Did check a little more into it and it looks like it goes back a little while, though Boji did include it in an ad for three developments for Lansing in last month's edition of "Greater Lansing Business Monthly" so maybe there's some new movement on it.
On another note, I noticed that the sign for the "Under the Bridge" project is up near the interstate.
So, I went to see when the most recent news was on the move, and it appears that the Michigan Strategic Fund did in fact authorize up to $70 million in bonding for the move (this from a February 2015 story on the project). Because so many people are unhappy with this, it was not brought up for a vote by the State Senate, and has been kept on the down-low by the current State Senate Majority Leader, who know spearheads the project and supports it (after having originally opposed it). A vote to change FOIA rules in May, the Senate is no longer bound by FOIA so no one can follow what's happened, either. So, Lord only knows what's going on with this project.
I'm actually not crazy over the move, particularly since the part that would have included selling the Farnum Building is off. The way this was done was wrong and the political hypocrisy of the move is just too much for me, but I won't get into that. lol
I walked downtown yesterday and noticed the shops that were open had people in them. I went on down to the City Market to check out the new grocery. It was pretty nice, and I found a few things to take home, and they did have things like milk bread butter, even cleaning supplies and other basic groceries and some fancy stuff too. Still the stall or area in the market makes it look kind of small and perhaps temporary. I know they are trying to figure out a new plan for the market, and here is what I have said before make the stalls look like more of a shop with walls on the sides and back like the bar there. Displays up front and then maybe a feel of walking into a shop to find more would look a less like a parking lot farmers market.
They have touched up the murals along the River Trail behind the museums. They look much better. It would be great if they city used some of the money they are saving with no snow to clean up the water ways and banks. It is easy to see the junk and litter with no leafs on the bushes. Some places along the trail the rivers look really gross were fallen trees and branches collect the floating litter and duck weed [that green stuff]. It could be done from a small boat.
I went into the Lansing Center to look at the Lansing Sports Hall of Fame, and found the plaque for the 1963 Sexton Big Reds State Champion Football team, my brother was the quarterback! That was very cool and I was impressed with to whole display.
Regarding the debris in the river, the BWL organizes the Adopt-A-River clean up every spring: Adopt-A-River - BWL
I participated in it a few times when I was a kid, I really should again. There's events and giveaways for the volunteers plus they feed everyone, they get a pretty decent number of people to come.
The Sense of Place in the Arts grants are grants of between $5,000 to $30,000 for "community-driven placemaking projects." The grants announced for this year include things like "Symphonic Cinema" which will have the Lansing Symphony Orchestra give a free downtown concert during the Capital City Film Festival. The Lansing Art Gallery will have a "Great Art Giveaway" downtown which will use the underutilized newspaper kiosks on Washington to distributed free, Michigan-made art every week. Other grants will got to help fund the Great American Fish Rodeo, a grant for the Old Town Commercial Association to put up permanent decorative signage for their self-guided walking tours and wayfinding, etc...I think probably the biggest thing is the grant to help the REO Town Commercial Association develop a permanent outdoor event space to help hold the events they currently do in the middle of Washington. Where this would be, I'm having a hard time picturing.
The other thing the city announced was the Arts Impact Project, which was not fleshed out in the release. Apparently, it will be an annaul grant which this one going to an "Artistic Gateway" along Museum Drive, which is to help visual connect the "Cultural District" with activity along Michigan Avenue. No renderings have been given for this; I'd love to see them.
I will be volunteer for the clean up. I wonder if the city can compel property owners to clean up, as there is a very visible bunch of junk thrown over the high bank next to Moores Park. It looks like the trash may have been there for a long time. It is the only house along that bank that has this problem.
It is great that REO town will be getting some funds. There is a large empty lot behind a white brick vacant building on the corner of Elm and S Washington, that could be where this outdoor event space could be located. The white brick building is perhaps a former gas station or maybe a car dealership, is an interesting building with some ornate trims and red tiled roof facade. There is a similar building with white brick around the corner on South street. I wonder what that building was built as, it is kind of fancy for it's size and location. You can see, if you look around off Washington into the neighborhoods it must have been a nice place to live with fancy big homes. Still is a nice neighborhood just needs a little love.
It will be interesting to see the Artistic Gateway, I hope they also rethink the whole area with some stairways and better bike path from Mich. Ave down to the River Trail and some signage like This way to The Museum District, Michigan Ave and Downtown, from the River Trail. Make it easy and safe for walkers and bikers to stop downtown or visit the Capitol.
I'm with on that gbinlansing. The Michigan Avenue signage along the trail is really looking really wore out. Maybe it will be updated when (if) they put the stairs back.
At the risk of turning this into a river trail discussion, I would love if they updated the lighting, after Shiawasee heading north just to Old Town, to the same lights that are along the trail by the City Market. They are much brighter and I'm sure much more efficient (though I'm sure much more expensive). I never feel comfortable going too much farther north than Shiawasee while walking the dog after it gets dark as the lights there are a little on the dim side, their too far apart, and some of them aren't even functioning making it even worse.
Circling back to art, everytime I walk past the Cooley Law School building on Capitol Ave, I always envision a huge mural covering the entire blank wall on its south side, though a building next to it could work too
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On another note, I noticed that the sign for the "Under the Bridge" project is up near the interstate.
At least some of the other projects are starting to move forward nicely.
They have touched up the murals along the River Trail behind the museums. They look much better. It would be great if they city used some of the money they are saving with no snow to clean up the water ways and banks. It is easy to see the junk and litter with no leafs on the bushes. Some places along the trail the rivers look really gross were fallen trees and branches collect the floating litter and duck weed [that green stuff]. It could be done from a small boat.
I went into the Lansing Center to look at the Lansing Sports Hall of Fame, and found the plaque for the 1963 Sexton Big Reds State Champion Football team, my brother was the quarterback! That was very cool and I was impressed with to whole display.
I participated in it a few times when I was a kid, I really should again. There's events and giveaways for the volunteers plus they feed everyone, they get a pretty decent number of people to come.
The Sense of Place in the Arts grants are grants of between $5,000 to $30,000 for "community-driven placemaking projects." The grants announced for this year include things like "Symphonic Cinema" which will have the Lansing Symphony Orchestra give a free downtown concert during the Capital City Film Festival. The Lansing Art Gallery will have a "Great Art Giveaway" downtown which will use the underutilized newspaper kiosks on Washington to distributed free, Michigan-made art every week. Other grants will got to help fund the Great American Fish Rodeo, a grant for the Old Town Commercial Association to put up permanent decorative signage for their self-guided walking tours and wayfinding, etc...I think probably the biggest thing is the grant to help the REO Town Commercial Association develop a permanent outdoor event space to help hold the events they currently do in the middle of Washington. Where this would be, I'm having a hard time picturing.
The other thing the city announced was the Arts Impact Project, which was not fleshed out in the release. Apparently, it will be an annaul grant which this one going to an "Artistic Gateway" along Museum Drive, which is to help visual connect the "Cultural District" with activity along Michigan Avenue. No renderings have been given for this; I'd love to see them.
It is great that REO town will be getting some funds. There is a large empty lot behind a white brick vacant building on the corner of Elm and S Washington, that could be where this outdoor event space could be located. The white brick building is perhaps a former gas station or maybe a car dealership, is an interesting building with some ornate trims and red tiled roof facade. There is a similar building with white brick around the corner on South street. I wonder what that building was built as, it is kind of fancy for it's size and location. You can see, if you look around off Washington into the neighborhoods it must have been a nice place to live with fancy big homes. Still is a nice neighborhood just needs a little love.
It will be interesting to see the Artistic Gateway, I hope they also rethink the whole area with some stairways and better bike path from Mich. Ave down to the River Trail and some signage like This way to The Museum District, Michigan Ave and Downtown, from the River Trail. Make it easy and safe for walkers and bikers to stop downtown or visit the Capitol.
At the risk of turning this into a river trail discussion, I would love if they updated the lighting, after Shiawasee heading north just to Old Town, to the same lights that are along the trail by the City Market. They are much brighter and I'm sure much more efficient (though I'm sure much more expensive). I never feel comfortable going too much farther north than Shiawasee while walking the dog after it gets dark as the lights there are a little on the dim side, their too far apart, and some of them aren't even functioning making it even worse.
Circling back to art, everytime I walk past the Cooley Law School building on Capitol Ave, I always envision a huge mural covering the entire blank wall on its south side, though a building next to it could work too