Thanks for pointing out the City Pulse architecture article. I read the Pulse regularly, but hadn't noticed it yet. I agree with much that is stated there, especially on the SkyView design. To me I guess the white panels, starkly against the blue give it an unfinished/insulation/drywall appearance. Would have been interested to see their views on the MarketPlace Apts (and City Market as well). They did note that the Outfield Apts fit in that area due to the "playful" design and being next to the Cooley Stadium. Also in East Lansing the Broad Art Museum - I've been in it several times. I'm one of those that's okay with the design. Interesting that 1855 Place is considered conspicuous, though the art museum, not mentioned, I think is even more so and definitely intended to be. While briefly mentioned, I'd also be interested on their take of the Chandler Crossing/dull design/northern sprawl working perhaps in opposition/contrast (not sure of the word) to the increased density near the city core?
I thought one point they made about how the use of local stone and bricks that give a building local references are being replaced by mass-produced metal and plastic panels made in Eastern Europe and used all over the world. I understand spreadsheet design and mass-production[noted in the artical] that does not mean they are forced to use them. I look at the new Willow Street building by The School for the Blind site, where they found a way to use stone and brick and it really looks like a Lansing Michigan building. I hope that developers and architects would start thinking about including local materials not just as a historical reference [something that reproduces an old design] but as a local reference in a contemporary design. Of course, someplace like the art museum which is not supposed to fit in, and the new buildings of 1855 Place do not look like Lansing buildings of the past anyway but they have interesting designs i.e. not boring or ugly and I think are good examples of contemporary architectural design and of 21st Centuary Lansing and MSU.
This is good news. The city responded [I wrote to the Mayor directly] to my request to repaint the lane markings for the new 3 lane configuration alining the old with the new pavement by Pattengill. Even though they are going to repave this area soon it is good that they repainted the lines as some drivers could not figure it out. It will be great to be able to use this street to get to E.L. and Okemos again. I am ready for some more ambitious goals like repave and rebuild 100 miles of streets a year for the next four years and get the job done[crazy goal I know]. When I look at the map of projects this year it seems like such a tiny fraction of what needs to be repaved.
I never saw the taco place open, I used to think it was only open for bar hours. I am not downtown so much at night so who knows? The pizza place could be a success there are not any "good" pizza restaurants downtown other than a slice of Grand Ma style pizza at Roma Bakery. Also if it is not too "artisanal" as some oven-fired pizza places can be, there is one place in Old Town where the menu warns against asking to leave something off the pie, we are instructed to "trust them". I did and the sausage was so spicy and hot and there was so much of it I could not eat it. so yeah not like that!
I go by this building often and I noticed some renovation going on in the front of the building nearest to S Washington. That may be the area this new business is moving into. I would like to see the owners of this complex restore the Washington Avenue side of the facade as they did on the Mt Hope side. I think there would be the old brickwork under that tan colored corrugated metal siding.
This is great news. I have been waiting to hear about this one since I moved back here in '15, it really is a nice building and finally, it is going to get a new life. [I hope]
Well, I've been following along and not participating because my computer was s broken and I hate typing on my phone...
The news on Holmes St school is great.That neighborhood is really struggling and it could use something positive to help stabilize it. It was really weird how they got as far as putting steel up for the new atrium or whatever and suddenly stopped. It's been what, 10+ years?
The "flexible space" scares me regarding the performing arts center. I don't know what that really means so I'll try to hold judgement but it sounds like something potentially not even resembling a concert hall. I find it incredibly hard to believe that downtown couldn't support a 1500 seat true concert hall, as long as it can accommodate more traditional bands it should do well. In the back of my head I've wondered if one of the previously mentioned proposals may be related to the old Michigan Theater, could Gentilozzi rebuild a theater on the back side as part of his development?
We had a "flexible space" at the Civic Center, they could fit a whole three-ring circus in the Civic Center elephants and all. Looking back on it I think we should have kept the Civic Center even if we did build the Lansing Center. I know it was a difficult time in our history and planners could not imagine a time when Lansing could fill two civic halls again. Like now!
We also had a 1,500 seat auditorium in the Michigan Theater, it might be a good idea to build a theater/PAC there again. At a theater there we could have theatrical performances, the symphony, cinema festivals perhaps even first-run movies filling the seats when the theater is not used for other events.
There are also very nice theatric auditoriums in Sexton High School and Dwight Rich[at least there was when I went there:}]. Even though it is not downtown I could see Sexton's Auditorium being developed as a performance center. There is space that right behind the building for a lobby and a parking structure.
I hope this does not turn into a lot of talk about something that is just not going to happen. We have found the civic will to fund a new football stadium for the new Eastern High School maybe that is a good sign that people would support building a new PAC. I really think that Lansing could easily support a 1,500 seat "flexible" PAC.
Comments
Thanks for pointing out the City Pulse architecture article. I read the Pulse regularly, but hadn't noticed it yet. I agree with much that is stated there, especially on the SkyView design. To me I guess the white panels, starkly against the blue give it an unfinished/insulation/drywall appearance. Would have been interested to see their views on the MarketPlace Apts (and City Market as well). They did note that the Outfield Apts fit in that area due to the "playful" design and being next to the Cooley Stadium. Also in East Lansing the Broad Art Museum - I've been in it several times. I'm one of those that's okay with the design. Interesting that 1855 Place is considered conspicuous, though the art museum, not mentioned, I think is even more so and definitely intended to be. While briefly mentioned, I'd also be interested on their take of the Chandler Crossing/dull design/northern sprawl working perhaps in opposition/contrast (not sure of the word) to the increased density near the city core?
I thought one point they made about how the use of local stone and bricks that give a building local references are being replaced by mass-produced metal and plastic panels made in Eastern Europe and used all over the world. I understand spreadsheet design and mass-production[noted in the artical] that does not mean they are forced to use them. I look at the new Willow Street building by The School for the Blind site, where they found a way to use stone and brick and it really looks like a Lansing Michigan building. I hope that developers and architects would start thinking about including local materials not just as a historical reference [something that reproduces an old design] but as a local reference in a contemporary design. Of course, someplace like the art museum which is not supposed to fit in, and the new buildings of 1855 Place do not look like Lansing buildings of the past anyway but they have interesting designs i.e. not boring or ugly and I think are good examples of contemporary architectural design and of 21st Centuary Lansing and MSU.
This is good news. The city responded [I wrote to the Mayor directly] to my request to repaint the lane markings for the new 3 lane configuration alining the old with the new pavement by Pattengill. Even though they are going to repave this area soon it is good that they repainted the lines as some drivers could not figure it out. It will be great to be able to use this street to get to E.L. and Okemos again. I am ready for some more ambitious goals like repave and rebuild 100 miles of streets a year for the next four years and get the job done[crazy goal I know]. When I look at the map of projects this year it seems like such a tiny fraction of what needs to be repaved.
I never saw the taco place open, I used to think it was only open for bar hours. I am not downtown so much at night so who knows? The pizza place could be a success there are not any "good" pizza restaurants downtown other than a slice of Grand Ma style pizza at Roma Bakery. Also if it is not too "artisanal" as some oven-fired pizza places can be, there is one place in Old Town where the menu warns against asking to leave something off the pie, we are instructed to "trust them". I did and the sausage was so spicy and hot and there was so much of it I could not eat it. so yeah not like that!
I go by this building often and I noticed some renovation going on in the front of the building nearest to S Washington. That may be the area this new business is moving into. I would like to see the owners of this complex restore the Washington Avenue side of the facade as they did on the Mt Hope side. I think there would be the old brickwork under that tan colored corrugated metal siding.
This is great news. I have been waiting to hear about this one since I moved back here in '15, it really is a nice building and finally, it is going to get a new life. [I hope]
The news on Holmes St school is great.That neighborhood is really struggling and it could use something positive to help stabilize it. It was really weird how they got as far as putting steel up for the new atrium or whatever and suddenly stopped. It's been what, 10+ years?
The "flexible space" scares me regarding the performing arts center. I don't know what that really means so I'll try to hold judgement but it sounds like something potentially not even resembling a concert hall. I find it incredibly hard to believe that downtown couldn't support a 1500 seat true concert hall, as long as it can accommodate more traditional bands it should do well. In the back of my head I've wondered if one of the previously mentioned proposals may be related to the old Michigan Theater, could Gentilozzi rebuild a theater on the back side as part of his development?
We had a "flexible space" at the Civic Center, they could fit a whole three-ring circus in the Civic Center elephants and all. Looking back on it I think we should have kept the Civic Center even if we did build the Lansing Center. I know it was a difficult time in our history and planners could not imagine a time when Lansing could fill two civic halls again. Like now!
We also had a 1,500 seat auditorium in the Michigan Theater, it might be a good idea to build a theater/PAC there again. At a theater there we could have theatrical performances, the symphony, cinema festivals perhaps even first-run movies filling the seats when the theater is not used for other events.
There are also very nice theatric auditoriums in Sexton High School and Dwight Rich[at least there was when I went there:}]. Even though it is not downtown I could see Sexton's Auditorium being developed as a performance center. There is space that right behind the building for a lobby and a parking structure.
I hope this does not turn into a lot of talk about something that is just not going to happen. We have found the civic will to fund a new football stadium for the new Eastern High School maybe that is a good sign that people would support building a new PAC. I really think that Lansing could easily support a 1,500 seat "flexible" PAC.