I heard that LCC was appllying for state money to build a math center at the SW corner of Shiawassee & Washington, the site of the parking lot and Continental Building. I wonder if it's really going to be in addition to the existing Washington Court Place.
At the end they say: "LCC this year filed a request for state aid to pay for a 70,000-square-foot academic building that would replace the Continental Building.
The $48.3 million project would include renovations of the 78,200-square-foot Arts & Sciences Building and add more math and science space to the campus."
70k sq ft is quite large for that sight, I'd say at least 4 floor building, and LCC has been doing some pretty nice projects, I'd expect this to be no different.
It is significant, though, I don't expect it to be over 3 floors. The LCC Health and Human Services Building completed not that long ago is 135,000 square feet and three stories. It really depends on how they want to work it.
Regardless, it's great to see LCC committed to their downtown campus. I was really worried that with their completion of West Campus, they'd secretely and slowly try to phase out, or reduce significantly, their downtown campus. That appears not to be the case.
Looking at an aerial, it will be good to see this lot filled in.
BTW, doesn't LCC also own that lot directly opposite this lot on Washington? I'm talking about the lot directly behind the fire station. Or, is that a fire station lot?
Also, I think it would be cool if AT&T/SBC, or whatever the heck it's called, now, would sell off their small, skinny lot at Washington and Ionia. Whatever built at that location would HAVE to be a high-rise to maximize the potential of that skinny lot. I'm really trying to imagine this area with the street being reopened to traffic this year.
Lastly, I saw the owners/managers of Greenhouse Bistro carrying out all of the equipment, today. They sure are rushing out of their storefront. lol
I wonder how quickly redevelopment will take on after Washington is opened up, that SBC lot would be great to see get developed. But I hope to see most of the buildings in that area redeveloped, most should be razed. Also, the Victor building is designed for ground floor retail, hopefully there will eventually be enough demand for it to be used for retail/entertainment space rather than office.
As you've made a point of, in order for life to be brought back, quite a few of those buildings would have to be razed. So, I'm not so sure opening the street will do much more than maybe making it more likely some of these get razed. Most of them simply don't have the layout for retail.
I've never envisioned this area as office space, anyway. North Washington Square, being between the college and the main core of downtown, would make an excellent residential-with-ground-floor-retail district.
So that's what it is I say in the city council agendas and posted about, here, a few days, ago.
I saw this story a night or two ago, and while I'm still happy to see housing developed in the city, they showed the renderings of this project, and the housing looks to be one-story ranch-style housing with the garage sticking out the front of the house. Very suburban, but more importantly, it looked very cheap. Hopefully (and I'm not holding my breath), they'll look better than the renderings. But, I'll give this one a pass since it's in a very suburban corner of the city.
Comments
At the end they say: "LCC this year filed a request for state aid to pay for a 70,000-square-foot academic building that would replace the Continental Building.
The $48.3 million project would include renovations of the 78,200-square-foot Arts & Sciences Building and add more math and science space to the campus."
70k sq ft is quite large for that sight, I'd say at least 4 floor building, and LCC has been doing some pretty nice projects, I'd expect this to be no different.
Regardless, it's great to see LCC committed to their downtown campus. I was really worried that with their completion of West Campus, they'd secretely and slowly try to phase out, or reduce significantly, their downtown campus. That appears not to be the case.
Hood, which building is the Continental Building?
BTW, doesn't LCC also own that lot directly opposite this lot on Washington? I'm talking about the lot directly behind the fire station. Or, is that a fire station lot?
Also, I think it would be cool if AT&T/SBC, or whatever the heck it's called, now, would sell off their small, skinny lot at Washington and Ionia. Whatever built at that location would HAVE to be a high-rise to maximize the potential of that skinny lot. I'm really trying to imagine this area with the street being reopened to traffic this year.
Lastly, I saw the owners/managers of Greenhouse Bistro carrying out all of the equipment, today. They sure are rushing out of their storefront. lol
I've never envisioned this area as office space, anyway. North Washington Square, being between the college and the main core of downtown, would make an excellent residential-with-ground-floor-retail district.
http://wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=6319205&nav=menu25_2
I saw this story a night or two ago, and while I'm still happy to see housing developed in the city, they showed the renderings of this project, and the housing looks to be one-story ranch-style housing with the garage sticking out the front of the house. Very suburban, but more importantly, it looked very cheap. Hopefully (and I'm not holding my breath), they'll look better than the renderings. But, I'll give this one a pass since it's in a very suburban corner of the city.