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?
Jared, Frandor is in the City of Lansing. The commercial strip directly west of it is in Lansing Township.
BTW, the Lansing Mall is 95% occupied according to the very same media that has trumped up the story around it. Everyone needs to worry given the economic times, but the Lansing Mall story the media is peddling is just a bit too premature, if you ask me.
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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?
BTW, the Lansing Mall is 95% occupied according to the very same media that has trumped up the story around it. Everyone needs to worry given the economic times, but the Lansing Mall story the media is peddling is just a bit too premature, if you ask me.