower, with an additional 120,000 square feet of new construction. Accident Fund plans to occupy all the space.
Accident Fund plans to add up to 500 jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. Accident Fund currently has about 650 workers.
Company officials are scheduled to join Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero at a 9:30 a.m. press conference this morning to talk about the project. Accident Fund is a for-profit subsidiary of Detroit-based health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
The power plant has sat mostly vacant since the Lansing Board of Water & Light stopped producing power there in 1992. It houses a chiller, water and steam distribution plant installed in 1999.
City officials long have dreamed of finding a new use for the landmark building. But past projects – including an entertainment complex by Earvin "Magic" Johnson and a proposal to put state offices there – never moved beyond lofty ideas.
Rehabbing the site was given new energy about a year ago, when the city again sought a developer to take on the former power plant. That push received interest from at least two developers, but again seemed to fizzle. -
- CommentAuthormindbender
- CommentTimeOct 8th 2007 edited
D-d-d-d-daaaannngg......
It's not public use necessarily, but still, at least something is FINALLY happening there. $182 Million... wow! -
I hope that there will be something ground-floor though.
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This is huge, I really can't think of what to say, I mean this will probably be the largest development in downtown's history at $182 million. I'm mainly concerned with how the new construction looks and what Accident Fund will do with it's current HQ and their assortment of parking lots, many of which are prime for development. I think it may take a little while to understand the true scope of this project and the subsequent properties that are being freed-up for development.
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LMich, you can now officially eat your words about mayors making campaign promises they don't intend to keep and city planners being in disarray. Eau contraire, my friend, eau contraire. :)
Randy -
- CommentAuthorTEXigander
- CommentTimeOct 8th 2007
WOW! I heard the good news all the way down in Houston! Congrats Lansing! -
Welcome to the forum RandyH. I'm sure LMich isn't mad when they do follow through with campaign promises, it's just pretty often that they don't.