That makes total sense. I'd not thought of the fact that Lansing hadn't totally bee built-out, yet.
BTW, looks like the planning board's other item included some fairly major revisions proposed by the Planning Office to the newly enacted Form Based Code. Some of them I see as positives, such as lifting numerical limits based on units from some of the mid-to-higher density residential districts, and instead limiting units using unit square feet like in the old code. Another proposed change was kind of technical and deals with explict mention to the regulation of mobile home parks in the code. There was also one dealing with some heights in single-family home neighborhoods, specifically raising them about 5 feet in certain districts. These were all done to make sure too much of the existing development in the city wouldn't be out of compliance, which makes it harder to repair or expand existing structures.
The one I'm not happy about but understand was also done for this reason. ALL mentions of how much of a building would have to front a lot, particularly in commercial district, have been removed. I saw this as one of the bigger wins of this plan. I didn't think this should be removed, rather the minimums lowered or something. I guess the good thing is that the frontage of a lot is still largely regulated in the code by parking placement, which hasn't changed, and which limits (or bans) parking in front yards. But I liked the mention of frontages if for no other reason than to make it clear that we're going in a new direction.
Anyway, this goes to council for review and consideration.
Great article today in the LSJ for subscribers only discussing the possibilities and options for downtown in light that many State of Michigan employees will remain remote workers. Ideas included redeveloping vacant office buildings into condos and apartments. I loved seeing the inclusion of condos downtown, I think that's a piece that has been missing in Lansing. The articles also mentioned the city asking the state to give up parking lots that will go unused in the future.
From office workers to residents That’s Trezise’s dream for downtown: To replace every three daytime state workers lost with one full-time resident, or a ratio about there. He points out that the loss of a percentage of the downtown state workforce is a one-two punch with the demise of Cooley Law School, which used to bring thousands downtown (some of whom lived downtown, too).
To Trezise, vibrancy and economic health “comes down to having more people downtown permanently.” Everything else will follow. He no longer believes this is a “chicken or the egg” scenario in terms of entertainment growth or housing first.
He isn’t alone in this dream. A number of Lansing’s leaders and influencers were asked what they would do with downtown if presented with a blank check. And while that question might seem absurdly impractical, their answers give a sense of the conversations they're having and their priorities.
“If I could dream, there are a lot of ideas I would have,” Anthony said, “whether it was repurposing some of these state buildings for creative housing, seeing downtown as a community and not just as an economic driver, but someplace that people live, increasing the residential options. And also ways to really look at downtown revitalization through the lens of arts and culture. Being more intentional around creative spaces — amphitheaters and those types of ideas that we've talked about as a region, but we've never truly pulled the trigger on.”
This is perhaps the window.
“I think there's definitely a willingness that two years ago, we probably wouldn't have seen,” Edgerly said, citing a program that brought artists and businesses together in vacant spaces and was met with skepticism.
“But now, when you talk to a property owner or you talk to someone about a type of pop-up programming or activating outside or inside block by block, they're like, ‘OK, talk to me more about that question. What kind of funding does that need? Who else needs to be at the table to have this conversation.’ So that that's a really positive thing to see.
“Everything can be on the table. We’ve had to operate as a more entrepreneurial system as a whole.”
A reminder, this will go from 979 spaces in three stories to 1,777 spaces in five stories, but within the existing footprint. Hopefully, this takes some pressure off their surface lots around campus.
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - After nearly a decade of sitting vacant, a former Lansing school is getting a makeover. Otto Middle School will be turning into a community center and garden collective.
Right on the North side of Lansing sits Otto Middle School. Empty for almost 10 years, but now it’s an exciting project that a local nonprofit has taken on.
The Advancement Corporation is turning Otto Middle School into a full-service community center. After a decade, people were passionate to put something in this building.
LaShawn Erby is Co-Director of Advancement Corporation.
“Because it had been vacant so long and has so many wonderful resources within its reach, that’s how we went after it,” Erby said. “The community center is just a great way to bring a bunch of services together, lots of people together, and be able to serve our community well.”
It will offer services like a medical clinic, mental health services, and child and family services. It’s an idea that’s been in the process for over a year.
Dave Taylor is Otto Middle School alumnus. He attended the school from 1973 until 1976.
“To see that name starting to come up on the news again is amazing, for such a good cause,” Taylor said. “Otto has always been near and dear to my heart and that property has been.”
One thing I do appreciate about them is that they market their smaller properties, and in a way that's realistic, instead of rendering in some 30-story tower in place of the building. lol
Has this renovation taken place, or is it just a rendering? I have not been over that way.
There was an interesting article in The City Pulse about the group renovating the "City Market" pole barn. It gave me a little more hope that this will be a successful fun destination. They have built a similar entertainment/food court center out of shipping containers in Detroit, which they talk about in the article.
They haven't done anything with the building yet. As far as I can tell that rendering is just a conceptual rendering showing what a prospective tenant could do, I think they had another rendering for that same property at one point.
Comments
BTW, looks like the planning board's other item included some fairly major revisions proposed by the Planning Office to the newly enacted Form Based Code. Some of them I see as positives, such as lifting numerical limits based on units from some of the mid-to-higher density residential districts, and instead limiting units using unit square feet like in the old code. Another proposed change was kind of technical and deals with explict mention to the regulation of mobile home parks in the code. There was also one dealing with some heights in single-family home neighborhoods, specifically raising them about 5 feet in certain districts. These were all done to make sure too much of the existing development in the city wouldn't be out of compliance, which makes it harder to repair or expand existing structures.
The one I'm not happy about but understand was also done for this reason. ALL mentions of how much of a building would have to front a lot, particularly in commercial district, have been removed. I saw this as one of the bigger wins of this plan. I didn't think this should be removed, rather the minimums lowered or something. I guess the good thing is that the frontage of a lot is still largely regulated in the code by parking placement, which hasn't changed, and which limits (or bans) parking in front yards. But I liked the mention of frontages if for no other reason than to make it clear that we're going in a new direction.
Anyway, this goes to council for review and consideration.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/sports/columnists/graham-couch/2021/06/10/downtown-lansing-reimagined-without-relying-on-state-workers-couch/7598760002/
July 7th
Renderings:
A reminder, this will go from 979 spaces in three stories to 1,777 spaces in five stories, but within the existing footprint. Hopefully, this takes some pressure off their surface lots around campus.
Old school building gets new life
One thing I do appreciate about them is that they market their smaller properties, and in a way that's realistic, instead of rendering in some 30-story tower in place of the building. lol
There was an interesting article in The City Pulse about the group renovating the "City Market" pole barn. It gave me a little more hope that this will be a successful fun destination. They have built a similar entertainment/food court center out of shipping containers in Detroit, which they talk about in the article.