I'm very interested in the idea about the destination park for the Red Cedar Golf Course for the simple fact that the golf course is little more than the outlet of a county drain. In fact, a few years back the county drain commissioner was talking about how he's been trying to get the Frandor and the city to redo the shopping center's parking lot for awhile now. Back in 2007, WILX reported:
Ingham County's drain commissioner says the Montgomery drain needs to be updated to comply with federal regulations. Right now too much pollution is flowing from it into the Red Cedar River.
The drain services the Frandor area, plus one neighborhood just north of the shopping complex. No plans are in place yet, but Drain Commissioner Pat Lindemann says rain gardens are one low impact solution.
Also, some of the Frandor parking lot may have to be ripped up. The Red Cedar Golf Course will most likely have to be torn apart too as the drain flows underneath it.
The City of Lansing will have some part in the improvement plans too.
Lindemann says it will be at least two to three years before any changes are made.
Many people don't know it, but the mall was built over a drain/creek (the Montgomery Drain) and marshes, which is why it floods so easily in that area. The drain runs under the shopping center and outlets into the golf course. You can even see the unit where it outlets into the course, and that's why it's flooded during much of the year. In fact, the only one of Lansing's golf courses not built over or on a former drain/creek is the Waverly Golf Course in Lansing Township.
Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see what's planned for the area because it's for all intents an purposes a massive floorplain.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but in the State of the City address, when Bernero talked about this, he introduced Pat Lindemann saying something about we'll be working with our creative drain commissioner on this. It makes sense now...thanks for picking up on this MM.
I'd imagine somewhere in between Shiawassee and Michigan on the eastbank. I don't see them adding anything else to Wentworth Park, which already has a centerpiece with no natural/obvious other location to put another statue.
Oh, from the article:
The sculpture is to be a freeform design made from polished stainless steel and standing about 18 to 20 feet tall.
I make it a habit of reading the public notices in the back of the City Pulse, every week, as projects are often made known there that are announced later or simply never formally announced and rather just happen. This week, I found a HUGE project that'd not been mentioned yet.
Apparently, a Multicon Development Company is seeking to develop a 163-unit multi-family residential building at 3165 East Michigan Avenue, the former Story Automotive Group site across the street from the now-defunct Red Cedar Golf Course. They are requesting rezoning the property from "F" commercial & "J" parking district, to "E-1" apartment shop district.
Another announcement was the setting of a public hearing for the Accident Fund garage bonds. So, that too is moving forward.
This weeks city council agenda also had a few things, the most noticeable a contract between the city's transportation department and MDOT to finally refurbishment of the Kalamazoo bridge, downtown, as well as the small bridge where Pennsylvania crosses the Red Cedar right outside of Potter Park. In all honesty, I'd like to see the Kzoo bridge completely rebuilt like they did with the Shiawassee bridge. The Michigan Avenue bridge is also really terrible as far as aesthetics are concerned.
This could be a very, very nice development.With a potential multi-use Michigan Flyer terminal right across the street and now this it could end up a pretty nice area. Hopefully this is only the beginning of development on Michigan Ave, I can't wait to see more details on it.
MM and Hood,
For the sake of those of us who aren't as knowledgable, could this new development (assuming it comes to fruition) be in anyway seen as a success for the Michigan Ave. corridor improvement movement? Or is this development a result of other circumstances that would have happened regardless of that improvement initiative?
Not knowing what the company proposing this is and the players involved, I'd not even feel safe venturing a guess. I'm not even sure if the corridor authority has even been formed, yet.
I will say that I wish we'd see more news coming from the western end of the corridor. There are plenty of parking lots I think could fit a few three or four story walk-ups with ground floor retail in Lansing along the corridor.
If this doesn't have anything to do with the corridor authority its certainly is aligned with its goals, assuming it will be a quality project of course.
I'd always envisioned the improvements starting from EL's and Lansing's downtowns and moving towards each other, but now it appears as if they could also emanate out from the Frandor area. There's no doubt that there are plenty of potential locations for many different types of development all up and down Michigan Ave. I just remembered that the site of
The Dollar is also going to be developed before too long also, so this area could look very different in a few years.
From what I remember, the plans presented to the Land Bank for the Dollar were rejected, so there aren't any imminent plans to redevelop, are there? Of course, the site will be redeveloped sooner or later simply due to its location, but I wasn't aware of any plans in the work for the site.
Comments
Many people don't know it, but the mall was built over a drain/creek (the Montgomery Drain) and marshes, which is why it floods so easily in that area. The drain runs under the shopping center and outlets into the golf course. You can even see the unit where it outlets into the course, and that's why it's flooded during much of the year. In fact, the only one of Lansing's golf courses not built over or on a former drain/creek is the Waverly Golf Course in Lansing Township.
Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see what's planned for the area because it's for all intents an purposes a massive floorplain.
I wonder where they plan to put it? I'm guessing either near the new City Market or at Wentworth Park (Michigan & Grand.)
Oh, from the article:
Apparently, a Multicon Development Company is seeking to develop a 163-unit multi-family residential building at 3165 East Michigan Avenue, the former Story Automotive Group site across the street from the now-defunct Red Cedar Golf Course. They are requesting rezoning the property from "F" commercial & "J" parking district, to "E-1" apartment shop district.
Another announcement was the setting of a public hearing for the Accident Fund garage bonds. So, that too is moving forward.
This weeks city council agenda also had a few things, the most noticeable a contract between the city's transportation department and MDOT to finally refurbishment of the Kalamazoo bridge, downtown, as well as the small bridge where Pennsylvania crosses the Red Cedar right outside of Potter Park. In all honesty, I'd like to see the Kzoo bridge completely rebuilt like they did with the Shiawassee bridge. The Michigan Avenue bridge is also really terrible as far as aesthetics are concerned.
For the sake of those of us who aren't as knowledgable, could this new development (assuming it comes to fruition) be in anyway seen as a success for the Michigan Ave. corridor improvement movement? Or is this development a result of other circumstances that would have happened regardless of that improvement initiative?
I will say that I wish we'd see more news coming from the western end of the corridor. There are plenty of parking lots I think could fit a few three or four story walk-ups with ground floor retail in Lansing along the corridor.
I'd always envisioned the improvements starting from EL's and Lansing's downtowns and moving towards each other, but now it appears as if they could also emanate out from the Frandor area. There's no doubt that there are plenty of potential locations for many different types of development all up and down Michigan Ave. I just remembered that the site of
The Dollar is also going to be developed before too long also, so this area could look very different in a few years.