I'd love to see housing over here, but that's not realistic at all. It is very, very rare even when these sites are clean-up for them to be been as safe enough in the mind of city leaders to put up anything other than industrial parks or other non-residential usages. It also seems pretty clear with how GM's been expanding at Lansing Grand River that they foresee this land are future expansion lands. This area because of it's historic pollution, the fact of the riverfront land being in a floodplain, and the cost of roads to stretch to this isolate site simply isn't going to be viewed as valuable land. This isn't ever going to be some extension of downtown.
Heck, before it was industrial lands (which it has been for a very long time) this was basically an open field for the state fair grounds. It's never been see as part of any traditional neighborhood; I'm not sure most Lansingites, then, would even imagine this being a mixed-use neighborhood.
Yeah the Olds HQ would make a decent spot for a new RE Olds museum also, although I'd personally like to see them move into a space with more vertical room to accommodate larger items/exhibits. I've always wanted to see them expand their focus beyond just cars, adding industrial exhibits/equipment, trains and maybe some other related stuff. This circles back around to the lack of philanthropy in Lansing along with the unwillingness of the City to finance anything noteworthy.
I've also been surprised that one, the Olds Administration building is still standing, and two that nothing has been done or mentioned about it besides serving as a giant Cadillac Billboard. I live on the Westside and often use the access to the River Trail when I go for bike rides and am always amazed by the building even in its current state. The detail and quality of materials show what a statement it was about Oldsmobile. It's one of the better exampleS of International style architecture we have in the area. I thought it was shameful to simply cover it up with the advertisement but at the same time at least it hides all of the clutter inside. I'd love to see something done with the building, sooner rather than later. I'm surprised GM doesn't even want it for local offices of any kind.
It sounds like we're all on the same page as to the importance of Olds and the REOlds Museum. Much of the project I had that focused on REO Town focused on the history and how to incorporate it the way it should be for the impact it had locally and nationally. I think the most surprising to the panel of jurors was how much Olds contributed to Lansing and what we have left to pay respects. The factory was torn down, the mansion was torn down, all that's really left is a museum in a flood plain and a tired administration building behind a rusting chain link fence.
Sorry for the rant, just something I feel strongly on, as I'm sure most of you do too. I'd like to think Lansing has learned their lesson from tearing down anything of possible historical significance that could be saved. I feel the direction taken with Eastern could be evidence of that.
I harped on it recently, but Lansing does a very poor job of keeping its history alive. Sure, there are some really cool building reuses, but it's often disconnected from the history of the area. You've got tiny villages and small cities with local history museums. Where is Lansing's local history treasure trove? In the basement of its downtown library.
Generally, the cultural amentities we have don't match their structures. On one end of things you've got the state historical center, which is weirdly in too large a building to isolated from the core of downtown (and on top of that a state government that has to date not figured out how to properly organized and market it). On the other you have museums like Impression 5 which should be in larger structures in more prominent locations.
I always laugh when I driving around the greater downtown area and you see the way-finding signs pointing to a "museum district." lol Lansing has to do better matching museums to appropriate structures, finding ways to better tie together (physically and marketing-wise) its cultural amenities, developing more museums/cultural centers, etc..., and generally just realizing that it's a city with a interesting local history and celebrating that better than it does. I've really found it odd that even as the inner-city has started to take off development and redevelopment-wise that the growth in the sense of place and sense of history and civic pride has not grown at nearly the same clip, and that, in fact, that aspect of the city has declined.
Thank you to everyone for your interesting thoughts, it is so great to find others who think about these things.
I had not thought of it but a R.E. Olds/Lansing history museum would be great in either the old Olds buildings or the Eckhart site. I was looking at the area and if that land were to become a park with the cooling towers gone there could be space for the river trail to go up the north shore of the river to Grand River Park.
I often entertain thoughts of what I would do with all of that area around MLK. I think it could be a high density neighborhood with an industrial and transportation "innovation district" starting at the Olds administration building. Build new housing on the high north bank. Maybe cover the railroad tracks and build over them. I could see a "greenway" covering 496 with buildings at the cross streets that would reconnect the area to downtown. It does seem that GM is slowly filling in the empty spaces, so I know there is little chance of anything else will be built there.
I like Lymon89's comments and passion for Lansing. We have such a great city with nearly two hundred years of history, things that happened in Lansing changed the world. Maybe it is because the most people who live here now did not grow up here and don't have the same interest here. We should be promoting this history through preservation of what is left of our 19th and 20th century Lansing. Educating students and residents about Lansing and how great it is that we still have a real city with it's own identity and sense of place. Saving the old pieces, and making new redevelopment unique and beautiful will save Lansing from becoming just another ugly little city.
LANSING — A small grocery store will open in the Lansing City Market next month.
Igor Jurkovic, the owner of Mediteran Café and Catering in the Capitol National Bank building, plans to open the 1,000 square-foot store on Nov. 1.
“Everyone’s been focusing on bars and breweries,” Jurkovic said. “There’s not really a place where people living in the area can pick up a few quick groceries.”
The grocery store, which has yet to be named, will offer deli meats and cheeses, Michigan-made beer and wine and other grocery items such as bread and milk. Jurkovic plans to hire three staff members to run the store.
Apart from his other ventures mentioned, Jurkovic operates the kitchen in the Exchange up on Michigan which has been supplying the restaurant in the City Market with fresh produce. The great thing about this store is that they plan to keep it open until 9 PM on weekdays. As someone who lives nearby that's going to be great, and will serve Market Place, Outfield, and Stadium District residents well. Hopefully, they have enough of a selection to keep residents from going to the edges of town to find food and hopefully they support it enough to allow those late hours to stick.
Well, it's a start. I'm not sure whatever you can squeeze into a 1k sq ft space is going to be enough to convince people to frequent it though. It seems like a general purpose grocer is also kind of counterproductive to the idea of a market. Then again, the current City Market is a failure anyways, maybe it will just end up being the grocery store and the restaurant.
While it is true I think the should tear the building down and start over, it does not seem like that will happen, not until they build the casino anyway. So I do think that this a positive thing for market and neighbors. I have seen some pretty small grocery's out east, they often have high stacked shelves. Here is the thing, as a person who goes to the market, for me a stroll down the river trail, I would go to a grocery there. Again out east the connivance of the little neighborhood grocery was had for a price. I don't know if a little expensive grocery will make it there. That will be a balance that could be a challenge.
Ever since I returned to Lansing I have gone to the vendors that are there, the space is very warehouse like place, with the only real professional set up being the cheese vendor. Help all the vendors to create a better more permanent looking spaces. Somehow warm the whole place up, the silver insulation is cold and ugly. Make the place look less cheap is the word I would use.
The more thought I've put into it the more I feel like there is no saving the current market; the location is poor for a market, the building is cheaply built and small with little to no room to expand and there's very little parking.
I continue to think the best solution is to move the market to larger lot and model it more after Detroit's Eastern Market with elements of Grand Rapids Downtown Market also. As I've mentioned before my first choice for a location for a new market would be in the Atmosphere Annealing building on Mt Hope as a centerpiece to the redevelopment of that complex, another great location would be to build new on the Friedland's property. Almost any large property on a main road between Old Town and REO Town could do though.
Realistically, the market will probably be allowed to flounder for years, if not decades and will be closed after nobody cares, the land sold off for development.
LANSING — The tarp glided down to the rooftop of The Nut House on Michigan Avenue.
This was the big reveal, the culmination of the Creative Placemaking Summit hosted by the Arts Council of Greater Lansing at the Lansing Center on Thursday.
On the wall underneath was a mural painted in the style of the vintage postcard. It read “Greetings from Lansing, Michigan” and “Alive after 5.” A painted scene filled each block letter: Oldsmobiles, the Lugnuts Stadium, and of course, beer.
The mural was commissioned by Downtown Lansing Inc.
Comments
Heck, before it was industrial lands (which it has been for a very long time) this was basically an open field for the state fair grounds. It's never been see as part of any traditional neighborhood; I'm not sure most Lansingites, then, would even imagine this being a mixed-use neighborhood.
It sounds like we're all on the same page as to the importance of Olds and the REOlds Museum. Much of the project I had that focused on REO Town focused on the history and how to incorporate it the way it should be for the impact it had locally and nationally. I think the most surprising to the panel of jurors was how much Olds contributed to Lansing and what we have left to pay respects. The factory was torn down, the mansion was torn down, all that's really left is a museum in a flood plain and a tired administration building behind a rusting chain link fence.
Sorry for the rant, just something I feel strongly on, as I'm sure most of you do too. I'd like to think Lansing has learned their lesson from tearing down anything of possible historical significance that could be saved. I feel the direction taken with Eastern could be evidence of that.
Generally, the cultural amentities we have don't match their structures. On one end of things you've got the state historical center, which is weirdly in too large a building to isolated from the core of downtown (and on top of that a state government that has to date not figured out how to properly organized and market it). On the other you have museums like Impression 5 which should be in larger structures in more prominent locations.
I always laugh when I driving around the greater downtown area and you see the way-finding signs pointing to a "museum district." lol Lansing has to do better matching museums to appropriate structures, finding ways to better tie together (physically and marketing-wise) its cultural amenities, developing more museums/cultural centers, etc..., and generally just realizing that it's a city with a interesting local history and celebrating that better than it does. I've really found it odd that even as the inner-city has started to take off development and redevelopment-wise that the growth in the sense of place and sense of history and civic pride has not grown at nearly the same clip, and that, in fact, that aspect of the city has declined.
I had not thought of it but a R.E. Olds/Lansing history museum would be great in either the old Olds buildings or the Eckhart site. I was looking at the area and if that land were to become a park with the cooling towers gone there could be space for the river trail to go up the north shore of the river to Grand River Park.
I often entertain thoughts of what I would do with all of that area around MLK. I think it could be a high density neighborhood with an industrial and transportation "innovation district" starting at the Olds administration building. Build new housing on the high north bank. Maybe cover the railroad tracks and build over them. I could see a "greenway" covering 496 with buildings at the cross streets that would reconnect the area to downtown. It does seem that GM is slowly filling in the empty spaces, so I know there is little chance of anything else will be built there.
I like Lymon89's comments and passion for Lansing. We have such a great city with nearly two hundred years of history, things that happened in Lansing changed the world. Maybe it is because the most people who live here now did not grow up here and don't have the same interest here. We should be promoting this history through preservation of what is left of our 19th and 20th century Lansing. Educating students and residents about Lansing and how great it is that we still have a real city with it's own identity and sense of place. Saving the old pieces, and making new redevelopment unique and beautiful will save Lansing from becoming just another ugly little city.
Apart from his other ventures mentioned, Jurkovic operates the kitchen in the Exchange up on Michigan which has been supplying the restaurant in the City Market with fresh produce. The great thing about this store is that they plan to keep it open until 9 PM on weekdays. As someone who lives nearby that's going to be great, and will serve Market Place, Outfield, and Stadium District residents well. Hopefully, they have enough of a selection to keep residents from going to the edges of town to find food and hopefully they support it enough to allow those late hours to stick.
Ever since I returned to Lansing I have gone to the vendors that are there, the space is very warehouse like place, with the only real professional set up being the cheese vendor. Help all the vendors to create a better more permanent looking spaces. Somehow warm the whole place up, the silver insulation is cold and ugly. Make the place look less cheap is the word I would use.
I continue to think the best solution is to move the market to larger lot and model it more after Detroit's Eastern Market with elements of Grand Rapids Downtown Market also. As I've mentioned before my first choice for a location for a new market would be in the Atmosphere Annealing building on Mt Hope as a centerpiece to the redevelopment of that complex, another great location would be to build new on the Friedland's property. Almost any large property on a main road between Old Town and REO Town could do though.
Realistically, the market will probably be allowed to flounder for years, if not decades and will be closed after nobody cares, the land sold off for development.
The mural was commissioned by Downtown Lansing Inc.