I think it might be better to build a new club house and parking along Wood Street. It could be a modern facility maybe with a restaurant and function rooms like most country clubs. This way more people than just golfers could enjoy such a beautiful green space, and the city might make some money renting out the place,using it year round, not just relaying on golf fees for income.
Yes it really looks bad and I think it is going to be a long time before it looks any better. I use Townsend and Walnut to get downtown just so I don't have to look at it. But of course then I have to by the Olds buildings which also makes me mad! So far the remaining trees now leafed out still block the view from my building.
Timeless brick building-like design to bring out more "REO town grit"
3 iconic Eckert Power Station stacks element for grand entrance to REO Town at corner of S. Washington and Malcom X (northeast corner)
Plaza designed for community events (southeast corner)
Wall set back from Washington Ave. (east wall)
Public art opportunities
Green wall element (northwest corner)
Window element to allow natural light through wall
Portholes to see inside substation (south wall)
Planters
Construction of the $27.9 million Central Substation is expected to begin on Monday, August 21, with the stone-by-stone deconstruction of the Scott Sunken Garden to follow. The project is expected to create approximately 75 construction jobs and be completed by the fall of 2018.
In addition, the BWL will support public art to be placed along the Washington Ave. substation wall by funding an RFP up to $20,000 every three years. The RFP public arts review team will include representatives of the BWL, City of Lansing, REO Town Commercial Association and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing.
The BWL will also make a $40,000 endowment that will provide resources to help maintain the Scott Sunken Garden, such as a gardener, garden supplies, maintenance and/or plant material. This fund will accept contributions from the community in order for garden support to continue in the future.
Was there supposed to be an extension of the river trail for this? I thought when this was first proposed BWL offered to build a river trail on the north side of the river in this part. I don't see it in the Final Design Tour.
There is a definitely a trail along the river behind the substation. Not sure I ever heard them promise an extension of the actual River Trail, though.
I wonder if the BWL can figure out how to get Mexico pay for it's Big Beautiful Wall. Maybe it will be OK but I'm a bit skeptical about the wall being a draw for people . I also thought they were going to connect the river trail to this area, that was going to be one of the few good things they had planned. I am hoping this depiction is wrong and they are not going to cut down the remaining trees on the river bank and plant new small ones. Those trees block the view of the area that will be under construction now, and I don't really want to look at the thing once it's built. I guess they could put a cyclone fence and call it done, so I'm glad they doing something more than that.
I'm confused. I don't believe any renderings - even the early ones - showed the actual River Trail being extended to meet the trail behind site (though, I'm not 100% sure, and it's completely possible that this is planned and simply not rendered). And the trees on the river have never been in any of the renderings either. The the only changes we've seen in the progression of the renderings are to the walls themselves.
Those include viewing and fishing platforms along the Grand River, a walkway from Washington Avenue to Townsend Street, loop trails connecting the existing pedestrian system to proposed walkways, and a new pathway from Capital Avenue to Cooley Gardens, officials said. It will also include a new staircase connecting the river trail to Washington Avenue and wayfinding signs on Malcolm X Street, Washington Avenue and Townsend Street, they said.
I'm curious what the "loop trails" are, as well as the pathway, and the staircase connecting to the river trail.
Comments
I think it might be better to build a new club house and parking along Wood Street. It could be a modern facility maybe with a restaurant and function rooms like most country clubs. This way more people than just golfers could enjoy such a beautiful green space, and the city might make some money renting out the place,using it year round, not just relaying on golf fees for income.
Yes it really looks bad and I think it is going to be a long time before it looks any better. I use Townsend and Walnut to get downtown just so I don't have to look at it. But of course then I have to by the Olds buildings which also makes me mad! So far the remaining trees now leafed out still block the view from my building.
The local news did a story last night on the finalization of the design:
It does appear to that this is an improvement in the quality of the masonry. Anyway, what was incorporated into the design after public input on this according to their press release:
Final Design Tour
It appears the footprint is slightly smaller, too, or at least they simply refined it.
Was there supposed to be an extension of the river trail for this? I thought when this was first proposed BWL offered to build a river trail on the north side of the river in this part. I don't see it in the Final Design Tour.
There is a definitely a trail along the river behind the substation. Not sure I ever heard them promise an extension of the actual River Trail, though.
Some more:
I wonder if the BWL can figure out how to get Mexico pay for it's Big Beautiful Wall. Maybe it will be OK but I'm a bit skeptical about the wall being a draw for people . I also thought they were going to connect the river trail to this area, that was going to be one of the few good things they had planned. I am hoping this depiction is wrong and they are not going to cut down the remaining trees on the river bank and plant new small ones. Those trees block the view of the area that will be under construction now, and I don't really want to look at the thing once it's built. I guess they could put a cyclone fence and call it done, so I'm glad they doing something more than that.
I'm confused. I don't believe any renderings - even the early ones - showed the actual River Trail being extended to meet the trail behind site (though, I'm not 100% sure, and it's completely possible that this is planned and simply not rendered). And the trees on the river have never been in any of the renderings either. The the only changes we've seen in the progression of the renderings are to the walls themselves.
I thought I saw a drawing with spiral walks leading to the street level from the river trail on the south bank. I don't think I just made that up!
I remember them talking about connecting it to the River Trail but never recall it ever being shown in any of the designs...
From https://develop.metrolansing.com/discussions/discussion/comment/8124/#Comment_8124,
I'm curious what the "loop trails" are, as well as the pathway, and the staircase connecting to the river trail.