I like graffiti, and I know some cities have found places that are agreeable to almost everyone to allow it. But I can't really think of any good spots for that sorta thing in Lansing off the top of my head. I do really like the idea though.
Clearing BoarsHead for a surface parking lot just sucks, as if that area of downtown doesn't have enough surface parking as it is. And the new MSP couldn't be an excuse, I hope, as the planning director said just a few months back that they hadn't had any problem with parking as they'd anticipated, so there wasn't any plans to add parking to the area, immediately. And, being in this area, once a small lot becomes parking...it STAYS parking. Ughhh.
On public art, I'd really like to see Lansing emulate Philly's innovative mural program as a start. Lansing has a few great murals here and there but there isn't even a brochure at the CVB to let visitors know they exist.
There were some very interesting public notices posted in the City Pulse this week including...
- A developer is requesting a rezoning of a set of single family homes and duplexes on the 100 blocks of Leslie & Regent streets on the eastside (directly south of Michigan Avenue). He wants to combine them to create a 14-unit condo development. Along with the renovation of the existing properties 7 new single family homes are part of the development as is a greenhouse and covered parkibg. Sounds like a very odd (but in a good way) infill project. I'm just glads folks are paying attention to the sidestreets off Michigan.
- The long-stalled East Village on the former Boy's Training School site is seeking to change its development agreement. I guess the multi-unit buildings haven't been selling, so they are increasing the number of single-family homes planned at the expense of the condo buildings and reducing the overall number of units planned in the complex from 177 to 125.
It's funny; I was just thinking about East Village and disappointed that they didn't allow the company that wanted to build a few neighborhood shops as part of the overall development to get the bid. It's always been my contention that this failed because it's essentially a suburban subdivision with nothing within easy walking distance and that a mixed use focus (which would have ACTUALLY made it an urban village of sorts) would have made it far more attractive. As I've always said, why would someone want to move to Okemos-come-to-Lansing when you could just move to the actual suburb with lower taxes, crime...? City developments must differentiate themselves from their suburban counterparts to be successful.
I agree with you 100% on East Village. It is a suburban styled development, but it's in the middle of the city. People that want to live in the city want to live in an urban environment, not a suburban one. I would have loved to see East Village be a mixed use development, with apartments/condos above retail in some buildings, along with some rowhouses and some detached houses similar to the ones in The Beaumont. I believe that could have been a successful development.
This is actually really great. Look at the cities it's with - Austin, Chicago, even NYC. A few more articles like this and the secret might just get out. Perhaps we're almost approaching tipping point of Lansing finally coming into its own?
I've always viewed Lansing as under appreciated, and articles like this one shows that other people are noticing the area in a positive way.
I initially read about the article in Mlive's Grand Rapids section, it was pretty funny to look at the comments and see all the people from Grand Rapids post negative things.
You know, I'd really like to see East Village do what the Beaumont did and string together a few lots to create a garden for the community while waiting for the economy to pick up. For those of us that knew of this tract of land before it was East Village that kind of development would be very poignant. Before it was East Village, the largely wild tract of land contained a significant urban garden for years. In fact, the few people that did end up trying to block the development of the land cited the successful community garden as a point of opposition. This could be a win-win.
Maybe we could write council or someone could make it down to these small zoning board meetings to get a more significant and comprehensive change for a project like this. Even simply rezoning tracts in the center of the development "apartment shop" to allow for a few neighorhood shop-type businesses with apartments above would be a nice change.
BTW, it looks like the Grand Avenue streetscaping is wrapping up pretty soon.
Comments
They are clearing out BoarsHead to make way for a parking lot:
Lansing BoarsHead Theater demolition looms
On public art, I'd really like to see Lansing emulate Philly's innovative mural program as a start. Lansing has a few great murals here and there but there isn't even a brochure at the CVB to let visitors know they exist.
- A developer is requesting a rezoning of a set of single family homes and duplexes on the 100 blocks of Leslie & Regent streets on the eastside (directly south of Michigan Avenue). He wants to combine them to create a 14-unit condo development. Along with the renovation of the existing properties 7 new single family homes are part of the development as is a greenhouse and covered parkibg. Sounds like a very odd (but in a good way) infill project. I'm just glads folks are paying attention to the sidestreets off Michigan.
- The long-stalled East Village on the former Boy's Training School site is seeking to change its development agreement. I guess the multi-unit buildings haven't been selling, so they are increasing the number of single-family homes planned at the expense of the condo buildings and reducing the overall number of units planned in the complex from 177 to 125.
It's funny; I was just thinking about East Village and disappointed that they didn't allow the company that wanted to build a few neighborhood shops as part of the overall development to get the bid. It's always been my contention that this failed because it's essentially a suburban subdivision with nothing within easy walking distance and that a mixed use focus (which would have ACTUALLY made it an urban village of sorts) would have made it far more attractive. As I've always said, why would someone want to move to Okemos-come-to-Lansing when you could just move to the actual suburb with lower taxes, crime...? City developments must differentiate themselves from their suburban counterparts to be successful.
I initially read about the article in Mlive's Grand Rapids section, it was pretty funny to look at the comments and see all the people from Grand Rapids post negative things.
This one is on the proposed changes for the East Village project: East Village condo neighborhood in Lansing may be scaled back
They are starting to put graffiti up on the Deluxe Inn: Artists converging on former Deluxe Inn in Lansing
Maybe we could write council or someone could make it down to these small zoning board meetings to get a more significant and comprehensive change for a project like this. Even simply rezoning tracts in the center of the development "apartment shop" to allow for a few neighorhood shop-type businesses with apartments above would be a nice change.
BTW, it looks like the Grand Avenue streetscaping is wrapping up pretty soon.
This is just a midday update, so it doesn't have a whole lot of info. I'll post the new story tomorrow.