Meridian has been known for years as a township hostile to urban-type developments, and it's really sad considering that they've also been one of the tighest zoners in general. If I remember correctly, it's still against the township's zoning code to build multi-story stuff up to the street along Grand River, I'm talking even apartment-shop developments (i.e. two story building with retail on ground floor and apartsments above). Hopefully, the township will be more supportive in downtown Okemos and hopefully the developer can finally come up with the financing for this long stalled project.
Thanks for the rendering Freedom Fries. I don't think I've seen that version before. It looks like they are changing the color of the building at the same height that the parking garage reaches.
Ann elevation of the Ann St apartments from the council packet:
The packet also mentioned a redevelopment proposal for 514 Michigan Ave. I found this on the project "A public hearing will be held to consider an application from Wolf River Development Company, LLC for Site Plan and Special Use Permit approval for the property at 514 Michigan Avenue to demolish the existing building and construct a mixed-use building with 1200 square feet of retail or office space and 16 apartment units with 4 bedrooms each. The property is zoned B-2, Retail Sales Business District" - Public Hearing Notices
Just looked up 514 Michigan, thinking it was somewhere in the Delta, and it is. What currently stands on the site is a little, vacant commercial building, and old reastaurant, I think. This has to be next door or very close to the BP gas station. Anyway, this district has already started to go multi-family, so it's good to see this trend continuing.
BTW, hood, can you make out the elevation number at the very top of the structure? I get up to the penthouse roof and get a height of 94'-4", but after that the print is too small. Is it 100', exactly?
I think it is 99' 4" to the penthouse roof, and the overall height is 107.' You can see the larger version of the elevation on page 171 of the April 3rd meeting packet. (pdf download)
Paul Vlahakis has bought the El Azteco building. He already owned the building to the east of it, and said that he has plans to tear down the buildings and replace them with a mixed-used development. He says that the project likely won't start construction for 24-36 months. It seems that he is pretty early in the planning stages based on that timeline.
With this project, the entire block between Grove and MAC will have been redeveloped within a 3 year timespan.
The State News has now also posted an article about the El Azteco building. It runs along the same vein of what Jared already mentioned with the LSJ article.
Additionally, however, it quotes Vlahakis stating that "there’s going to be a development there, when it is redeveloped El Azteco will still remain the way it’s been for the last (36) years." I don't know if that means he's going to tear it down and replace it with a building that keeps that style, or if he's just going to redevelop around the property. I'm guessing the former.
The State News is also reporting that the EL City Council granted the Anne St. Lofts a fifth floor. This one is pretty interesting, as it appears the Anne St. developers just started building a fifth floor without City approval, and the City then realized it had to deal with it. Conditions for the fifth floor include weekly safety updates to the council, limiting occupancy for one and two bedroom apartments in the building to families or no more than two unrelated residents, and eliminating roof access from the building’s north side on the fifth floor.
They slapped them with a $1,000 "fine," which to me is sort of like those fines given to athletes for saying something disparaging about the referees after a game. Too bad the City couldn't make a stand here like they finally did with Strathmore over City Center II, but, with this project in the building phase, they sort of had to suck it up I suppose.
Comments
Will's had the plans for his Okemos Arts & Culture Center for awhile now.
Below is a rendering of the eight-story bldg.
Imagine all those MSU kids throwing up off these balconies! </sarcasm>
The packet also mentioned a redevelopment proposal for 514 Michigan Ave. I found this on the project "A public hearing will be held to consider an application from Wolf River Development Company, LLC for Site Plan and Special Use Permit approval for the property at 514 Michigan Avenue to demolish the existing building and construct a mixed-use building with 1200 square feet of retail or office space and 16 apartment units with 4 bedrooms each. The property is zoned B-2, Retail Sales Business District" - Public Hearing Notices
BTW, hood, can you make out the elevation number at the very top of the structure? I get up to the penthouse roof and get a height of 94'-4", but after that the print is too small. Is it 100', exactly?
With this project, the entire block between Grove and MAC will have been redeveloped within a 3 year timespan.
Additionally, however, it quotes Vlahakis stating that "there’s going to be a development there, when it is redeveloped El Azteco will still remain the way it’s been for the last (36) years." I don't know if that means he's going to tear it down and replace it with a building that keeps that style, or if he's just going to redevelop around the property. I'm guessing the former.
The State News is also reporting that the EL City Council granted the Anne St. Lofts a fifth floor. This one is pretty interesting, as it appears the Anne St. developers just started building a fifth floor without City approval, and the City then realized it had to deal with it. Conditions for the fifth floor include weekly safety updates to the council, limiting occupancy for one and two bedroom apartments in the building to families or no more than two unrelated residents, and eliminating roof access from the building’s north side on the fifth floor.
They slapped them with a $1,000 "fine," which to me is sort of like those fines given to athletes for saying something disparaging about the referees after a game. Too bad the City couldn't make a stand here like they finally did with Strathmore over City Center II, but, with this project in the building phase, they sort of had to suck it up I suppose.