And, now WLNS is reporting that Frando plans to sue the Drain Commission, itself, and that East Lansing and Lansing Township have suits coming down the pike. So much for regionalism, I guess. This is insane.
Wow. I was pretty comfortable in that this project was going to proceed without too many hiccups and it looks to be turning into a big joke. Any idea what East Lansing and Lansing Township are suing over?
I'm tempted to go on a rant, but I'll wait and see what actually comes of all this.
Lansing Township seems to be leading the fight, and the gist of the argument is that they feel like they'll be charged for something they won't directly benefit from and that Lindemenn is trying to short circuit and rush the normal process concerning drain projects.
Admittedly, the drain commissioner has had his critiques because when he does these projects, he does them big and he does them right the first time. Sometimes, I think these communities just want something cheap, like for him to just build some pipes to pump run-off to the water treatment plants and call it a day. The stuff he does usually does have a bigger upfront cost than what other counties may do, but usually the projects save the community more money in the long-run and they made into recreational opportunities as well.
I can see the other side of the argument, for sure. But the reality of this situation is that this is being moved along so fast because we've got a private developer whose development will help pay off this expensive project. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do this and recoup some of the costs. For me, that's the bottom line since this feds are breathing down our necks to do something about pollution in the Red Cedar. Delaying the inevitable is really just throwing a tantrum to be honest.
Lansing Township and East Lansing argue in their lawsuits that, although they have property in the drainage district, their residents would not see a public health benefit from Lindemann’s project and they should not be assessed to pay for it.
Lansing Retail Center’s new lawsuit contains five counts alleging in part that the drain project is being pursued under the wrong chapter of the state’s drain code, the project is not “practicable” and should not be built and the city of Lansing alone should pay the costs.
The townships' suits seem patently ridiculous. Only Frandor seems to maybe have a case, at all, and even then, only on a case on the procedural merits. The rest of the lawsuit about this not being "practicable" are trash.
I'm no legal expert, but I still don't understand how they're filing lawsuits when nothing is official and no one has been assessed for anything yet, nor do they have any idea how much any party will have to pay or if they will have to pay. I'm guessing that's the crux of the drain commissioner's argument also?
Great news! Ferguson has been saying all along that some big names were lined up for Red Cedar Renaissance. Looks like he wasn't kidding.
Just read the article. I'm dismayed to see LEAP crapping all over this news. Ferguson is right to leak this information. The city needs to know what kind of serious names we're working with. Of course he's playing hardball with this information. I'm glad he's pushing this so hard. If the other powers that be want to sidetrack this development, we should make them work for this destruction.
BTW, they are saying this would be the first full-service Hyatt in the entire state. That's something. It's amazing that they don't have a full-service one somewhere in Metro Detroit.
Question, a 200-room given the layout of the site could be a pretty significant high-rise, couldn't it? I have to look around and see what their similar-sized hotels look like. Wish I could make-out the words on that site plan to see which one the hotel is.
I know I've been squinting trying to read the site plan, too. I am guessing that the hotel would be the second from the left, top row. It has the covered turn around usually associated with hotel check-in and valet- and what may be space for meeting rooms and a fitness center on the right. Also, one would think a hotel would want visibility from Michigan Ave, especially when situated between MSU and downtown- and near such a busy freeway entrance.
As I look at the site plan more closely, I really don't understand why the Frandor management is opposing this so vehemently (I realize they say they're not opposed, but...) This isn't a shopping mall. While it will have some retail, I think I read it will be mixed use. This development will bring thousands of hotel customers, shoppers, office workers, and residents to the area- which Frandor should embrace as potential customers. If I were Frandor management, I would be trying to maximize pedestrian and motor access to my property and improve the orientation of my tenants. I would be lobbying to work that into whatever plans are proposed instead of trying to kill them.
Good read in to the site plan, j! It would be nice if they added more green space like a park between some of the buildings (instead of just at the back of the property, which isn't clear if it will be accessible or gated off).
I don't think the Frandor owners are necessarily opposed to the project, I think that they are greedy and don't want to pay a higher tax bill due to the drainage work.
What is the white thing that crosses Michigan Ave in the mockup? One thing is for sure, there needs to be more pedestrian crossings around this area, and a protected crossing with a stop light would be greatly appreciated by people staying the hotel as well as those that are live on the south side of Michigan Ave. Currently the closest protected crossings are at the corner of Michigan and Homer, and at the other end at Michigan and Harrison.
Comments
I'm tempted to go on a rant, but I'll wait and see what actually comes of all this.
Admittedly, the drain commissioner has had his critiques because when he does these projects, he does them big and he does them right the first time. Sometimes, I think these communities just want something cheap, like for him to just build some pipes to pump run-off to the water treatment plants and call it a day. The stuff he does usually does have a bigger upfront cost than what other counties may do, but usually the projects save the community more money in the long-run and they made into recreational opportunities as well.
I can see the other side of the argument, for sure. But the reality of this situation is that this is being moved along so fast because we've got a private developer whose development will help pay off this expensive project. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do this and recoup some of the costs. For me, that's the bottom line since this feds are breathing down our necks to do something about pollution in the Red Cedar. Delaying the inevitable is really just throwing a tantrum to be honest.
The townships' suits seem patently ridiculous. Only Frandor seems to maybe have a case, at all, and even then, only on a case on the procedural merits. The rest of the lawsuit about this not being "practicable" are trash.
This will be a Hyatt 200 room full-service hotel, a step above the Hyatt Place that's going up in Eastwood. Needless to say, this is very good news.
Just read the article. I'm dismayed to see LEAP crapping all over this news. Ferguson is right to leak this information. The city needs to know what kind of serious names we're working with. Of course he's playing hardball with this information. I'm glad he's pushing this so hard. If the other powers that be want to sidetrack this development, we should make them work for this destruction.
BTW, they are saying this would be the first full-service Hyatt in the entire state. That's something. It's amazing that they don't have a full-service one somewhere in Metro Detroit.
As I look at the site plan more closely, I really don't understand why the Frandor management is opposing this so vehemently (I realize they say they're not opposed, but...) This isn't a shopping mall. While it will have some retail, I think I read it will be mixed use. This development will bring thousands of hotel customers, shoppers, office workers, and residents to the area- which Frandor should embrace as potential customers. If I were Frandor management, I would be trying to maximize pedestrian and motor access to my property and improve the orientation of my tenants. I would be lobbying to work that into whatever plans are proposed instead of trying to kill them.
I don't think the Frandor owners are necessarily opposed to the project, I think that they are greedy and don't want to pay a higher tax bill due to the drainage work.
What is the white thing that crosses Michigan Ave in the mockup? One thing is for sure, there needs to be more pedestrian crossings around this area, and a protected crossing with a stop light would be greatly appreciated by people staying the hotel as well as those that are live on the south side of Michigan Ave. Currently the closest protected crossings are at the corner of Michigan and Homer, and at the other end at Michigan and Harrison.