It seems to be a kind of misguided on all sides. It also seems strange that the neighbors would object to subsidized housing in a neighborhood full of lower income families and sub-standard housing. The "glamour of Old Town" does not go very far beyond N Grand River, what are they trying to protect?
Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but I don't remember the neighbors objetcing to the development, and certainly in no formal way.
Specifically, I believe Councilwoman Washington made an offhanded comment about subsidized housing, though the gist of her opposite centered on the proliferation of PILOTs (payment in lieu of taxes).
I personally think the lawsuit is an obvious proxy fight over development in general, which isn't any better. The whole fight over housing discrimination is a ruse in this case. Washington has never liked Virg and is used the Saboury development as an example to reinsert council into development matters. Virg and Saboury responded by painting Washington as anti-poor people.
It's really messy for all involved, but it has almost nothing to do about a debate around subsidized housing. Washington is not anti subsizied housing and Washington is also trying to micro-manage development, which is not the council's job. It's why we have a mayor. If she's so against the mayor having the power it does in our strong mayor-council system, then she can try to change our form of government through normal government means. Using the Saboury project for this is shameful.
Thank you for your post, it at least makes the situation there understandable, it's politics. We don't exactly have developers lining up to build in Lansing, you are right they should stick to their roles in our city government and and work together if they can.
Meanwhile over here in REOtown there is some kind of renovation going on at the old Lansing Uniform Shop. I do remember reading that someone had bought that building, and that they had businesses lined up to go in there. The for lease signs were still up so I did not think much was going on. It is great to see more activity in REOtown.
Over on S. Hosmer just past the underpass they are doing a major renovation on a warehouse like building. They have exposed some very old looking brick walls that show the signs of all the years of different renovations. It is on a short cut I take to get over to Kalamazoo Street and I can not really remember even looking at that building, so it is great someone has and are doing something there.
@gbinlansing Are you talking about the one at the NW corner Hosmer and Elm? If so I think the state just recently sold that building off, I too am very glad to hear it's getting a thorough renovation, I'll have to get by there to see it. Another three floor brick warehouse on Hosmer near Kalamazoo is the one that they're asking for incentives on to turn it into a self storage facility.
The building that is being renovated is behind the old state warehouse. Going from south to north on Hosmer it is just before the 496 overpass on the left. I never noticed it before they started working on it. The building that is going to be self storage is further north near the rail road tracks. There has been no activity there so far.
Looks like council finally broke it's deadlock in picking a president. Patricia Spitzley, from the pro-development faction, has been voted president, and long-time councilwoman Carol Wood, from the anti-mayor faction, has been voted vice president, so it appears its a compromise ticket. Glad to see Spitzley president as she seems the least comfortable with the faction drama on council and the most thoughtful of the bunch.
Oh, it seems that the Planning & Development Committee was also expanded to four members as a concession to the anti-mayor faction.
@gbinlansing I see what building you're talking about now, I hadn't really noticed it before, I wonder what it's being renovated for?
Regarding the council president, I'm glad to see council move past this issue, hopefully the Saboury case is resolved soon also. For whatever fighting there's been between the council and mayor or within council itself, it hasn't really seemed to get in the way of anything important, I hope it stays that way.
Comments
I hope to see that lawsuit resolved and the Saboury project move forward. It would be really nice to see some new construction in Old Town.
It seems to be a kind of misguided on all sides. It also seems strange that the neighbors would object to subsidized housing in a neighborhood full of lower income families and sub-standard housing. The "glamour of Old Town" does not go very far beyond N Grand River, what are they trying to protect?
Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but I don't remember the neighbors objetcing to the development, and certainly in no formal way.
Specifically, I believe Councilwoman Washington made an offhanded comment about subsidized housing, though the gist of her opposite centered on the proliferation of PILOTs (payment in lieu of taxes).
I personally think the lawsuit is an obvious proxy fight over development in general, which isn't any better. The whole fight over housing discrimination is a ruse in this case. Washington has never liked Virg and is used the Saboury development as an example to reinsert council into development matters. Virg and Saboury responded by painting Washington as anti-poor people.
It's really messy for all involved, but it has almost nothing to do about a debate around subsidized housing. Washington is not anti subsizied housing and Washington is also trying to micro-manage development, which is not the council's job. It's why we have a mayor. If she's so against the mayor having the power it does in our strong mayor-council system, then she can try to change our form of government through normal government means. Using the Saboury project for this is shameful.
Thank you for your post, it at least makes the situation there understandable, it's politics. We don't exactly have developers lining up to build in Lansing, you are right they should stick to their roles in our city government and and work together if they can.
Meanwhile over here in REOtown there is some kind of renovation going on at the old Lansing Uniform Shop. I do remember reading that someone had bought that building, and that they had businesses lined up to go in there. The for lease signs were still up so I did not think much was going on. It is great to see more activity in REOtown.
Over on S. Hosmer just past the underpass they are doing a major renovation on a warehouse like building. They have exposed some very old looking brick walls that show the signs of all the years of different renovations. It is on a short cut I take to get over to Kalamazoo Street and I can not really remember even looking at that building, so it is great someone has and are doing something there.
@gbinlansing Are you talking about the one at the NW corner Hosmer and Elm? If so I think the state just recently sold that building off, I too am very glad to hear it's getting a thorough renovation, I'll have to get by there to see it. Another three floor brick warehouse on Hosmer near Kalamazoo is the one that they're asking for incentives on to turn it into a self storage facility.
Slight correction, the old state warehouse is on Hosmer and Hazel.
The building that is being renovated is behind the old state warehouse. Going from south to north on Hosmer it is just before the 496 overpass on the left. I never noticed it before they started working on it. The building that is going to be self storage is further north near the rail road tracks. There has been no activity there so far.
Looks like council finally broke it's deadlock in picking a president. Patricia Spitzley, from the pro-development faction, has been voted president, and long-time councilwoman Carol Wood, from the anti-mayor faction, has been voted vice president, so it appears its a compromise ticket. Glad to see Spitzley president as she seems the least comfortable with the faction drama on council and the most thoughtful of the bunch.
Oh, it seems that the Planning & Development Committee was also expanded to four members as a concession to the anti-mayor faction.
@gbinlansing I see what building you're talking about now, I hadn't really noticed it before, I wonder what it's being renovated for?
Regarding the council president, I'm glad to see council move past this issue, hopefully the Saboury case is resolved soon also. For whatever fighting there's been between the council and mayor or within council itself, it hasn't really seemed to get in the way of anything important, I hope it stays that way.
I do not know what they will use it for, but it would be cool it they left the old brick exposed, it looks like a history lesson.