So far only some digging in the former parking lot, the city is installing new curb cuts and utility poles for the traffic and pedestrian crossing signals there, I am hoping it will not be a voice animated crossing signal like on Grand River and Abbot. There is also demolition going on in the buildings behind the credit union site, which I believe is for the 55 plus apartment building on Evergreen.
The corner party/grocery store that's been under construction at the SW corner of MLK & Allegan for seemingly ever has finally gotten it's signage up. Looks nice for what it is. This section of MLK is definitely starved for nearby/walkable neighborhood commerce. I'm glad the neighborhood will have fresh fruits and vegetables within walking distance for once.
I went out to West Lansing yesterday, via Michigan Ave, I saw that demolition has begun on the Sparrow building that was once a potato chip factory near 8th Avenue. I also noted that construction fence has been put up around the whole block of 500 S Washington which I am hoping means that something may be happening there soon. Also there are two new homes being constructed on W. Ottawa west of MLK and another big old house being renovated.
Also W Michigan has been repaved from the tracks west also relined with a wide bike lane on each side.
I also passed the corner market on MLK and saw the parking lot was full so it looks like they are doing well there. I read where the owner is from the neighborhood.
A hotel would seem to me to be a lot better use although I don't think the building is very good for that or residential. If they owned the parking lot next door building a high rise hotel there would make a ton of sense using the Temple building's space for some additional rooms but mostly for other uses, including using those larger rooms as meeting/banquet rooms and using the auditorium for its intended purpose.
I've kind of had a passing thought of using the building in a manner similar to the BOB in Grand Rapids but I'm not sure that would be feasible on that scale in Lansing, I do think it'd be worth consideration though.
Yeah, the sheer size of the rooms and floors really doesn't lend itself to residential or hotel use, to be honest. I'm glad the Bojis think they can do something with it, but I think if they are thinking either of those uses, it's going to be a lot more interior reconstruction than they realize.
Looking at last nights council agenda. Lots of PILOTs (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) have been making their way through the agenda, but I just noticed one I'd not noticed before. There are plans to convert the old school building behind the LSD's administration building on Kalamazoo into 75 apartments. This is the old West Junior High School; apparently, Malcolm X attended in the late 30's/early 40's. It was built in 1920, Pattengill Junior High followed in 1921, and Walter French in 1925. Speaking of which, the Walter French PILOT was also moved on during this meeting.
That is very interesting news about old West Junior, I used to attend advanced art classes in that building. At that time they called it The Academic Interest Center, and students from all over the district could take classes that were not offered at their school. They did a '70's rehab on the building which is still as ugly today as it was then. I hope they fix that.
I also liked hearing about the temple building, I would expect they may tear everything but the façade down, if the interior layout is unfit for a new propose. There are a lot of buildings in Boston that have their old stone façade with a new glass tower behind. The Customs' House is one that you might think would be similarly difficult to rehabilitate but they did a nice job of keeping nearly the whole design in tact while converting it into condos.
That is very good news about the old West Junior, I was wondering if the school district still owned it and how long it would take to see redevelopment. The building could look quite good with the reversal of the modernization efforts to the facade and some more historically accurate windows. I imagine its a steel and concrete structure, if so reconfiguring the interior as needed would be easy. I've never been in there, I'm curious if there's any common areas worth saving along with how they might repurpose the auditorium, perhaps it could be used as some sort of performance venue?
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Also W Michigan has been repaved from the tracks west also relined with a wide bike lane on each side.
I also passed the corner market on MLK and saw the parking lot was full so it looks like they are doing well there. I read where the owner is from the neighborhood.
Cooley is not saying who they sold it to, and the city hasn't updated their website to show the sell, yet.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2021/08/20/boji-group-considering-residential-use-former-masonic-temple-building-downtown-lansing/8214680002/
I've kind of had a passing thought of using the building in a manner similar to the BOB in Grand Rapids but I'm not sure that would be feasible on that scale in Lansing, I do think it'd be worth consideration though.
I also liked hearing about the temple building, I would expect they may tear everything but the façade down, if the interior layout is unfit for a new propose. There are a lot of buildings in Boston that have their old stone façade with a new glass tower behind. The Customs' House is one that you might think would be similarly difficult to rehabilitate but they did a nice job of keeping nearly the whole design in tact while converting it into condos.