Yes the school on the corner was called Pleasant Grove. Gosh has it been that long since they closed it no one remembers? Pleasant Grove Square or Corners would be a great name for that area. Huge numbers of people live out there now, the businesses all seem kind of neglected looking, those people could support better businesses if they were to redevelop that area.
Because this area is pretty far from downtown, it really could be a great place for a neighborhood town center, with things like banks, medical offices, maybe a city hall annex, things that would be of service to the community. This would also provide jobs and employed people who would support restaurants and stores in that area. Just dreaming of course but I don't think any area of Lansing should be "forgotten" ,there should be good roads, and sidewalks, nice street lighting, like in REOtown all of that pays off, with private investment, lower crime and high values for homes.
I know that we have talked about this area before, and I think the one way high speed streets that cut through this neighborhood are the biggest impediment to it's redevelopment. I think the area looks like REOtown must have looked before they rebuilt the street. There are the bones of an "old town" in the store fronts along W. Saginaw, and the Old Oakland neighborhood is quite nice. Maybe if the old GM sites are developed this area will be the next REOtown.
Yesterday I noticed some work had begun on the warehouse on S Hosmer a block off of Kalamazoo. I know that it is going to be a self storage business, but I am hoping they will improve the outside of the building as well. I have been wondering who takes care of the grass along the rail spur there. It really is kept up nicely, wouldn't it be cool to see a little street car rolling along that line, it looks kind of like New Orleans right there. {kind of}
bah, I'm late to the discussion regarding Holmes/Pleasant Grove.
That's the site of the LEAP project's town square and public art space, the parking lot in across Pleasant Grove from QD. That and the addition of Beacon SW would be huge for the neighborhood.
I've been researching the history of the area, trying to find out more about that particular school. I know it was was New City Academy before the church bought it, and I know that the site has been the location of a school going back to pre-war days when the surrounding area was still farmland.
I learned recently that the land Churchill Downs sits on was the site of a private airfield called Aero Manor, it opened in the 40s before higher real estate prices convinced the owners to sell out to Francis Fine for his new subdivision. Apparently Aero Manor was home to a lot of aircraft and drew thousands to shows. There's still open greenspace just off Holmes near Waverly that was not developed in the middle of Churchill- perhaps it was a brownfield due to gas storage.
I do remember that Pleasant Grove and Holmes was nearly the edge of town, but I had never heard that there was an Airport in that area. I guess it is not quite in the right area but there is the house at 2200 W Mt Hope that looks like it is from that era, and I always thought it looked like an airport building.
The dark purple area is immediately south of Mt Hope, with the southern boundary as Homes Rd. The light blue block immediately south of that is the Churchill Downs area- but those roads appear to be from after development began- so the airport isn't visible as it was on this map.
I'm attaching a news copy showing the annexation from 1955 if that deep purple area.
Comments
Yes the school on the corner was called Pleasant Grove. Gosh has it been that long since they closed it no one remembers? Pleasant Grove Square or Corners would be a great name for that area. Huge numbers of people live out there now, the businesses all seem kind of neglected looking, those people could support better businesses if they were to redevelop that area.
Because this area is pretty far from downtown, it really could be a great place for a neighborhood town center, with things like banks, medical offices, maybe a city hall annex, things that would be of service to the community. This would also provide jobs and employed people who would support restaurants and stores in that area. Just dreaming of course but I don't think any area of Lansing should be "forgotten" ,there should be good roads, and sidewalks, nice street lighting, like in REOtown all of that pays off, with private investment, lower crime and high values for homes.
I know that we have talked about this area before, and I think the one way high speed streets that cut through this neighborhood are the biggest impediment to it's redevelopment. I think the area looks like REOtown must have looked before they rebuilt the street. There are the bones of an "old town" in the store fronts along W. Saginaw, and the Old Oakland neighborhood is quite nice. Maybe if the old GM sites are developed this area will be the next REOtown.
Yesterday I noticed some work had begun on the warehouse on S Hosmer a block off of Kalamazoo. I know that it is going to be a self storage business, but I am hoping they will improve the outside of the building as well. I have been wondering who takes care of the grass along the rail spur there. It really is kept up nicely, wouldn't it be cool to see a little street car rolling along that line, it looks kind of like New Orleans right there. {kind of}
bah, I'm late to the discussion regarding Holmes/Pleasant Grove.
That's the site of the LEAP project's town square and public art space, the parking lot in across Pleasant Grove from QD. That and the addition of Beacon SW would be huge for the neighborhood.
I've been researching the history of the area, trying to find out more about that particular school. I know it was was New City Academy before the church bought it, and I know that the site has been the location of a school going back to pre-war days when the surrounding area was still farmland.
I learned recently that the land Churchill Downs sits on was the site of a private airfield called Aero Manor, it opened in the 40s before higher real estate prices convinced the owners to sell out to Francis Fine for his new subdivision. Apparently Aero Manor was home to a lot of aircraft and drew thousands to shows. There's still open greenspace just off Holmes near Waverly that was not developed in the middle of Churchill- perhaps it was a brownfield due to gas storage.
I do remember that Pleasant Grove and Holmes was nearly the edge of town, but I had never heard that there was an Airport in that area. I guess it is not quite in the right area but there is the house at 2200 W Mt Hope that looks like it is from that era, and I always thought it looked like an airport building.
The dark purple area is immediately south of Mt Hope, with the southern boundary as Homes Rd. The light blue block immediately south of that is the Churchill Downs area- but those roads appear to be from after development began- so the airport isn't visible as it was on this map.
I'm attaching a news copy showing the annexation from 1955 if that deep purple area.
This second article from 09-30-1945 describes the runways and also mentions the drainage that @MichMatters referenced.
Anyways, this is old development news lol, sorry for the flashbacks- I'm a history nerd.
I can't edit my posts, but I totally missed what MichMatters was pointing out- I see the airstrip on his map. Super cool!