It became controversial because it is used by people who have controversial beliefs. History has shown once a statement/logo/flag becomes associated with a controversial group it becomes stuck to that group, and most likely isn't worth trying to give it a new life again.
MSU Federal Credit Union is going to spend $500k to open an intern center on Grand River, between Curious Book Store and the Tin Can Bar (previously Stateside Deli). The location will house about 20 interns.
This center, along with the Jackson National Life intern center and the Douglas J corporate offices on this same block, is increasing the amount of downtown workers. It's far too late for MSUFCU to move their headquarters to downtown East Lansing, although that definitely should have happened and was a big miss by the City of East Lansing to not get them there at the time.
Ideally we would see the following East Lansing businesses headquartered in downtown East Lansing: MSUFCU, Biggby, First National Bank, Greenstone Credit Union, Douglas J, and Mayberry Homes. There's also the MEA, MESSA, and some other government/union offices located near Saginaw and Abbot that if moved to downtown could really help the business environment and diversity of downtown.
East Lansing has consistenly done for decades everything within its power to keep large offices out of downtown, and boy has it been successful. It's just in the last decade that they've decided it's all right for large residential projects, downtown, and even then you get the NIMBYs - and not just in the nearby neighborhoods but in the city government, itself - whining about projects even as small as St. Anne Lofts with the debacle about height that surrounded that project. Four full floors and it was controversial. Even the controversy over the cross wasn't even really about the cross itself, rather a way to punish the developers for getting the project through.
The kind of square footage you'd need for companies like you listed above would mean some seriously tall buildings (and tons more parking garges) for downtown East Lansing. It's not even that East Lansing didn't fight for them to be downtown; the city actively pushes away large tenants like this; it's a big reason why they annexed the Northern Tier. I think the problem with downtown East Lansing is that the city government has tried so hard to keep it feeling like a small village (that doesn't reflect the actual size of the city) for so long, that they've essentially gotten what they want and have kind of confined the downtown to a very narrow two-block deep area with the dense residential areas immediately outside so developed that it'll be nearly impossible to rezone an expansion. It means any big projects if allowed at all are going to have to be RIGHT on Grand River and probably to the east of downtown proper.
As someone who lives in a nice neighborhood just about a mile from downtown - golly. At one point someone in the neighborhood pointed out that the city's master plan suggested four story buildings near the Harrison/Michigan intersection (hardly a crazy idea for that area), and people in the neigborhood complained that they might block their view of the sunrise! Yes, that was the complaint. And they contacted the city manager to express their displeasure. I do not get people who live in a city near a major university, and object to all the sorts of development and activity that would so naturally go with living in that location.
But hey, if Lansing and Bath Township and adjacent areas want to get all that development and make EL look bad, go for it.
One of my "back to the future" experiences since returning after 30 years has been how East Lansing feels dirty and unpleasant downtown. There is a tool for scraping chewing gum off from pavement. The sidewalks are dirty broken and covered with black chewing gum patches. The back ally ways which use to be kind of nice, look neglected. There is a great wall of parking structures that loom over Albert Street, and I don't get the giant fireplace. Do people gather there? I hate to say it but I tried Beggar's three times and each time not so great.
I know from looking at real estate around Lansing, a house in East Lansing adds around $30,000+ to the price vs.a similar house in Lansing, so it is perhaps understandable to want to protect that value. It seems like that desire for protection has lead to obstruction of progress, which seems to have lead to neglect of the town center. That is very short sighted.
Stonehouse Village V at the former site of the Taco Bell on Grand River looks like it is a go. According to the LSJ, demolition on the building will begin in June. A new piece of news added is that left over material (glass and stainless steel) from the Broad Museum across the street sitting in a scrap yard will be used on the building.
Panda Express will be opening a location in the ground floor of the State News building on Grand River. The State News will be moving to the second floor of the building.
Comments
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2016/02/04/msufcu-invests-500k-downtown-el-intern-center/79754864/
This center, along with the Jackson National Life intern center and the Douglas J corporate offices on this same block, is increasing the amount of downtown workers. It's far too late for MSUFCU to move their headquarters to downtown East Lansing, although that definitely should have happened and was a big miss by the City of East Lansing to not get them there at the time.
Ideally we would see the following East Lansing businesses headquartered in downtown East Lansing: MSUFCU, Biggby, First National Bank, Greenstone Credit Union, Douglas J, and Mayberry Homes. There's also the MEA, MESSA, and some other government/union offices located near Saginaw and Abbot that if moved to downtown could really help the business environment and diversity of downtown.
The kind of square footage you'd need for companies like you listed above would mean some seriously tall buildings (and tons more parking garges) for downtown East Lansing. It's not even that East Lansing didn't fight for them to be downtown; the city actively pushes away large tenants like this; it's a big reason why they annexed the Northern Tier. I think the problem with downtown East Lansing is that the city government has tried so hard to keep it feeling like a small village (that doesn't reflect the actual size of the city) for so long, that they've essentially gotten what they want and have kind of confined the downtown to a very narrow two-block deep area with the dense residential areas immediately outside so developed that it'll be nearly impossible to rezone an expansion. It means any big projects if allowed at all are going to have to be RIGHT on Grand River and probably to the east of downtown proper.
But hey, if Lansing and Bath Township and adjacent areas want to get all that development and make EL look bad, go for it.
I know from looking at real estate around Lansing, a house in East Lansing adds around $30,000+ to the price vs.a similar house in Lansing, so it is perhaps understandable to want to protect that value. It seems like that desire for protection has lead to obstruction of progress, which seems to have lead to neglect of the town center. That is very short sighted.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2016/03/09/panda-express-planning-location-east-lansing/81499364/