While I don't know the specifics of the PILOT program, I am familiar with its existence as a development incentive. I was speaking more to wondering what the "Capital Park Center" and "Walnut Park Apartments" apartments might be. I don't know of any previously announced development on or adjacent to Walnut St, so who knows what the Walnut Park Apartments could be. Capital Park Center is a vague name and could apply to just about anything, the only thing that really comes to mind as a possibility is the Lake Trust property. I've noticed the council packets seem to have more 'not available at time of print' items lately, it's kinda annoying.
I don't know, the letters appear alongside a letter regarding the Abigail project which would somewhat imply that they're something else new. As for them being public or co-op housing, I'm not sure exactly what can and can't fall under the PILOT program, apparently the School for the Blind project qualifies and I don't think that it's entirely public/co-op. I swear I've seen PILOT incentives be used for projects before, but I can't remember what.
Assuming they are existing developments I'd guess they would be Capitol Commons as 'Capitol Park Center' and Ferris Park Apartments as 'Walnut Park Apartments'.
I've seen things in a 'letter from the mayor' before any public proposal was made, generally when regarding tax incentives.
Regarding the land bank ownership, I don't know. The first thing I did when you mentioned the nature of PILOT incentives was go to the news stories and see if they mentioned any public involvement in the project and they don't, so I'm not sure what kind of partnership (if any) the Land Bank or housing commission has with the developer or how much of the housing will be public/low income.
Looks like they are getting serious about building the zip line ride over the river downtown. I really like the idea of having attractions in the park. Like the tubing hill at Hawk Island. Bringing in money for the park and giving people jobs are great benefits that come from paid attractions. I don't know if the depiction in the article is what the tower is going to look like, but I think they could be a bit more imaginative about it. Right now it looks like something from a Marine training course. Why not something all steam punk big gears and exposed machinery for the elevator to take people up the tower, or maybe something like an old fashion water tower, or wooden fort tower. It would be nice to have something interesting to look at when the zip line is not in use. How about a zip line off the Eckert smokestacks now that would be a ride! [kidding]
I saw on mlive today some of Ann arbors new development proposals. Even they're new developments seem more paramount to Lansings. Not to be negative but Lansing has to be a little more tasteful and chooses with the new developments we allow, we seem desperate when we settle for anything some developer is willing to do.
@gbinlansing I like the idea of a zipline off of Eckert's smokestacks, it almost seems like a very likely use of the smokestacks as part of a larger reuse, maybe there could be a skyswing between two of them also. I've thought before that turning this into a hotel/entertainment destination would be a good use. I was thinking it would be cool to have an all glass winter garden type structure extend off the building, wrapping around the smokestacks. It would be the perfect setting for an indoor water park, which I think would do well in this area.
@MrLansing Ann Arbor has been doing pretty well lately, the Ann Arbor Development thread over on skyscraperpage is fairly active and shows a quite a few projects currently proposed, including some high rises: Ann Arbor Construction Updates - SSP
Thanks to hood for your response, Now that they are talking about re-using the Eckert building I look at it more closely as I walk the river trail. I try to imagine what it might look like all stripped down sitting there like the power plant downtown. My thought, monumental! That is one big building. I think it would be a good looking building with some nice glass work and some human scale ground floor plazas, and entrances. Dreaming about what could go into such a huge space, an aquarium with fresh water fish from the great lakes and around the world would fit. In Montreal they use 76' Olympics buildings for a winter garden they call the Bio-Dome [I think] any way it has several different types of North American landscapes with the plants and animals of each zone. That would be a great attraction, maybe along with more amusement type things like a nice hotel and some kind of "rides", gondolas through a network of canals, an indoor water park is also fun to think about. This is a place where Lansing could dream big!
Now that I have checked out what's going on in Ann Arbor in have building plan envy. I never got Ann Arbor in other words, what's so great about Ann Arbor? I know, no need to tell me! They seem to be dreaming and planning big. Can Ann Arbor be in so much of a better state than Lansing that they are planning street rail transit and beautiful sky scrapers? It also seems that they have more than one architect there. Maybe if Lansing had someone say, like the Governor living here in the Governor's house on Cambridge Road Lansing might receive more attention.
My last couple of negative rants about Lansing have been largely in relation to seeing the multitude of positive things happening in Ann Arbor. I'm to the point know where I accept and understand Grand Rapids' success, it's notably larger than Lansing and has several billionaire philanthropists. I understand Ann Arbor's relative success much less, I know it's close enough to Detroit for people to commute and they have U of M, but that still doesn't even begin to account for the gap in the size, quantity and quality of the developments happening there versus Lansing. I'll stop there before I risk going on another rant....
I do not think expressing your thoughts is a rant.
As pointed out here on this site, many folks think the solution to this kind of small thinking in terms of development would be to have a more regional approach. If all the townships and East Lansing,and Okemos where departments or boroughs of a Greater Lansing, Lansing would be one of the largest cities in Michigan. That would bring in a lot more money from the state and US governments. Maybe if we saw ourselves as one big city, development could be planned with more regional plans instead of each town competing for development in each "downtown".
I don't know too much about Ann Arbor but I think they have just one downtown so they can focus development there. I think that there is a ring of dense population all the way around Detroit that Ann Arbor is part of, and that much of that population is more affluent than here in Mid-Michigan,this could be part of the reason they have more expensive and beautiful plans for their city. Thinking of it another way,if Eastwood, East Lansing,MSU,and Frandor where all downtown one might say wow! look at all the great things they are building in Lansing. I think with one downtown Ann Arbor is more focused on a small area with limited space, because it is limited it becomes expensive, they build expensive buildings on expensive land. Here we have lots of cheap land[parks and gardens]to build cheap buildings on.
I think a more regional focus between all municipalities is the only way Lansing is going to emerge as the great Capitol city we all know it can be. I believe. We are finally headed in that direction, I've notice that we are focusing on tricounty as a way to unite. It's the common ground for all in mid Michigan. However it's sad that some of the other communities frown upon Lansing to the point to that Greater Lansing or Metro Lansing is not the campaign vs tricounty or midmichigan. Nationwide more people know Lansing than midmichigan.
Comments
Assuming they are existing developments I'd guess they would be Capitol Commons as 'Capitol Park Center' and Ferris Park Apartments as 'Walnut Park Apartments'.
Regarding the land bank ownership, I don't know. The first thing I did when you mentioned the nature of PILOT incentives was go to the news stories and see if they mentioned any public involvement in the project and they don't, so I'm not sure what kind of partnership (if any) the Land Bank or housing commission has with the developer or how much of the housing will be public/low income.
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2016/02/potentially_700m_light_rail_sy.html#incart_river_mobile_home
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2016/01/developer_hoping_to_buy_ann_ar.html
@MrLansing Ann Arbor has been doing pretty well lately, the Ann Arbor Development thread over on skyscraperpage is fairly active and shows a quite a few projects currently proposed, including some high rises: Ann Arbor Construction Updates - SSP
Now that I have checked out what's going on in Ann Arbor in have building plan envy. I never got Ann Arbor in other words, what's so great about Ann Arbor? I know, no need to tell me! They seem to be dreaming and planning big. Can Ann Arbor be in so much of a better state than Lansing that they are planning street rail transit and beautiful sky scrapers? It also seems that they have more than one architect there. Maybe if Lansing had someone say, like the Governor living here in the Governor's house on Cambridge Road Lansing might receive more attention.
As pointed out here on this site, many folks think the solution to this kind of small thinking in terms of development would be to have a more regional approach. If all the townships and East Lansing,and Okemos where departments or boroughs of a Greater Lansing, Lansing would be one of the largest cities in Michigan. That would bring in a lot more money from the state and US governments. Maybe if we saw ourselves as one big city, development could be planned with more regional plans instead of each town competing for development in each "downtown".
I don't know too much about Ann Arbor but I think they have just one downtown so they can focus development there. I think that there is a ring of dense population all the way around Detroit that Ann Arbor is part of, and that much of that population is more affluent than here in Mid-Michigan,this could be part of the reason they have more expensive and beautiful plans for their city. Thinking of it another way,if Eastwood, East Lansing,MSU,and Frandor where all downtown one might say wow! look at all the great things they are building in Lansing. I think with one downtown Ann Arbor is more focused on a small area with limited space, because it is limited it becomes expensive, they build expensive buildings on expensive land. Here we have lots of cheap land[parks and gardens]to build cheap buildings on.