Well, it looks like Jackson National Life in Alaiedon Township is finally expanding. Another piece of non-descript sprawl, but at least Lansing will be getting a boost to its property and income tax revenue because of the land-sharing agreement with the township, so, meh:
The expansion includes a 260,000 square foot office building and conference center connected to the existing headquarters, and an 80,000 squaref oot data imaging center somewhere else on campus.
Does Lansing actually get tax money from this? I was a bit confused when reading articles about it, because it sounded like Lansing was giving them a $7 million tax break for the new construction. I think the general idea is that tax revenue would start coming in 10 years from now, but none immediately. I hope I'm wrong though, please correct me if so.
You're right to a point. As far as property tax revenue is concerned, we won't be getting any right away, but we will be getting it eventually instead of it all going to the township. What we will be getting, immediately, is income tax revenue from the workers since they technically work in the City of Lansing becauseof the 425.
Some things upcoming at the June 3 council meeting:
- The city is looking to purchase 221 N. Sycamore on the Ottawa-Butler block. It's a large, but non-descript, historic home on the block currently used by the State of Michigan as storage for the nearby Capitol Complex's grounds crew. Apparently, if the city buys it before the end of June, they get it from the State for $1. The short-term plan is to rehab it for residential usage. There is no mention of long-term, but it feels to me that they are trying to fit themselves into the future development of the site to have some control over it like they did with the block at Kalamazoo and Butler.
- It looks as if the public hearing for the rezoning of 600 E. Michigan (Michigan @ Larch) from industrial to business district is finally coming before the people. This is the redevelopment of the old Marathon gas station property to a three-story mixed-use corner building.
- A public hearing is set for adding more land to the 425 Agreement (land transfer) with Alaiedon Township to facilitate the expansiong of Jackson National Life. It's only about 45 acres.
Apparently Gillespie owns the Goodyear Tire building on Michigan and is looking to develop it. 1309 E Michigan
It's looking like there is going to be a ton of development on Michigan Ave. between Lansing and East Lansing over the next few years, at least I hope so.
I keep saying it, but there should be a small hotel in the vicinity of Sparrow and there is enough empty lots around it, currently, to make that happen. There is enough streetfront around the hospital to make this a node of activity, particularly with the BRT proposal, which, BTW, moved forward a few weeks back.
Anyone seen the Dye water plant lately? They took down the neon BWL sign, replacing it with plastic junk and they're painting it goofy colors. I'd suggest writing the BWL...
Yeah, it's terrible, and they've taken forever to repaint the building and redo the grounds. They also f%cked up the grounds (cutting down the trees along Cedar) so they could paint the building, I guess. But writing them would be in vein. Obviously, this is already something they paid for, so it's not going to change, anything.
Why don't people that run things adhere to the principal that if something isn't broken, you don't need to fix it? There was nothing wrong with the property. A simple cleaning or repainting of the facade would have sufficed. Now, both the Michigan National and BWL neon signs are gone, and they really gave downtown Lansing the little character and uniqueness it had.
Comments
The expansion includes a 260,000 square foot office building and conference center connected to the existing headquarters, and an 80,000 squaref oot data imaging center somewhere else on campus.
Market Place
Knapps
REO Town Cogeneration Plant & LBWL Headquarters
REO Town Streetscape Reconstruction (the sidewalks are enormous)
East Village (the hill is about complete and selling out quickly)
- The city is looking to purchase 221 N. Sycamore on the Ottawa-Butler block. It's a large, but non-descript, historic home on the block currently used by the State of Michigan as storage for the nearby Capitol Complex's grounds crew. Apparently, if the city buys it before the end of June, they get it from the State for $1. The short-term plan is to rehab it for residential usage. There is no mention of long-term, but it feels to me that they are trying to fit themselves into the future development of the site to have some control over it like they did with the block at Kalamazoo and Butler.
- It looks as if the public hearing for the rezoning of 600 E. Michigan (Michigan @ Larch) from industrial to business district is finally coming before the people. This is the redevelopment of the old Marathon gas station property to a three-story mixed-use corner building.
- A public hearing is set for adding more land to the 425 Agreement (land transfer) with Alaiedon Township to facilitate the expansiong of Jackson National Life. It's only about 45 acres.
It's looking like there is going to be a ton of development on Michigan Ave. between Lansing and East Lansing over the next few years, at least I hope so.
Why don't people that run things adhere to the principal that if something isn't broken, you don't need to fix it? There was nothing wrong with the property. A simple cleaning or repainting of the facade would have sufficed. Now, both the Michigan National and BWL neon signs are gone, and they really gave downtown Lansing the little character and uniqueness it had.