In other development news: Costco in talks about store in Greater Lansing
Nothing definite here, the company is in discussions with Delta Township for a site likely on Saginaw Highway west of I-96.
Fletcher confirmed Thursday that township officials have had several discussions with Costco and are under the impression the company will eventually make a move... Delta Township has available land on Saginaw Highway — just north of Walmart, Lowe's and other retailers in The Marketplace at Delta Township development — that it's trying to pitch for a mixed-used project.
I'm assuming a Costco would be part of the mixed use development. There is mention of a possible IKEA too. I think a Costco is much more likely in the near future.
Costco has been rumored for a while, and I noticed this site recently indicated that a Costco was planned for Lansing (probably not an entirely reliable source, but interesting anyway). Traverse City is also mentioned. Costco Locations
I was happy until I read Delta Township. If Lansing could pull them out of Delta Township and in to downtown Lansing, that would be huge for downtown as well as the neighborhoods surrounding it.
Yes, a grocery store would be huge for downtown Lansing. With Fresh Thyme opening in East Lansing (Trowbridge Rd) this week, I was thinking that something of that size (~30,000 feet2) would be more likely in the near term.
I don't even mind that it's planned for Delta, but way out at Marketplace? It's like, let's put it as far to the edge of existing development as we can. Marketplace should have never been built in the first place. It's exactly the kind of catalyst for sprawl that's so last decade, and that we'd thought we'd got a handle on. The whole idea of the township was to keep most of the residential and commercial development in the quarter of the downtown above 496 and east of I-96. The last thing we want is to start back up the sprawl whose intent is to literally have a highway of crap from Lansing to Grand Ledge. I thought the recession had kind of gotten that under control.
BTW, I see that Fletcher is only saying that they are talking with Delta Township. I'd like to hear Virg going after everything he can get. We might not get anything or get them all, but you fight for every development that comes this areas way. Each community has different strengths, so some communities are going to have things more appropriate to the needs of each particular business, but I'd like to see the City of Lansing get very creative in their pitches. So, maybe we can't give you the acres and acres of parking that is typical for a certain kind of development. What if instead we give you creative direct investment in development that other communities can't? What if we comp the costs for bus riders for the first few months to your establishment? And, really, this is not even a concern for Lansing, really, since the city still has more than enough room for all kinds of developments, even relatively suburban ones. There are huge tracts of land, for instance, down on West Miller Road between MLK/Pleasant Grove and Waverly. There are huge development oppotunities down at Mt. Hope and Washington if the city wouldn't to pay for redevelopment or demolition of the existing industrial lands. We know have a few extra square miles of land outside the airport, now. We still have a huge GM site on the western border.
Lansing city proper has a lot to offer, and it should never count its self out for any development.
Seems to be quite a ways away from happening, but some company specializing in manufacturing is interested in the old GM sites around town:
LANSING – Up to 1,000 jobs could be created by a company that wants to redevelop empty properties in Greater Lansing that were once occupied by General Motors factories.
The trust handling sale of the sites in Lansing, Lansing Township and Delta Township has received a letter of intent from the company, said Steven Hayward, Lansing Township’s planning and development director. He said the company has a confidentiality clause and declined to name it. The company could develop all or portions of the empty land.
Hayward said RACER Trust officials have told the township they might close the sales by the end of this year with the company, which specializes in manufacturing. He said the company could be auto related and is seeking up to 2 million square feet of space.
“We will work as fast and diligently as they will to get these properties developed,” Hayward said.
As for Costco and Ikea, I'd love to see them in the area but I'd be disappointed to see them on the far west side. The site of the old Waverly Golf Course might not be bad though.
Regarding the announcement about the GM sites, a 2 million square foot manufacturing facility is massive, almost the size of the Delta Plant. I can't imagine what this could be besides a full scale auto plant, the question is really whether this is GM related.
Given that we just got an announcement from GM, I doubt it's directly GM-related. And 2 million square feet could be something spread across multiple sites. But, it could very be something auto-related, maybe a big supplier, or maybe even a foreign auto plant. I know Virg has been very public with his wish that Italian companies (read: Fiat) take Lansing into account when they want to expand.
I wouldn't suspect it'd GM either, but this could be part of their $4.5 billion of investments they'll announce later in the year. I'd personally hope for a foreign automaker to diversify a little bit.
Local news hasn't seemed to have picked this up, yet, but the auto warehouse on Shiawassee across from the old Napa and Riverfront Cycle between Larch and Cedar will actually be Lansing Brewing Company. Apparently, another company under this name operated between 1898 to 1914. They are resurrecting the brand. This will create an estimated 60 jobs.
Comments
Nothing definite here, the company is in discussions with Delta Township for a site likely on Saginaw Highway west of I-96.
I'm assuming a Costco would be part of the mixed use development. There is mention of a possible IKEA too. I think a Costco is much more likely in the near future.
Costco has been rumored for a while, and I noticed this site recently indicated that a Costco was planned for Lansing (probably not an entirely reliable source, but interesting anyway). Traverse City is also mentioned. Costco Locations
BTW, I see that Fletcher is only saying that they are talking with Delta Township. I'd like to hear Virg going after everything he can get. We might not get anything or get them all, but you fight for every development that comes this areas way. Each community has different strengths, so some communities are going to have things more appropriate to the needs of each particular business, but I'd like to see the City of Lansing get very creative in their pitches. So, maybe we can't give you the acres and acres of parking that is typical for a certain kind of development. What if instead we give you creative direct investment in development that other communities can't? What if we comp the costs for bus riders for the first few months to your establishment? And, really, this is not even a concern for Lansing, really, since the city still has more than enough room for all kinds of developments, even relatively suburban ones. There are huge tracts of land, for instance, down on West Miller Road between MLK/Pleasant Grove and Waverly. There are huge development oppotunities down at Mt. Hope and Washington if the city wouldn't to pay for redevelopment or demolition of the existing industrial lands. We know have a few extra square miles of land outside the airport, now. We still have a huge GM site on the western border.
Lansing city proper has a lot to offer, and it should never count its self out for any development.
/rant
Regarding the announcement about the GM sites, a 2 million square foot manufacturing facility is massive, almost the size of the Delta Plant. I can't imagine what this could be besides a full scale auto plant, the question is really whether this is GM related.
http://www.imabeerhound.com/index.php/michigan-brewery-news/lansing-brewing-company-taps-into-its-capital-city-roots.html