I don't know what will or should happen to the Lansing Mall, several good-sized stores are on their way out and it's parent company is bankrupt. I do think there is definitely a market for that mall, but they are going to have to do something to compete with Meridian, not just the mall itself, but the whole Saginaw business corridor.
Yes, I've heard that several stores will be leaving the mall and I guess a good number where discussions of closing the mall have been brought up. What is happening to Lansing? One minute I think it's impriving, and on it's way thriving and now we may not have a mall in the city. Do you know exactly the stores that are leaving?
I've also heard a lot of buisnesses are leaving the area.
I don't think that's true Coolbrezze. There are businesses hurting everywhere with the economic slowdown. Lansing is thriving and doing quite well. If the Lansing Mall didn't exist there are plenty of other stores that people can shop at.
I honestly think the Lansing Mall has nothing to worry about, at least in the immediate future.
BTW, Lansing doesn't have any malls, the Lansing Mall is in Delta Twp (Waverly), and the Meridian Mall is in Meridian Twp (Okemos). I suppose you could label Eastwood and Frandor malls also though.
Yeah I'm not sure how accurate it is, but that's just what I heard/ was told.
I'm a resident of Lansing, and don't want to come across as if I'm being negative... but I guess it may seem that way due to the economic situation. I think Lansing is the best city in the state, but I also see it behind economically compared to cities like Grand Rapids ( seems like it is really booming there). I was looking in the LSJ etc... for something good to post on here, but I got caught up in some other news I've heard.
Grand Rapids 15 years ago was where Lansing is today...Grand Rapids got to where it is today because two very rich philanthropists made it there specific desires to make GR what is currently is...Richard Devos and Jay VanAndel. They restored their now (regionally)famous hotel and made the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel specifically to spur growth downtown...then they got the VanAndel Arena, Devos Performance Hall/Convention Center, GVSU downtown Devos campus, VanAndel Research Institue, Devos Childrens hospital, etc. etc. Do you see a pattern there? So yeah, GR is where it is because two people spent alot of their own money to make it what it is. (I did my undergrad at Calvin College in East Grand Rapids and as of 2003 they have the Devos Communications Center). So in addition to the major contributions I already mentioned, they also donated almost impressive but smaller (only 1-2 $million) amounts to other projects all around GR.
Add to that, you have some other smaller (but still very rich) contributors adding to that things like Fred Meijer's: Meijer Botanical Gardens and the new Meijer Cardiac wing of Spectrum hospital, and Peter Seccia's new medical school building and now you're really getting to where GR is today.
Compare that to Lansing...we have a convention center, but what is its name?...Lansing Center, that's a good example of the difference. All of what Lansing has was gotten through organic business growth or public works...we don't have a ton of "named" buildings here. Frankly, if this wasn't the State Capitol and we didn't have MSU, there wouldn't be much here. However, those are two pretty major things that give Lansing a quality and uniqueness that in some ways are far superior to GR. Grand Rapids has nothing to compare to E. Lansing on a football game day in terms of excitement and busy-ness, or any buildings to rival the State Capitol, and the Wharton Center is at least as good a draw as the Devos Center if not better (I think it pulls in many more and better shows).
I lived in GR for 4 years during school and I showed which place I think is better by where I chose to live. Hope that was a decent summary.
Yeah very well written. I'm sure Lansing being the capitol city and having Michigan State University next door may give the city a boost... but I still see it far behind. Adding on to a whisper comment I wrote to Jared... I don't want to have to wait until mid mid-ages to live in a thriving, and positive city ( like my own life). I'm hoping Lansing can make well improvements by the time I'm an adult ( 2010).
I've heard mentions that Grand Rapids had have a large boost to the city due to two people, surpsing how two people or even one person could change a city by so much.
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Do you really think Lansing is 15 years behind Grand Rapids?
Coolbreeze, maybe 15 years behind GR is a little too strong...maybe 5-10 years is more accurate. And I would agree that Gillespie has been a major proponent for improving Lansing. However, the distinction I was trying to make is this, Jay VanAndel and Richard DeVos made their billions already and after already having it have been DONATING their money to force GR to expand and improve; people like Gillespie are business people trying to make their money while improving Lansing. No one is necessarily intended to make alot of money from the Van Andel Institute, DeVos Performance Hall or Van Andel Arena, those guys donated their money to make these things that would attract people...those people spend their money where they are attracted...businesses grow when people come and spend money...so Van Andel and DeVos donated their money to artificially get the ball rolling to grow downtown GR by attracting people downtown (private businesses and the city didn't have to make that VERY important first step). Gillespie, the city of Lansing and others have to SPEND their businesses' money (not donate) to attract the people and try to make a living while doing it. And that is why GR is a few steps ahead of Lansing.
However, an important distinction in my book is that while regionally GR seems to have the upper hand, all of what makes GR seem like the side with the greener grass to Lansingites are simply local and regional things. Lansing has the longterm upper hand in my book because what sets Lansing apart are things like the State Capitol, MSU, Big Ten sporting events, the new FRIB, etc. These are things that are unparralelled by GR and these things are much larger than a local/regional attraction. Lansing has a biotech sector with Emergent and Neogen that GR doesn't have at all, the Capitol is something people from around the state will visit as well as the upcoming art museum, people from across the country come to see MSU football/basketball, people from around the world will come to FRIB for research. So I think it's important to keep things in perspective...GR certainly has some things Lansing doesn't, but Lansing has some equally (if not more) impressive things GR doesn't. I am right with everyone else in wishing Lansing could build a 30+ story tower like GR just did, but honestly, in the grand scheme of things, if I'm gonna leave Lansing for somewhere with taller buildings, it's not going to be GR, it'll be Chicago or Philadelphia.
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I've also heard a lot of buisnesses are leaving the area.
BTW, Lansing doesn't have any malls, the Lansing Mall is in Delta Twp (Waverly), and the Meridian Mall is in Meridian Twp (Okemos). I suppose you could label Eastwood and Frandor malls also though.
I'm a resident of Lansing, and don't want to come across as if I'm being negative... but I guess it may seem that way due to the economic situation. I think Lansing is the best city in the state, but I also see it behind economically compared to cities like Grand Rapids ( seems like it is really booming there). I was looking in the LSJ etc... for something good to post on here, but I got caught up in some other news I've heard.
Add to that, you have some other smaller (but still very rich) contributors adding to that things like Fred Meijer's: Meijer Botanical Gardens and the new Meijer Cardiac wing of Spectrum hospital, and Peter Seccia's new medical school building and now you're really getting to where GR is today.
Compare that to Lansing...we have a convention center, but what is its name?...Lansing Center, that's a good example of the difference. All of what Lansing has was gotten through organic business growth or public works...we don't have a ton of "named" buildings here. Frankly, if this wasn't the State Capitol and we didn't have MSU, there wouldn't be much here. However, those are two pretty major things that give Lansing a quality and uniqueness that in some ways are far superior to GR. Grand Rapids has nothing to compare to E. Lansing on a football game day in terms of excitement and busy-ness, or any buildings to rival the State Capitol, and the Wharton Center is at least as good a draw as the Devos Center if not better (I think it pulls in many more and better shows).
I lived in GR for 4 years during school and I showed which place I think is better by where I chose to live. Hope that was a decent summary.
I've heard mentions that Grand Rapids had have a large boost to the city due to two people, surpsing how two people or even one person could change a city by so much.
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Do you really think Lansing is 15 years behind Grand Rapids?
However, an important distinction in my book is that while regionally GR seems to have the upper hand, all of what makes GR seem like the side with the greener grass to Lansingites are simply local and regional things. Lansing has the longterm upper hand in my book because what sets Lansing apart are things like the State Capitol, MSU, Big Ten sporting events, the new FRIB, etc. These are things that are unparralelled by GR and these things are much larger than a local/regional attraction. Lansing has a biotech sector with Emergent and Neogen that GR doesn't have at all, the Capitol is something people from around the state will visit as well as the upcoming art museum, people from across the country come to see MSU football/basketball, people from around the world will come to FRIB for research. So I think it's important to keep things in perspective...GR certainly has some things Lansing doesn't, but Lansing has some equally (if not more) impressive things GR doesn't. I am right with everyone else in wishing Lansing could build a 30+ story tower like GR just did, but honestly, in the grand scheme of things, if I'm gonna leave Lansing for somewhere with taller buildings, it's not going to be GR, it'll be Chicago or Philadelphia.