Center City (Landmark & Newman Lofts)
I could have sworn this development had it's own page. Oh, well. Anyway, the LJS is reporting the developers are set to start on this project very soon.
A plan to build two high rises in downtown East Lansing cleared its final hurdle Tuesday.
The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved the Center City District project's $53 million brownfield plan Tuesday morning. Chicago-based Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors is developing the $126.6 million project in partnership with East Lansing’s Ballein Management.
The site’s plans include a 12-story apartment building on the 100 block of East Grand River Avenue. A small-scale Target with a grocery section will take up the building's first floor.
The developer also plans to build a 10-story structure on the site of City Lot 1 behind the apartment building, which will include retail space on the first floor, parking on the next four levels and a five-story apartment complex for people 55 and older.
Comments
Thanks I had been reluctant to start another thread until the project looked like it was solidly going to move forward. It now does
It seems so crazy that this project is going one two three. yea!
I hate to say it, but it's probably because no locals are involved. The evidence seems to be pointing to that (look at how quickly SkyVue went up).
The Balleins are very local. They own much of Grand River in East Lansing, their connection to city government may actually be the reason their project is moving so fast while the other ("competing") project has hit a few speed bumps.
Harbor Bay is doing the heavy lifting, aren't they? I always assumed the locals were attached as investors more than anything else, but I could be wrong. Either way, aside from the Gillespies and maybe the Bojis, the locals here seem extremely lacking in the expertise to get these projects to construction. I've seen time and time again local developers biting off more than they can chew.
Yeah I agree. I'm still crossing my fingers for the development at Bogue and Grand River, though I haven't heard anything about it for a while now. That development is lead by a company from Chicago.
Hmmm... reading more about it, the development at Bogue and Grand River by Core Campus (Core Spaces) is actually the same developers as Center City: http://publicresponse.com/?page=article&cid=896&aid=1690
Sounds like the guy making these connections is coming up with all kinds of conspiracy theories, though. He sounds unhinged. It's all too much, really.
How'd you find that site, BTW?
PublicResponse has existed since 1998 in East Lansing. I randomly visit it and read the emails, it's more of an email list with hosted archives. Elliot was and still is a big fighter in East Lansing against City Center 2 and the bad financial deals that came out of it. In the end he was proven right in a lot of ways.
Is anybody making money from these buildings standing there? Why would these guys consistently undermining their own project. How about proposing a project that has the least tax brakes as opposed to the most. How about a development that makes money the old fashion way, by being a successful place were people want to be, and pay rents and spend money. It would seem that this corner is the one place in all of Greater Lansing that would be successful almost regardless of what they built there.