EDIT: Oh my god, I originally read $2 as 2 million. This totally makes sense for the museum, and I have no concerns and applaud Virg for working this out for the museum. lol Seeing $2 million had me so incredibly confused; I thought someone was trying to get over on someone.
This deal should help the museum sell its building and move, which is what they state right up front on their website. Them being out of sight and out of mind, and on top of that, directly in the floodway, has always constrained what they can do. Now they have a way to finding some quick cash to help them make their eventual move should they be able to sell the building.
The only problem I see is that no commercial developer is going to buy land down there, and couldn't develop in a high-intensity way. The only real use for land directly in the flood plain like that is parkland...which would mean that the city would probably be the only potential customer for the land. They've essentially be buying the property back. Still, seeing as how they've have probably had to eventually help in moving the museum anyway, it'd be hard to argue that buying the building would be a loss for the city.
It would be good if they could do more with the building itself. It still looks like a warehouse, and the art work on the outside walls needs to be improved, or re-done. I do like the exhibits inside. A nicer looking building and landscaping maybe with some outdoor exhibit area would draw more people. Perhaps they museum will be free to do what they want, when they want. The Mayor should be unhappy that people automatically are suspect of everything he does.
Another fairly slow council week as it relates to development. There are public hearings for a Industrial Facilities Tax Certificate for Cameron Tool up on Bassett in the northwest part of town, and an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA) Certificate for the old fire station renovation in Capitol Commons.
There is also a conditional rezoing request that made it through the planning committee for 1024 Lake Lansing Road in the northeast part of town. This one has been making it through the process for months after the old party store was originally asking for the rezoning for the old party store to house a dispensary. But then the council convinced the owner to make it a conditional rezoning baring such usage and he agreed to it.
Though the property has always been commercial, it was annexed into the city as low-density residential, so it's been non-conforming the entire time. Once a business leaves a property has a year to hold whatever its current usage is, but after that time period it's brought into compliance. In this case, if the store remained empty for more than a year than all that could be built as the site is a single-family home. Given that it's on Lake Lansing, neither the city nor the owner of the property wanted that, so they've proposed officially zoning it F-1 Commercial.
Realistically given the limited parking, the only real use for it is as another party store or maybe office. I was kind of sad to see the store empty as it's the only such store within that area that is easily walked to from the immediate neighborhoods, so I hope someone else can make such a store work there. Most likely, it'll end up some office, though.
I've noticed a slight exterior redo taking place on the old Dicker & Deal Building on Cedar at Isbell between Mt. Hope and Baker. A lot of art work is going up on the facade including a large, complicated mural on the south side of the building nearest the sidewalk. Saw a group out working on it this afternoon. According to city records, it still appears to be owned back Dicker & Deal. Anyone know what they might have planned for it? Seems like it would make a great art studio and gallery. Whatever it is, it does appear to be unconventional for this poor neighborhood.
And, then we get this from the last week's city pulse:
The Cedar Street Art Collective, a new communal retail and studio space for Lansing-based artists to create and sell their art, moved into the former home of Dicker & Deal earlier this year.
On Sunday, Sept. 17, a few dozen people drifted in and out of an open house at a commercial building in Lansing’s Baker Neighborhood, just south of downtown. Between noon and 5 p.m., they milled about, perused a small collection of paintings and upcycled furniture, and sat in on short Q&A sessions about the new entity that had moved into the location. For nearly half a century, the building had been home to one of Lansing’s more colorful entrepreneurial success stories, but those who showed up on Sunday learned how the building’s new tenants are slowly transforming it into something called the Cedar Street Art Collective.
Crazy to see this kind of thing set up there, but I'm happy to see it. Shows development crawling into new areas outside the immediate core.
Wow this is really high quality in-fill! This is exactly the types of development that I hope to see spread throughout the city. I would rather have many more of these than a couple high rises. First we should fill in with these and then limit the taller buildings (5+ floors) to the immediate downtowns.
I'm late once again buy I just wanted to chime in on the RE Olds museum sale. I'm really glad to see them own their building and I agree that their best bet is to sell and move to a more prominent location. If they had more resources I'd still love to see them get the John Bean Building, but perhaps more realistically they could get something like the building at Hazel & Hosmer (It was recently listed for sale for around $600k). I'd mostly just like to see them get an old industrial building of some sort.
Also, I have to say that what they're doing in the back of 515 Ionia looks great. I'm really glad that those buildings are finally getting some attention.
Comments
EDIT: Oh my god, I originally read $2 as 2 million. This totally makes sense for the museum, and I have no concerns and applaud Virg for working this out for the museum. lol Seeing $2 million had me so incredibly confused; I thought someone was trying to get over on someone.
This deal should help the museum sell its building and move, which is what they state right up front on their website. Them being out of sight and out of mind, and on top of that, directly in the floodway, has always constrained what they can do. Now they have a way to finding some quick cash to help them make their eventual move should they be able to sell the building.
The only problem I see is that no commercial developer is going to buy land down there, and couldn't develop in a high-intensity way. The only real use for land directly in the flood plain like that is parkland...which would mean that the city would probably be the only potential customer for the land. They've essentially be buying the property back. Still, seeing as how they've have probably had to eventually help in moving the museum anyway, it'd be hard to argue that buying the building would be a loss for the city.
It would be good if they could do more with the building itself. It still looks like a warehouse, and the art work on the outside walls needs to be improved, or re-done. I do like the exhibits inside. A nicer looking building and landscaping maybe with some outdoor exhibit area would draw more people. Perhaps they museum will be free to do what they want, when they want. The Mayor should be unhappy that people automatically are suspect of everything he does.
Another fairly slow council week as it relates to development. There are public hearings for a Industrial Facilities Tax Certificate for Cameron Tool up on Bassett in the northwest part of town, and an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA) Certificate for the old fire station renovation in Capitol Commons.
There is also a conditional rezoing request that made it through the planning committee for 1024 Lake Lansing Road in the northeast part of town. This one has been making it through the process for months after the old party store was originally asking for the rezoning for the old party store to house a dispensary. But then the council convinced the owner to make it a conditional rezoning baring such usage and he agreed to it.
Though the property has always been commercial, it was annexed into the city as low-density residential, so it's been non-conforming the entire time. Once a business leaves a property has a year to hold whatever its current usage is, but after that time period it's brought into compliance. In this case, if the store remained empty for more than a year than all that could be built as the site is a single-family home. Given that it's on Lake Lansing, neither the city nor the owner of the property wanted that, so they've proposed officially zoning it F-1 Commercial.
Realistically given the limited parking, the only real use for it is as another party store or maybe office. I was kind of sad to see the store empty as it's the only such store within that area that is easily walked to from the immediate neighborhoods, so I hope someone else can make such a store work there. Most likely, it'll end up some office, though.
Posted this back in August:
And, then we get this from the last week's city pulse:
Crazy to see this kind of thing set up there, but I'm happy to see it. Shows development crawling into new areas outside the immediate core.
Just found out 515 Ionia has a website and some renderings:
http://www.515ionia.com
The elevated deck and garden is genius. I want to see this in smaller projects with backyard parking. Utilize that air space.
Floor plans.
6 residential apartments:
4 commercial spaces:
Wow this is really high quality in-fill! This is exactly the types of development that I hope to see spread throughout the city. I would rather have many more of these than a couple high rises. First we should fill in with these and then limit the taller buildings (5+ floors) to the immediate downtowns.
These are existing buildings. This is the Belen Flowers project we talked about in the Spring.
Yeah, I know that. But this is the type of re-use that we need. In addition, we could have new builds that match this same style.
I'm late once again buy I just wanted to chime in on the RE Olds museum sale. I'm really glad to see them own their building and I agree that their best bet is to sell and move to a more prominent location. If they had more resources I'd still love to see them get the John Bean Building, but perhaps more realistically they could get something like the building at Hazel & Hosmer (It was recently listed for sale for around $600k). I'd mostly just like to see them get an old industrial building of some sort.
Also, I have to say that what they're doing in the back of 515 Ionia looks great. I'm really glad that those buildings are finally getting some attention.