I agree that just about all hope is lost for the market in its current form and at its location, I've thought that just about since I saw what they were building. There is still hope for a great City Market at a new location though, I think the size and scope should be significantly expanded. I made a SketchUp model of a hypothetical redevelopment of the factory complex at Mt Hope & Washington that includes a new City Market (in the Atmosphere Annealing building) so I've thought a lot about what I'd do if I were designing it... There should be space for permanent, seasonal and pop-up vendors, along with a couple restaurants. There should be a market-run grocery that stocks basics like milk, pop and other items determined by what isn't being sold by vendors (this would encourage people to rely on the market as their primary shopping stop). There should also be a considerable amount of multi-use space, it could accommodate things like larger farmers markets, flea markets, arts & crafts shows, etc. It could also house just about any of the types of events and/or festivals that would normally put up large tents in parking lots or fields. I'd also like to see a wholesale market similar to the one at Detroit's Eastern Market if this area could support it, I feel like it could really help local restaurants and small stores get more and better local products.
My first thought was naturally “What?! Not downtown?” but that could actually be a great location. It’s the southern edge of REO Town so it could build off that success, surrounded by relatively dense (by Lansing standards) and walkable residential neighborhoods, huge space for future growth, and easy to get to by car, bus, or bike.
I would completely support ditching the current market altogether for a new location and concept.
In Boston [sorry it's the only other place I know well] they have the Hay Market which is outdoor setup and taken down each market day. There they sell produce only, it is not a farmer's market, the sellers offer good prices on "B" produce which generally what the green wholesaler did not sell the day before as "A" fresh today, this is what the market vendors buy and bring to the market. Around the corner is the Faneuil Hall Market Place and Quincy Market, which I think are closer to what a "City Market" should be with permanent businesses in a nice food hall/ retail hall kind of set up. There are also weekly "from the farm" farmers markets set up in the same neighborhood. I think the area that the current city market occupies could lend itself to a similar concept, a real food/retail hall/entertainment venue/bars type City Market, Also with a fresh food, and produce market, and a seasonal Farmer's Market. I know I have talked about this before but a beautiful "tourist attraction" pedestrian bridge that leads to this area would bring more people to the area which is now an empty space. Somehow if we want people to shop downtown we have to offer something to buy there. Maybe a floating market with vendors set up on floating barges in the river!
Looks like we won the parking crater award! It is difficult to understand why we knocked down the whole west side of our city for surface parking lots from here, it must look really crazy from outside of Lansing.
So in an ideal world, SOM sells off the lots and uses revenue to build a garage or two. It's kind of a dead zone, so what gets built? You have high density office in the immediate vicinity, but it's "far" from the commercial density along Washington and Michigan.
I’d like to see some residential, like townhouses or something, in those empty fields north of Kalamazoo. There’s no real shortage of housing in Lansing, but there does seem to be a shortage of updated, move-in ready housing close to downtown. It’d be a perfect location for people who work downtown. You could market quality townhomes to an older demographic. They might even prefer the fact that it’s a little bit outside of the “hustle and bustle” of Washington and Michigan. It’s great that young professionals are moving in, but not everyone wants to live in tiny apartments, and downtown can’t just survive off of young people moving there for a couple years before leaving and buying a house in the suburbs.
I think there may have been plans for all of the surface lots downtown but it seems like the state is no longer interested in building on those areas and the private lots must be more valuable as parking lots. The corner of Michigan and Grand comes to mind. If you can't build on that lot where can you build? Outstate lawmakers detest spending money on Lansing and that is why it has taken forty years to build the buildings we have now. Back when they planned and evacuated the area it was supposed to be built all at once filling the whole area from Capitol Ave. to Logan/MLK. but there is still surface lots right in the center of the whole complex. Why?
I was walking down Capitol Ave the other day and the street itself is so cratered with potholes and seams breaking up it looks as though some battle had taken place.The brick street under the blacktop shows through in places and seems to be in better shape. The sidewalks are covered with debris from the street which one could fall on. What I wonder is what do these lawmakers think when they are going to work at the Capitol? Are they happy that Lansing looks like this? I suspect that there are some who are happy.
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There's also a medical clinic in the second floor of the Flint farmers market, which brings extra traffic to the market.
I agree that just about all hope is lost for the market in its current form and at its location, I've thought that just about since I saw what they were building. There is still hope for a great City Market at a new location though, I think the size and scope should be significantly expanded. I made a SketchUp model of a hypothetical redevelopment of the factory complex at Mt Hope & Washington that includes a new City Market (in the Atmosphere Annealing building) so I've thought a lot about what I'd do if I were designing it... There should be space for permanent, seasonal and pop-up vendors, along with a couple restaurants. There should be a market-run grocery that stocks basics like milk, pop and other items determined by what isn't being sold by vendors (this would encourage people to rely on the market as their primary shopping stop). There should also be a considerable amount of multi-use space, it could accommodate things like larger farmers markets, flea markets, arts & crafts shows, etc. It could also house just about any of the types of events and/or festivals that would normally put up large tents in parking lots or fields. I'd also like to see a wholesale market similar to the one at Detroit's Eastern Market if this area could support it, I feel like it could really help local restaurants and small stores get more and better local products.
I would completely support ditching the current market altogether for a new location and concept.
As a frequenter of the southside farmer's market on Thursdays- I would love a daily farmer's market in the southside.
In Boston [sorry it's the only other place I know well] they have the Hay Market which is outdoor setup and taken down each market day. There they sell produce only, it is not a farmer's market, the sellers offer good prices on "B" produce which generally what the green wholesaler did not sell the day before as "A" fresh today, this is what the market vendors buy and bring to the market. Around the corner is the Faneuil Hall Market Place and Quincy Market, which I think are closer to what a "City Market" should be with permanent businesses in a nice food hall/ retail hall kind of set up. There are also weekly "from the farm" farmers markets set up in the same neighborhood. I think the area that the current city market occupies could lend itself to a similar concept, a real food/retail hall/entertainment venue/bars type City Market, Also with a fresh food, and produce market, and a seasonal Farmer's Market. I know I have talked about this before but a beautiful "tourist attraction" pedestrian bridge that leads to this area would bring more people to the area which is now an empty space. Somehow if we want people to shop downtown we have to offer something to buy there. Maybe a floating market with vendors set up on floating barges in the river!
what does EDIT mean? There is new demolition work going on at the old Y building, maybe this project is really getting underway!
Looks like we won the parking crater award! It is difficult to understand why we knocked down the whole west side of our city for surface parking lots from here, it must look really crazy from outside of Lansing.
I'm sure others from this forum know, but this topic generated some interesting discussion on /r/lansing on the reddit site.
https://www.reddit.com/r/lansing/comments/8dpv9d/lansing_is_your_2018_parking_madness_champion/
So in an ideal world, SOM sells off the lots and uses revenue to build a garage or two. It's kind of a dead zone, so what gets built? You have high density office in the immediate vicinity, but it's "far" from the commercial density along Washington and Michigan.
I think there may have been plans for all of the surface lots downtown but it seems like the state is no longer interested in building on those areas and the private lots must be more valuable as parking lots. The corner of Michigan and Grand comes to mind. If you can't build on that lot where can you build? Outstate lawmakers detest spending money on Lansing and that is why it has taken forty years to build the buildings we have now. Back when they planned and evacuated the area it was supposed to be built all at once filling the whole area from Capitol Ave. to Logan/MLK. but there is still surface lots right in the center of the whole complex. Why?
I was walking down Capitol Ave the other day and the street itself is so cratered with potholes and seams breaking up it looks as though some battle had taken place.The brick street under the blacktop shows through in places and seems to be in better shape. The sidewalks are covered with debris from the street which one could fall on. What I wonder is what do these lawmakers think when they are going to work at the Capitol? Are they happy that Lansing looks like this? I suspect that there are some who are happy.