So, I was driving on Kalamazoo this evening and noticed that Clemens seems to have been totally repaved. This street was probably about as bad as the block of Shiawassee between Cedar and Larch. I nearly had an accident I was so pleasantly surprised. The only downside is that it's REALLY going to remind people of just how bad Michigan is, which I use on a nearly daily basis. I keep saying I'm going to write the city to see when they have a reconstruction of Michigan scheduled for, so maybe I'll do it right now. It gets me every time to see how much development is taking place along the avenue and just how sh%tty the avenue, itself, is. I'd been on vacation for two weeks about two weeks ago - in a lot of states poorer off than Michigan - , and it really just brought home bad the roads are. Fortunately, the road deal this year changes that, but we're playing catch-up.
I drove down Clemens yesterday and it was such a relief to drive on the smooth pavement I was tempted to go aaahhhhh as I rode along. Why did they stop at the bridge? the street leading to the bridge is still cracked up and full of pot holes. On step at a time I guess. On down they patched with that new gray stuff and then one block before Cavanaugh there is new pavement going on south. Seems like we are starting to see the much needed road work is beginning, new pavement on 127 going north is going down too.
The sidewalk and lighting project at the Capitol building is finished and looks really really nice. The security pillars in the sidewalk seem to stand out, I guess I will get use to them. My only question would be why just the sidewalks? I would think a bad guy could just drive around the pillars.
Nice but, how do you publish an article in August 2016, which says construction (on the Red Cedar Renaissance) is expected to begin in June 2016, and it hasn't?
I was wondering the same thing. Looks like they were reporting on some old data. The Red Cedar Renaissance thread said that construction should start in August, so maybe it will start in the next week or two?
Just a general observation, but I like seeing all of the new construction (mostly replacement) along Saginaw between the Lansing Township border at Waverly and the Lansing Mall. Not really fancy stuff (a Rallys some other general retail), but these area had started to show quite a bit of blight with a lot of the older businesses along the street failing to keep up their properties. It seems to be mostly happening on the south side of the street, but maybe it's another sign of the recovery. It's good to see particularly given that the GM sites haven't found redevelopment and a lot of these businesses relied a lot on the traffic from the workers at those plants.
There's one thing worth noting in this weeks (August 29th) council packet. In the "Letter from the Mayor" section, there are two letters regarding what I think is the same project. One letter is regarding a PILOT for "Shiawassee Senior Lofts" and the other is regarding a PILOT for "The Crossing." Both letters reference 627 E Shiwassee and 77 units, so they could be the same thing or they could be related halves of the same project for a total of 144 units. 627 E Shiawassee is the vacant land on the north side of Shiawassee west of the railroad tracks, stretching behind the VOA.
Even at 77 units this would be a decent sized project, being senior/low income housing it will be interesting to see how it turns out and who's behind it.
Interesting. Having grown up a few blocks from there I will tell you, however, that the VOA is really going to have to make sure to find somewhere for the homeless to wait during the lead up to admitting people into the shelter for the night, because they basically run the streetfront of Larch between Shiwassee and Saginaw, and that (gravel) parking lot at Shiawassee and Larch used to be a huge hangout for them before Gillespie took it over for parking for the Lansing Brewing Company. There were even a few stabbings and fights over the year in that parking lot.
As sympathetic as I am to the homeless and though the shelter has been there for years, it seems that it may be time for them to consider another location for the place, or do a better job of being a good neighbor. I'm fortunate to have never had any violent runs ins, and I don't want to portray the shelter as a breeding ground for crime, but growing up there were quite a few uncomfortable run-ins with the community, which is understandable when you have that many people concentrated most with major addiction and/or mental health issues.
Anyway, sounds like it might be two projects on the same lot. But, like you said, even at 77 units we're talking about a fairly major, multi-story project. That said, it should be remembered that this is a very deep lot. You have the corner lot, but then the "Back 40" as they call it, which was formerly a homeless camp that stretches all the way behind the VOA. So, they might sling/stretch it out.
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Also, Lansing wins NEA grant to plan improvements to Adado Riverfront Park: http://www.secondwavemedia.com/capitalgains/innovationnews/INN20150615_Arts%20Council%20Adado_1012.aspx
Even at 77 units this would be a decent sized project, being senior/low income housing it will be interesting to see how it turns out and who's behind it.
As sympathetic as I am to the homeless and though the shelter has been there for years, it seems that it may be time for them to consider another location for the place, or do a better job of being a good neighbor. I'm fortunate to have never had any violent runs ins, and I don't want to portray the shelter as a breeding ground for crime, but growing up there were quite a few uncomfortable run-ins with the community, which is understandable when you have that many people concentrated most with major addiction and/or mental health issues.
Anyway, sounds like it might be two projects on the same lot. But, like you said, even at 77 units we're talking about a fairly major, multi-story project. That said, it should be remembered that this is a very deep lot. You have the corner lot, but then the "Back 40" as they call it, which was formerly a homeless camp that stretches all the way behind the VOA. So, they might sling/stretch it out.