Good to know that this started. I'd actually love to see it opened all the way to old town (i.e. removing the pedestrian space on LCC), but the city gave away their right-of-way a few years back. I can understand LCC not wanting a street right through the middle of their campus, but it really keeps Washington north of 496 from ever being an actual thoroughfare, again.
I went to the Juneteenth celebration today near Sexton and on the way at the corner of Kalamazoo and MLK there was a sign that said a future office building was coming soon. The sign had a rendering on it, so next time I go by I'll try and take a picture, but I was wondering if anybody else knew about this before or if maybe I'm just forgetting a previous discussion.
Yes, this is the sign for the 7-Block Building that the Eyde Company has been proposing for that corner for the past few years. They were originally supposed to develop that corner coming up on a decade, now. The sign went up a year or two ago. They only put it up to appease the city. The fact of the reality is that the city nor the neighbors want what he's proposing and that's largely more office space. To appease the city the company says they'll put in a few condos, but the city and neighborhood still isn't happy, and shouldn't be. That spot is far too important to put up a little two story building and office space, at that.
I wish the city would grow balls and take that land from them. If there is no other case where imminent domain is necessary, this is one of them. They need to get this land back from the Eyde's and give it to someone who actually cares and knows how to develop the land properly. The Eyde's are suburban developers and real estate agents, and quite frankly, it shows.
This is a really sore issue with me considering how long this has been going on the the owners refusal to put up a quality project, there. What they are currently proposing looks like it would fit great...somewhere in Delta Township or the North Tier.
Taking the land from the Eyde company using eminent domain (there is nothing imminent about it) may sound like a great idea...but remember that pesky proposal 4 that was passed in November 2006 by 80% of voters. This limited the governments ability to take land through eminent domain and give the land to private developers. In fact, the only way they could take the land would be for public use. The proposal stated, "public use does not include the taking of private property for the transfer to a private entitiy for the purpose of economic development or enhancement of tax revenues"
My opinion is that the Eyde company is far from an evil suburban developer that so many have said, though I agree they have developed several less than eye appealing buildings in their day. The truth is that they are out to make a profit, so if the kind of development I suspect that you would like to see is not profitable, it will not be developed. The real question is...how do we make this type of development lucrative enough that it is developed. And...what type of development do you envision on this corner, which I agree is a key corner yet to be developed.
If I remember correctly the 7-block property was sold to the Eydes by the city, with the city reserving the right to take back over the property if certain contengencies weren't met. The city has extended the Eydes deadline several times, I beleive thats wah Lmich is refferring to.
I hardly think that taking back the land from the Eyde's using eminent domain is a 'good' idea, rather, it is really the only option they have left the other involved parties. There is absolutely no excuse for this to have been going on for nearly a decade, now, and no excuse for the plethora of other lots and properties they've owned for years now that remain empty and vacant while developers with even less means are getting the job done. I have no sympathy for them, especially considering that they have the means to offer the community far more than they are offering it in terms of development and quality development. I could rattle off a list of developers with significantly lesser means and connections in this community making good money off of Lansing and offering us good products and a better community in return.
As for what needs to be developed at the corner, I ask for nothing more than what the small neighborhood and city has been asking for for years, and that's groundfloor retail, and up-stairs residential units (apartments and/or condos) in a design that respects the historic homes of the neighborhood. This area sits in a virtual retail desert cut off from the central core of downtown by state surface parking lot after state surface parking lot. The lot is at a major corner with high traffic visibility being along MLK and Kalamazoo, so it's hardly that the location hampers the lot's development.
BTW, what is your involvement with the Eyde's? I guess you've found my pet peeve, and that's developers that have the means to do better, who don't, while those that barely have the means, do.
Comments
I like those ideas. I'm not opposed to more bars, I'd just like to see a variety of entertainment in addition to bars.
North Washington to open to vehicles
eremy W. Steele
Lansing State Journal
Crews on Saturday will begin work to open the 200 and 300 blocks of North Washington Square to vehicle traffic.
The $3 million project, which is expected to be completed this fall, will add two lanes of traffic and 114 metered parking spaces to the blocks.
The blocks will be similar in appearance to the 100 block of North Washington, which was reopened to traffic in 2001.
Officials hope the work will better link Lansing Community College, which sits just north of the work area, to the core of downtown.
“This walkway acted more like a wall to LCC,” Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said. “We want to turn that around.”
Read more about this story in Saturday’s Lansing State Journal. Contact Jeremy W. Steele at 377-1015 or jwsteele@lsj.com.
I wish the city would grow balls and take that land from them. If there is no other case where imminent domain is necessary, this is one of them. They need to get this land back from the Eyde's and give it to someone who actually cares and knows how to develop the land properly. The Eyde's are suburban developers and real estate agents, and quite frankly, it shows.
This is a really sore issue with me considering how long this has been going on the the owners refusal to put up a quality project, there. What they are currently proposing looks like it would fit great...somewhere in Delta Township or the North Tier.
My opinion is that the Eyde company is far from an evil suburban developer that so many have said, though I agree they have developed several less than eye appealing buildings in their day. The truth is that they are out to make a profit, so if the kind of development I suspect that you would like to see is not profitable, it will not be developed. The real question is...how do we make this type of development lucrative enough that it is developed. And...what type of development do you envision on this corner, which I agree is a key corner yet to be developed.
I hardly think that taking back the land from the Eyde's using eminent domain is a 'good' idea, rather, it is really the only option they have left the other involved parties. There is absolutely no excuse for this to have been going on for nearly a decade, now, and no excuse for the plethora of other lots and properties they've owned for years now that remain empty and vacant while developers with even less means are getting the job done. I have no sympathy for them, especially considering that they have the means to offer the community far more than they are offering it in terms of development and quality development. I could rattle off a list of developers with significantly lesser means and connections in this community making good money off of Lansing and offering us good products and a better community in return.
As for what needs to be developed at the corner, I ask for nothing more than what the small neighborhood and city has been asking for for years, and that's groundfloor retail, and up-stairs residential units (apartments and/or condos) in a design that respects the historic homes of the neighborhood. This area sits in a virtual retail desert cut off from the central core of downtown by state surface parking lot after state surface parking lot. The lot is at a major corner with high traffic visibility being along MLK and Kalamazoo, so it's hardly that the location hampers the lot's development.
BTW, what is your involvement with the Eyde's? I guess you've found my pet peeve, and that's developers that have the means to do better, who don't, while those that barely have the means, do.