Okay, what I'm beginning to think downtown Lansing needs, in order to be a viable downtown, which means a 24 hour downtown, amongst other things (performing arts center, grocery store, etc), is a 12-15-story residential mixed use tower - big and bulky like the ones going up in East Lansing. Developers need to take hint and go big. Downtown Lansing needs full-time residents! And right now, I don't care how much 3-4-story infill happens.....Lansing needs a shot in the veins. It needs a gutsy developer. How about the ones who built SkyVue at Frandor? That took a lot of courage and and it seems to have paid off. I appreciate these developers for just taking care of business and not making a big stink (I didn't follow the whole strike thing, granted). I thought it was unfair that it got eyesore of the year in the City Pulse. I think it was a breakthrough for the region and is the start of a totally new and improved Frandor. Though, at this point I'm rooting against the Red Cedar project happening. I'd still like the water work to happen but I'd rather preserve the golf course for a public park (county managed!) and force the development into frandor and the surface lots and underdeveloped sites surrounding the golf course. I think this would make for a MUCH better city and region moving forward. Curious what other people's thoughts are and apologies for the rant.
I appreciate all improvements in downtown over the last 20 years. I think it looks great and a lot of important buildings have been refurbished and/or repurposed (as a sidenote, I'm surprised a restaurant hasn't opened up near the Accident Trust Fund....or any spin-off retail from there being such a large number of employees there. They should, along with LCC be able to support some retail of some sort! This end of downtown is so dead right now). .....So I think the City has built a good base -- the infrastructure's all there, there are great building and parks and public spaces -- It just needs people....and more retail and more residential options. And I'm talking about downtown proper, not east of the river or REO town.
So, imagine if Skyvue had been built in downtown Lansing. It would create an instant market and sustain a lot more life and activity in downtown.
But Mich, I'm with you in wanting to see better design all around for new construction in Lansing area and especially downtown Lansing.
Those are significant developments. I like the Slotkin move. Was the Women's Center on Washington Ave at one point too? I also thought they were in that little building on the river and Grand Ave between the parking garage and the tower?? They sure get around.
This "Bear Lake" area must look like what the first settlers saw when they came into this area is what I think when I take the Dunkel Road exit. I never knew there was a lake back there before looking at the site of the new hospital. I wonder if this area has even ever been logged over or cleared. It could be that there are some "Old Growth" trees back in there. It will be a very cool ride to loop out there from the River Trail.
It will be nice to finally have some public access to the Bear Lake area. It's a fairly big natural area in the middle of the city, 161 acres according to MSU's site.
It's definitely impressive how established forests have become in just 100 years or so, but these forests don't really look like old growth forests do. Even at the forests marked on the map, the ones in the lower peninsula have very small stands of old growth forest. Hartwick Pines only has 49 acres, Russ Forest only has 40 acres and Warren Woods has 300 acres of virgin beech and maple which isn't really old growth in the same sense that the pine forests are. I've been the Hartwick Pines and it's nice, but I'd really like to make it to the Porcupine Mountains with its 31,000 acres of old growth forest.
Thank you for the information about the forests. I thought I had heard that a few spots along the Red Cedar and Sycamore Creek had never been logged because of being in the swamp. Just an old "Indian Story" I guess.
It seems like Mr. Moorse of Lansing was behind a good deal of the clear cut logging west and north of here. His company holds a record for board feet sent to the mills, that lumber was used to rebuild Chicago after the famous fire.
My Great Uncle Albert Sleeper was one of the first governors of Michigan to put some controls on logging and requiring replanting after logging. He started the DNR which began protecting Michigan natural resources at that time. There is a State Park named for him on the tip of the thumb along Lake Huron. I have seen pictures taken at the turn of the last century up there that look like the prairie with no trees at all. We are blessed to have had much of the forest return. One other thought about the old forest is that it was such a physical enterprise to cut down and transport and process almost every tree on the lower penninsula mainly by hand is really something. Our forefathers and mothers were a tough and industious lot.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's a lot of little patches that haven't been logged, especially in swampy areas. I would guess that most trees in very wet areas probably don't get as big or live as long as normal so you end up not getting the really impressive trees.
The Bear lake property owned by MSU currently not public access. There are multiple signs stating this. I think the path will be on under the power lines for the part by the lake. Hopefully, MSU does not put up a new fence there. I do not know if access will change with the new trail. That area is really nice, not completely flat and has some interesting mix of flooded areas and dry higher spots. It would be great if the trail went and connected to Harrison and Trowbridge bike lanes or connected to the Crego Trail spur, the latter of which may be planned.
The last I saw about the Bear Lake Pathway is that it is the first part of connecting the South Lansing Pathway to MSU. Bear Lake Pathway will exit the north side of Beekman Center on the east side of the Tammany Hills Apartments and west of I-496. It is proposed that the trail follow Forest Rd under 496 and then start again on the east side of 496, where it would head north on the edge of Forest Akers West to Mount Hope Hwy. It would then cross Mount Hope near the MSU Tennis Center where trail users could access MSU through Spartan Village. At least that was the plan in late 2016.
The Temple Club and the old Sam's Club on the south side are under contract to be sold (different buyers most likely).
This is great news for both properties. I think it would be easy to convert the old Temple Club to apartments. I'm not sure what business will use the old Sam's Club, hopefully not a self storage business lol.
Comments
Okay, what I'm beginning to think downtown Lansing needs, in order to be a viable downtown, which means a 24 hour downtown, amongst other things (performing arts center, grocery store, etc), is a 12-15-story residential mixed use tower - big and bulky like the ones going up in East Lansing. Developers need to take hint and go big. Downtown Lansing needs full-time residents! And right now, I don't care how much 3-4-story infill happens.....Lansing needs a shot in the veins. It needs a gutsy developer. How about the ones who built SkyVue at Frandor? That took a lot of courage and and it seems to have paid off. I appreciate these developers for just taking care of business and not making a big stink (I didn't follow the whole strike thing, granted). I thought it was unfair that it got eyesore of the year in the City Pulse. I think it was a breakthrough for the region and is the start of a totally new and improved Frandor. Though, at this point I'm rooting against the Red Cedar project happening. I'd still like the water work to happen but I'd rather preserve the golf course for a public park (county managed!) and force the development into frandor and the surface lots and underdeveloped sites surrounding the golf course. I think this would make for a MUCH better city and region moving forward. Curious what other people's thoughts are and apologies for the rant.
I appreciate all improvements in downtown over the last 20 years. I think it looks great and a lot of important buildings have been refurbished and/or repurposed (as a sidenote, I'm surprised a restaurant hasn't opened up near the Accident Trust Fund....or any spin-off retail from there being such a large number of employees there. They should, along with LCC be able to support some retail of some sort! This end of downtown is so dead right now). .....So I think the City has built a good base -- the infrastructure's all there, there are great building and parks and public spaces -- It just needs people....and more retail and more residential options. And I'm talking about downtown proper, not east of the river or REO town.
So, imagine if Skyvue had been built in downtown Lansing. It would create an instant market and sustain a lot more life and activity in downtown.
But Mich, I'm with you in wanting to see better design all around for new construction in Lansing area and especially downtown Lansing.
Those are significant developments. I like the Slotkin move. Was the Women's Center on Washington Ave at one point too? I also thought they were in that little building on the river and Grand Ave between the parking garage and the tower?? They sure get around.
This "Bear Lake" area must look like what the first settlers saw when they came into this area is what I think when I take the Dunkel Road exit. I never knew there was a lake back there before looking at the site of the new hospital. I wonder if this area has even ever been logged over or cleared. It could be that there are some "Old Growth" trees back in there. It will be a very cool ride to loop out there from the River Trail.
It will be nice to finally have some public access to the Bear Lake area. It's a fairly big natural area in the middle of the city, 161 acres according to MSU's site.
It's definitely impressive how established forests have become in just 100 years or so, but these forests don't really look like old growth forests do. Even at the forests marked on the map, the ones in the lower peninsula have very small stands of old growth forest. Hartwick Pines only has 49 acres, Russ Forest only has 40 acres and Warren Woods has 300 acres of virgin beech and maple which isn't really old growth in the same sense that the pine forests are. I've been the Hartwick Pines and it's nice, but I'd really like to make it to the Porcupine Mountains with its 31,000 acres of old growth forest.
Thank you for the information about the forests. I thought I had heard that a few spots along the Red Cedar and Sycamore Creek had never been logged because of being in the swamp. Just an old "Indian Story" I guess.
It seems like Mr. Moorse of Lansing was behind a good deal of the clear cut logging west and north of here. His company holds a record for board feet sent to the mills, that lumber was used to rebuild Chicago after the famous fire.
My Great Uncle Albert Sleeper was one of the first governors of Michigan to put some controls on logging and requiring replanting after logging. He started the DNR which began protecting Michigan natural resources at that time. There is a State Park named for him on the tip of the thumb along Lake Huron. I have seen pictures taken at the turn of the last century up there that look like the prairie with no trees at all. We are blessed to have had much of the forest return. One other thought about the old forest is that it was such a physical enterprise to cut down and transport and process almost every tree on the lower penninsula mainly by hand is really something. Our forefathers and mothers were a tough and industious lot.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's a lot of little patches that haven't been logged, especially in swampy areas. I would guess that most trees in very wet areas probably don't get as big or live as long as normal so you end up not getting the really impressive trees.
The Bear lake property owned by MSU currently not public access. There are multiple signs stating this. I think the path will be on under the power lines for the part by the lake. Hopefully, MSU does not put up a new fence there. I do not know if access will change with the new trail. That area is really nice, not completely flat and has some interesting mix of flooded areas and dry higher spots. It would be great if the trail went and connected to Harrison and Trowbridge bike lanes or connected to the Crego Trail spur, the latter of which may be planned.
The last I saw about the Bear Lake Pathway is that it is the first part of connecting the South Lansing Pathway to MSU. Bear Lake Pathway will exit the north side of Beekman Center on the east side of the Tammany Hills Apartments and west of I-496. It is proposed that the trail follow Forest Rd under 496 and then start again on the east side of 496, where it would head north on the edge of Forest Akers West to Mount Hope Hwy. It would then cross Mount Hope near the MSU Tennis Center where trail users could access MSU through Spartan Village. At least that was the plan in late 2016.
This is great news for both properties. I think it would be easy to convert the old Temple Club to apartments. I'm not sure what business will use the old Sam's Club, hopefully not a self storage business lol.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2019/01/22/lansing-properties-sale-sams-club-temple-club/2501504002/