This is big news, there's just not enough info now to do much more than ask questions at this point. From the sound of the article the new hospital would be in the tech park itself since it said that it would be on "property owned by MSU that is technically not part of the school's campus".
The property in the tech park is owned by the MSU Foundation. I found that out by accident last week. There's a sign in front of 4000 Collins Rd saying that MSU Foundation is moving there from the north side of the tech park. Living as close as I do to this area I have mixed feelings about the possible hospital here though.
I like the idea of MSU building a hospital in Lansing. The present location of "Lansing General" I'm not sure what they call it now, has always seemed strange to me. In the old days there was no ramp off Penn. and you had to drive down the local residential streets to get there. So building a new hospital somewhere else would be a good idea. However it seems like they are going from one odd location to another odd location. I was thinking this as I drove out to the central Post Office out there in the corn fields. Why did they put the Post Office out there? Why would they build a hospital out there? I can think of many reasons not to, and not many that say this is the place to build a hospital. If it has to be in that area, how about where the closed hotel is.
I suspect because it's basically right off a freeway exit and they already own the land, the latter probably being the primary reason.
Speaking of the vacant hotel, has it still not been renovated? It was supposed to be The House, a student apartment complex. I haven't been down on that side of the exit in quite awhile and just figured it was already done.
The Vacant Hotel is still not finished. I drive by it everyday on my commute to/from work. There is a sign out front that says 'Now Leasing', but the doors to the building and some windows are boarded up. Somewhat disappointing. My assumption is, if the project is still on, the developers (not sure who they are off hand) are going at a slow pace due to finances.
For the proposed hospital, I don't think that location is too bad. If does have good freeway access as mentioned, and Collins Rd most times of the day is not busy. Any new hospital should be on the east side of town, I think, and the article indicated that any hospital relocation has to be within 2 miles from the old location (which the Collins Rd location is from Penn). I have longed hoped that MSU would open its own hospital, but always assumed it would be along Service Road, near the existing Clinical Center.
Yeah the location is really odd though. It's not built well in to the existing mass transit. The ideal location would be along the BRT route and close to a population center, not directly across the street from presumably permanent corn fields.
The location also isn't that great for biking either, and basically requires that all hospital employees drive to work there.
The legislature could always pass a new law granting exemption or a larger radius for the move if it was required. That is a larger hurdle but doesn't seem like it would face much backlash.
Were we talking some other use, I'd be a bit put off by the location. But, we're not talking about a mall or a condo building or something like that. Most people coming to the main usage of a hospital (an emergency room) aren't coming on foot or by bike. A hospital is certainly one of those usages where it being pedestrian/bike-friendly is far less of a priority. And, actually, for it to be such a rural-like location, it's probably actually better for cyclist than most locations of this kind as Forest Road actually has paved shoulders, which directly connects to Aurelius and Mount Hope which have many miles of bike lanes and paved shoulders, themselves. I guess it'd be harder to get to by bike or walking from East Lansing, but it's pretty well tied into Lansing - the city of this proposed hospital, anyway - transportation-wise. That said, it'd be directly tied mass-transit-wise to East Lansing through CATA's MSU transit center-based Route 20, which directly serves this site, which is also accessible directly from Michigan and Grand River avenues in downtown East Lansing.
In all actuality, the site is not as remote as it physically seems. It's just that very few people currently have a reason to go down that way given that it's mostly just MSU's research farms and golf courses.
This is so cool. The Detroit Free Press had a story on some of the work taking place at the Capitol, and in it was this little nugget:
Later this month, officials also will dedicate a third historical marker at the Capitol to replace the weather-worn marker that’s been in place since 1979 and two lamp posts at the foot of the sidewalk leading to the Capitol. The two replica lamp posts will replace the original ones that graced the grounds in 1879, but which were ultimately removed in the 1920s.
Here are what the old lamps looked like:
This is all a part of the larger reworking of the building and grounds:
The newest additions to the Grounds are part of an ongoing restoration of both the Capitol and its surrounding green space. The $17.6-million, three-year project has been restoring the building and Capitol Square to its original heritage, as envisioned by architect Myers and landscape designer Adam Oliver.
The latest additions to the ground are the two replica cannons up near the front steps that were placed back out front last year.
The new paint and lighting are so beautiful, the dome looks like it glows from inside. How did they ever agree on this and find the money? It does not strike me as something the Repubs. would be interested in.
Comments
Speaking of the vacant hotel, has it still not been renovated? It was supposed to be The House, a student apartment complex. I haven't been down on that side of the exit in quite awhile and just figured it was already done.
For the proposed hospital, I don't think that location is too bad. If does have good freeway access as mentioned, and Collins Rd most times of the day is not busy. Any new hospital should be on the east side of town, I think, and the article indicated that any hospital relocation has to be within 2 miles from the old location (which the Collins Rd location is from Penn). I have longed hoped that MSU would open its own hospital, but always assumed it would be along Service Road, near the existing Clinical Center.
The location also isn't that great for biking either, and basically requires that all hospital employees drive to work there.
The legislature could always pass a new law granting exemption or a larger radius for the move if it was required. That is a larger hurdle but doesn't seem like it would face much backlash.
In all actuality, the site is not as remote as it physically seems. It's just that very few people currently have a reason to go down that way given that it's mostly just MSU's research farms and golf courses.
Here are what the old lamps looked like:
This is all a part of the larger reworking of the building and grounds:
The latest additions to the ground are the two replica cannons up near the front steps that were placed back out front last year.