The murals are going up on the south embankments. I was expecting a bit more - they look a bit abstract - but anything is an improvement. I would love to see this done all along the freeways where applicable. There are some rough underpasses along eastern 496 which I think would benefit the community and give them more pride in where they live. Hosmer, Penn, and Holmes are what I'm talking about specifically. Hosmer feels a bit out of the way, but you'd be surprised how busy this section of street is (pedestrian and vehicle wise), even though it seemingly doesn't seem to connect much.
Also think they could do some really awesome place-making stuff where 496 goes over River Street west of the river and the River Trail east of the river. I remember as a teenager once going down that way with my dad and seeing someone having vandalized the bear wall with racial slurs and crude depictions of lynchings. I'd never saw vandalism like this before, and thankfully the city was quick to paint over it when we called in, and I haven't seen anything like that since. But, it's a really good example why city and communities groups need to claim and sometimes reclaim these spaces by seeing them for the canvasses they are. Because someone else will if they won't.
Vandals have also been striking just north of Michigan Avenue where US 127 goes over Sellers Avenue, which is pretty heavily traveled portion of street linking the Homer and Howard streets outside Frandor. I'd like to see LEAP do similar fundraisers for these kind of projects all over the urban area.
It looks like the Farnum Building, formerly home to the state senate offices, will finally go up for sale. Legislation that would allow the sell was passed today.
I'd love to see them totally reconstruct the tower.
I would not like to see them totally reconstruct the tower. This is a good example of this architecture (International?), I've noticed interior details and the general quality in the entrances and lobby while walking by that shows the care given to it's design and construction. I used to dislike the Farnum Building, but this architecture has grown on me. I would like to see the Farnum Building's exterior and ground floor common areas preserved, if they need larger floor plates they can build a distinct addition on the parking lot to the south and/or replace the building to the east. Let's not make the same mistake with buildings like Farnum that was made with so many other buildings once thought to be ugly and outdated.
The under the bridge lights look great. I hope they will include warm tones as well as the LED electric blue tones. Some nice amber/yellow tones might look nice on a cold winter night.
I think the 496 overpass from Cedar to the west side bank of the river has many huge support pliers that could be lit up to with colors of changing themes like holidays big games or charity cause. I think if they kept the same colors all night it would not distract drivers. On the 127 corridor I could see lots of trees planted on both the east and west of the highway mound. Lights under all of those underpasses and new pavement would change the feeling of crossing there. On the west side is a really nice shady neighborhood that has to face that wall of grass and litter. I hope they will attend the the bridge itself as I noted exposed re- bar and crumbling cement on the eastern bridge railing. You have to be stopped under it to notice. It's always something!
I like the Franum Building, it is a good example of Mid-Century modern, and reminds a me a bit of the Seagram's Building in NYC. I think renovations with that style in mind would be appropriate.
Forgot to mention quite a few other things that took place at council last week:
Central United Methodist at the corner of Capitol and Ottawa was formally designated a historic district.
Sparrow is asking the city to vacate Jerome Street between Pennsylvania and Holmes Street behind the hospital. They don't seem to say what for, but the planning documents from the city seem to hint at them wanting to make it a private driveway. There are lot of technical things they'd have to work out with the city (the city would need easements for some utilities beneath the street, Sparrow would have to pay to partially maintain the traffic signal at Pennsylvania, etc.), and the city has demanded that access be maintained by pedestrians and cyclists, as it's designated a non-motorized corridor by the city. But, the city departments seem to be unanimously behind allowing this. What I'm a bit confused about is exactly why Sparrow wants this and how it'd function differently than it already does, since it's already basically seperated from the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The biggest piece of news is the preliminary receiving of a grant from MDOT which will finally extend the Kalamazoo Street bike lanes from Larch to Washington Square. This will require a fairly major reworking of the road. Kalamazoo will be widened between Larch and Cedar (the northern line of Wendy's property will be pushed a bit south), and we will FINALLY get a second connection to the River Trail at the north side of the bridge, which will snake it's way down the bank/valley so as not to be as steep a drop/climb at the access on the south side of the bridge. As for the restriping of the road, eastbound Kalamazoo between Grand and Cedar will be reduced to a single lane, whereas westbound Kalamazoo between the two streets will keep their two lanes. Between Grand and Washington Square, the four parking spaces on the north side of the street will be taken out to accomodate the bike lanes. While not a long stretch, this is a pretty major and direct linking of the westbank with the River Trail and East Lansing.
Redevelopment plans are seeking to move forward to the old Rum Runners building at the corner of Michigan and Larch, which has been vacant for some time. The owner is looking for a transfer of a liquor license. This project was announced earlier this month when the city pulse reported that the owner was going to transform the second story into a loft apartment, while he was unsure of what to do with the ground floor. Well, it sounds like with the request for a liquor license transfer we're probably talking about a bar. I'm just happy to see this building getting redeveloped. As one of the earliest businesses to kickstart the redevelopment of Michigan Avenue, it has just been weird to see it as one of the only vacancy along the strip at such a prominent corner.
So, the old Napa Auto Parts building redevelopment I posted about a bit ago has made the local news. The building - across Shiawassee from the Lansing Brewing Co. - will be...another distillery. This one will be called "MichiGrain."
MichiGrain will make vodka, gin, bourbon, rum and other liquors. The 6,400-square-foot building will also have a tasting room that seats 50 people. The distillery is run by Scott Ellis and Mike Bird. Ellis is the executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, and Bird helped launch American Fifth Spirits.
"This part of the city is exploding," Ellis said. "We see a market out there for (neutral) craft spirits."
Ellis said MichiGrain will be more of a supplier to distilleries than a competitor in the retail market despite having a tasting room.
Most of their business will come from contract distilling, he said. They will produce neutral spirits and ship them off to distillers who will refine them into vodka, gin, or whiskey, for example. Bulk orders come 275 gallon containers.
Sounds like two eminently qualified people to run a distillery, so I expect this one to be with us for a long time. It's really interesting to see the Stadium District tranform into a center for brewing and distilling; this creates a whole diverse set of industrial jobs.
Comments
The under-the-bridge has been illuminated.
(It changes colors.)
It's beautiful. I saw them testing the lights last week, but it was still sunny out so I didn't get the full effect.
The murals are going up on the south embankments. I was expecting a bit more - they look a bit abstract - but anything is an improvement. I would love to see this done all along the freeways where applicable. There are some rough underpasses along eastern 496 which I think would benefit the community and give them more pride in where they live. Hosmer, Penn, and Holmes are what I'm talking about specifically. Hosmer feels a bit out of the way, but you'd be surprised how busy this section of street is (pedestrian and vehicle wise), even though it seemingly doesn't seem to connect much.
Also think they could do some really awesome place-making stuff where 496 goes over River Street west of the river and the River Trail east of the river. I remember as a teenager once going down that way with my dad and seeing someone having vandalized the bear wall with racial slurs and crude depictions of lynchings. I'd never saw vandalism like this before, and thankfully the city was quick to paint over it when we called in, and I haven't seen anything like that since. But, it's a really good example why city and communities groups need to claim and sometimes reclaim these spaces by seeing them for the canvasses they are. Because someone else will if they won't.
Vandals have also been striking just north of Michigan Avenue where US 127 goes over Sellers Avenue, which is pretty heavily traveled portion of street linking the Homer and Howard streets outside Frandor. I'd like to see LEAP do similar fundraisers for these kind of projects all over the urban area.
It looks like the Farnum Building, formerly home to the state senate offices, will finally go up for sale. Legislation that would allow the sell was passed today.
I'd love to see them totally reconstruct the tower.
I would not like to see them totally reconstruct the tower. This is a good example of this architecture (International?), I've noticed interior details and the general quality in the entrances and lobby while walking by that shows the care given to it's design and construction. I used to dislike the Farnum Building, but this architecture has grown on me. I would like to see the Farnum Building's exterior and ground floor common areas preserved, if they need larger floor plates they can build a distinct addition on the parking lot to the south and/or replace the building to the east. Let's not make the same mistake with buildings like Farnum that was made with so many other buildings once thought to be ugly and outdated.
The under the bridge lights look great. I hope they will include warm tones as well as the LED electric blue tones. Some nice amber/yellow tones might look nice on a cold winter night.
I think the 496 overpass from Cedar to the west side bank of the river has many huge support pliers that could be lit up to with colors of changing themes like holidays big games or charity cause. I think if they kept the same colors all night it would not distract drivers. On the 127 corridor I could see lots of trees planted on both the east and west of the highway mound. Lights under all of those underpasses and new pavement would change the feeling of crossing there. On the west side is a really nice shady neighborhood that has to face that wall of grass and litter. I hope they will attend the the bridge itself as I noted exposed re- bar and crumbling cement on the eastern bridge railing. You have to be stopped under it to notice. It's always something!
I like the Franum Building, it is a good example of Mid-Century modern, and reminds a me a bit of the Seagram's Building in NYC. I think renovations with that style in mind would be appropriate.
Forgot to mention quite a few other things that took place at council last week:
Central United Methodist at the corner of Capitol and Ottawa was formally designated a historic district.
Sparrow is asking the city to vacate Jerome Street between Pennsylvania and Holmes Street behind the hospital. They don't seem to say what for, but the planning documents from the city seem to hint at them wanting to make it a private driveway. There are lot of technical things they'd have to work out with the city (the city would need easements for some utilities beneath the street, Sparrow would have to pay to partially maintain the traffic signal at Pennsylvania, etc.), and the city has demanded that access be maintained by pedestrians and cyclists, as it's designated a non-motorized corridor by the city. But, the city departments seem to be unanimously behind allowing this. What I'm a bit confused about is exactly why Sparrow wants this and how it'd function differently than it already does, since it's already basically seperated from the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The biggest piece of news is the preliminary receiving of a grant from MDOT which will finally extend the Kalamazoo Street bike lanes from Larch to Washington Square. This will require a fairly major reworking of the road. Kalamazoo will be widened between Larch and Cedar (the northern line of Wendy's property will be pushed a bit south), and we will FINALLY get a second connection to the River Trail at the north side of the bridge, which will snake it's way down the bank/valley so as not to be as steep a drop/climb at the access on the south side of the bridge. As for the restriping of the road, eastbound Kalamazoo between Grand and Cedar will be reduced to a single lane, whereas westbound Kalamazoo between the two streets will keep their two lanes. Between Grand and Washington Square, the four parking spaces on the north side of the street will be taken out to accomodate the bike lanes. While not a long stretch, this is a pretty major and direct linking of the westbank with the River Trail and East Lansing.
Redevelopment plans are seeking to move forward to the old Rum Runners building at the corner of Michigan and Larch, which has been vacant for some time. The owner is looking for a transfer of a liquor license. This project was announced earlier this month when the city pulse reported that the owner was going to transform the second story into a loft apartment, while he was unsure of what to do with the ground floor. Well, it sounds like with the request for a liquor license transfer we're probably talking about a bar. I'm just happy to see this building getting redeveloped. As one of the earliest businesses to kickstart the redevelopment of Michigan Avenue, it has just been weird to see it as one of the only vacancy along the strip at such a prominent corner.
So, the old Napa Auto Parts building redevelopment I posted about a bit ago has made the local news. The building - across Shiawassee from the Lansing Brewing Co. - will be...another distillery. This one will be called "MichiGrain."
Sounds like two eminently qualified people to run a distillery, so I expect this one to be with us for a long time. It's really interesting to see the Stadium District tranform into a center for brewing and distilling; this creates a whole diverse set of industrial jobs.