This park really is sort of an embarrassment as it sits, it's essentially a grassy field with a few dilapidated structures and paths. I've always imagined Riverfront being redesigned in a similar spirit to Millennium Park in Chicago. Whatever they do, the park has to be a lot more inviting from the street, with more paths leading in, more things to catch the eye, etc... Done right, a renovation of this park could be big for downtown, I hope to see something special come of this.
Hey, anyone else been by the site of Lansing Brewing Company? Within the past few weeks they've taken down the old buildings (and old heating and cooling company) in between the old warehouse and the Dyslexia institute, and because the site sits a bit lower in elevation than the stadium directly to the south, they've ringed the perimeter with some nice, big decorative stones. Really surprised how nice they've made an otherwise mundane building look. It shows you can save just about anything and do something nice with it.
I walked by there just yesterday. It's amazing how different it looks. Hopefully it will encourage more development in the area with the block being cleaned up along with the new apartment buildings.
I was by there earlier today and I'm a little disappointed that they tore down the older two floor building on Shiawassee, other than that I'm glad to see all the other buildings go, even that building won't be missed much. Besides, I know that for this brewery to do well it will need a good amount of parking and nice clean surroundings. It looks like they're really setting themselves up for success with this place.
I was looking at the July 27th council meeting and there were a few interesting items in the "Letter from the Mayor" section:
The Skyvue project is looking to get brownfield incentives.
The Bud Kouts dealership on Michigan is also looking to get brownfield incentives to raze and replace some buildings and add landscaping.
The long vacant property at Cedar & Syringa is up for rezoning to E-2 shopping district, the owner says this is to help sell the property.
The building at 1023 S Washington is applying for OPRA designation.
There's essentially no info on the 1023 S Washington project, and it's only a single story building so I'd be surprised, but very pleased to see anything too exciting for that property. As for the Cedar & Syringa property, I'm glad there's finally some activity with it and hopefully the owner finds a buyer to develop it sooner rather than later.
As for Bud Kouts, I can't see giving a car dealership brownfield incentives to make relatively modest improvements to their property, I hope the City denies any incentives that keep this property an auto dealership. If Bud Kouts wants to stay there, fine, but they'll have to do it on their own dime, incentives are getting way out of hand when they're being offered up to business like this. I'd hope they move though, with the direction Michigan Ave is going, a large car dealership has no place.
Speaking of general development, a huge crane is parked on the future site of the cancer center across from Sparrow. Also, the landscaping is nearing completition at the new Amtrak station and it's actually very nice. I had no idea that they'd be planting flowers around the traffic circle in the site, but it makes a big difference given how much of the site comprised of driveways and parking lots.
Lansing is saying that Lansing Township imposed a rezoning moratorium specifically to hinder the redevelopment of the former Waverly golf course. I don't have a real opinion here as I don't have any real information, but I wouldn't put it past the Township to pull something like this. If it turns out to be true I wonder if it's just to spurn Lansing or if it has to do with their conflicting interests being the developer of the Heights at Eastwood.
It's even worse than differences in development policy. Virg has just straight out said multiple times in the past that he doesn't think the township should exist, and the leadership - I almost choke on my words calling it that - of Lansing Township has taken it personally. Relationship with the township has never been great, but the new supervisor is a piece of work. I knew things weren't going to be any better when I saw this: (from the City Pulse in 2012)
But the Rodgers were involved in a last minute switch at the filing deadline on May 15. Kathleen Rodgers, the township treasurer for 20 years, filed for re-election on May 2. Leo Rodgers filed for re-election to the township board on the same day.
Minutes before the deadline, Kathleen Rodgers decided to run for supervisor in a contested Democratic primary. Once she made that decision, Leo Rodgers decided to run for treasurer so there would at least be a candidate, as Kathy Rodgers put it.
Kathy Rodgers said there was nothing wrong with how her son got into office: He filed before the deadline, ran against a Republican write-in candidate; and won.
This is exactly the crap Jase Bolger and Roy Schmidt tried to pull in the state legislature that same year. In the case of Rodgers this was pure, naked nepotism. If there was ever a case to make against the existence of the township, Rodgers proved it with that stunt.
LANSING – Appeals from Mayor Virg Bernero’s administration and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce did not sway Lansing Township to reverse the zoning moratorium that Lansing officials say is threatening a $5.8 million deal to sell the former Waverly Golf Course.
“There’s a reason Lansing Township is known as the North Korea of municipal governments,” Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said in a text message. “We will judge them by their deeds not their words.”
The Lansing Township board decided during a discussion Tuesday night not to revoke the moratorium, which halts parcels of five acres or more from being rezoned until December while township zoning ordinances are updated.
I mean, I don't disagree (though, I'd never heard them compared to North Korea. lol), but that can not be helpful. I think if Virg wanted to be helpful, he could just as easily throw out there a discussion about annexation without all of the insults and see what people have to say. Lansing is at a point now - population growth, budget surpluses - that the idea doesn't seem as ridiculous as it once did when Lansing was still in decline. Lansing could actually sell a case to some township residents that they may be better off as part of the city in a way they couldn't before. You know, plant that seed of a discussion and see what sprouts down the road. I've said long ago that at the very least we should annex the old GM sites to be able to market all of the properties as being in one jurisdiction, and the jurisdiction with all of the economic development tools at its disposal (this is one advantage incorporated cities have over townships in Michigan; they can offer economic development tools and expertise that townships are not able to by law).
Anyway, the actual issue here is that the city has a sale/purchase agreement for the Waverly Golf Course and Michigan Avenue Park with Schostak Bros. & Co. that expires at the end of the year. It's already been delayed months because of this ridiculous moratorium and the township is saying that this could be resolved in four months, which would really be cutting it close. And, that's assuming the township keeps its word, something the city should doubt since this has already stretched on longer than they said it would. The township fired back that Schostak told them they don't even any anchor tenants for this potential redevelopment. I still fails to explain that the purchase agreement will end in a few months. Anyway, just with this article it seems that the township has now reached out to the developer again to see where they are.
The point is that this just shows how much more developed the city of Lansing's planning infrastructure is, and how much this is amateur hour for the township. Here this is township land that they should be falling all over themselves to develop, and they are running around like a bunch of Keystone Cops trying to figure out how to work this deal. That right there is the difference between the city and township. Lansing has the muscle to get this done, and the township is still dicking around because of their tiny staff without the expertise to do these things in a timely manner. Of course, the city has a direct financial interest in speeding this up, but that is not a bad thing. Nearly $6 million for our general fund could go a long way for next fiscal year.
Comments
I was looking at the July 27th council meeting and there were a few interesting items in the "Letter from the Mayor" section:
The Skyvue project is looking to get brownfield incentives.
The Bud Kouts dealership on Michigan is also looking to get brownfield incentives to raze and replace some buildings and add landscaping.
The long vacant property at Cedar & Syringa is up for rezoning to E-2 shopping district, the owner says this is to help sell the property.
The building at 1023 S Washington is applying for OPRA designation.
There's essentially no info on the 1023 S Washington project, and it's only a single story building so I'd be surprised, but very pleased to see anything too exciting for that property. As for the Cedar & Syringa property, I'm glad there's finally some activity with it and hopefully the owner finds a buyer to develop it sooner rather than later.
As for Bud Kouts, I can't see giving a car dealership brownfield incentives to make relatively modest improvements to their property, I hope the City denies any incentives that keep this property an auto dealership. If Bud Kouts wants to stay there, fine, but they'll have to do it on their own dime, incentives are getting way out of hand when they're being offered up to business like this. I'd hope they move though, with the direction Michigan Ave is going, a large car dealership has no place.
Lansing is saying that Lansing Township imposed a rezoning moratorium specifically to hinder the redevelopment of the former Waverly golf course. I don't have a real opinion here as I don't have any real information, but I wouldn't put it past the Township to pull something like this. If it turns out to be true I wonder if it's just to spurn Lansing or if it has to do with their conflicting interests being the developer of the Heights at Eastwood.
This is exactly the crap Jase Bolger and Roy Schmidt tried to pull in the state legislature that same year. In the case of Rodgers this was pure, naked nepotism. If there was ever a case to make against the existence of the township, Rodgers proved it with that stunt.
I mean, I don't disagree (though, I'd never heard them compared to North Korea. lol), but that can not be helpful. I think if Virg wanted to be helpful, he could just as easily throw out there a discussion about annexation without all of the insults and see what people have to say. Lansing is at a point now - population growth, budget surpluses - that the idea doesn't seem as ridiculous as it once did when Lansing was still in decline. Lansing could actually sell a case to some township residents that they may be better off as part of the city in a way they couldn't before. You know, plant that seed of a discussion and see what sprouts down the road. I've said long ago that at the very least we should annex the old GM sites to be able to market all of the properties as being in one jurisdiction, and the jurisdiction with all of the economic development tools at its disposal (this is one advantage incorporated cities have over townships in Michigan; they can offer economic development tools and expertise that townships are not able to by law).
Anyway, the actual issue here is that the city has a sale/purchase agreement for the Waverly Golf Course and Michigan Avenue Park with Schostak Bros. & Co. that expires at the end of the year. It's already been delayed months because of this ridiculous moratorium and the township is saying that this could be resolved in four months, which would really be cutting it close. And, that's assuming the township keeps its word, something the city should doubt since this has already stretched on longer than they said it would. The township fired back that Schostak told them they don't even any anchor tenants for this potential redevelopment. I still fails to explain that the purchase agreement will end in a few months. Anyway, just with this article it seems that the township has now reached out to the developer again to see where they are.
The point is that this just shows how much more developed the city of Lansing's planning infrastructure is, and how much this is amateur hour for the township. Here this is township land that they should be falling all over themselves to develop, and they are running around like a bunch of Keystone Cops trying to figure out how to work this deal. That right there is the difference between the city and township. Lansing has the muscle to get this done, and the township is still dicking around because of their tiny staff without the expertise to do these things in a timely manner. Of course, the city has a direct financial interest in speeding this up, but that is not a bad thing. Nearly $6 million for our general fund could go a long way for next fiscal year.