It's been fascinating and frustrating to learn how MSHDA and banks work against urban development. I'd really like to see some documentation on MSHDA requirements so we can write our legislators or the administration to get these silly and unproductive rules changed.
As for developing blocks, unless we're going to require orientations in the zoning code that create inner courtyards on blocks, architects, developers and the city are always going to see some part of the lot as the "back" and another as a "font." And, yeah, in a block like this, the only sense to make of it is that Kalamazoo and/or Grand are the "front" as more major local roads. You can't reasonably have those roads as the "back" of the parcel.
@MichMatters If they build the first floor out of concrete/steel so that it can be in the flood plain with parking or whatever, then I'd love to see them orient one building to Kalamazoo & Cherry and the other to Grand & Lenawee. I'm not sure if they're going to want to hassle with building in a flood plain though, if not then fronting a building to Kalamazoo probably isn't going to happen. Hopefully they come back with something better than we saw.
The small townhouse project across from St Lawrence is fenced off and had a formal groundbreaking a couple days ago. It's being called an affordable housing project but also has "condos" in its name, I'm unsure if they're actually going to be condos or if they're just playing loose with their language. https://www.wilx.com/2023/08/16/affordable-housing-project-breaks-ground-lansing/
The huge development at Motor Wheels seems to be doing site prep. The old houses at or near the corner of Penn and Saginaw have been torn down.
Edit: Went back through the council agendas to see if I could find what I'd originally found on West Pointe and can't find anything. The search function on the program they use is horrible. Maybe citykid could help us out, but I thought West Pointe was going to be affordable rentals.
Cherry Hill - Since it was LIHTC dependent and the original developer didn't get it, I don't recall being informed there would eventually be a phase II so combining the parcels wasn't even on the radar to discuss. In a lot of cases zoning just makes sure it meets the code rather than suggesting reconfiguration, but maybe that should be changed. A provision was included in the amendment draft after the first phase drawing that does require building to the block face. I think they got special consideration for the floodplain, but it wasn't the right configuration to approve. Either way, they were told the parking can be combined as-is, but P&Z strongly suggests the parcels be combined to facilitate closer to what hood suggested since both buildings can fit as designed, just moved around. The architect agreed to discuss it with the developer but it depends on how far along their civil engineer is, etc. I have my fingers crossed.
Pointe West Condos - The units will be condominiumized so ICLB doesn't have to be a landlord or contract with that type of property management. They didn't get any special incentives from the city so you wouldn't find anything about it. I don't know the funding model, but affordable can be mean simply 60% AMI so that may not be a difficult target for them to hit. I'm interested to see how it works as middle-housing infill. We haven't really seen this type of product in Lansing.
I'd posted a graphic of Pointe West a few pages back, but I forgot where I got the image from. I can only imagine it was from a council agenda, as that's what's publicly available. But I could find it in any of the agendas. But the search and function figures are so wonky, now, that it doesn't surprise me that I couldn't find it.
As for Cherry Hill, I forgot to ask - and perhaps it was discussed some pages back - if MSHDA is even involved? I see the most recent article we were talking about doesn't even mention MSHDA.
I drove by Penn & Saginaw to check out what was going on and was a little disappointed to see the old commercial building tore down, I really wish they had try to save that. They're putting up some fencing around the corner lots where everything was already cleared. For some reason I was expecting to see more stuff go through council before anything happened here, did I miss something?
It's the site prep stage, so they haven't needed to ask for much of anything for that, at least nothing that needed to go through council. Rezoning already happened. Now they are working on the new OPRA as I spoke about above.
I only saw the OPRA rescinded for the building attached to MW lofts that's becoming more residential, is there something else working its way through for this project?
Yeah, I messed up with that. An OPRA is, of course, a rehab project. In any case, I would expect them to come to the city for something with this project, eventually. Developers don't leave tax credits and such on the table.
I'm still confused about all the movements and changes going on in that area. The OPRA district and certificate rewarded was for residential in the unused part of the factory. The only thing I can guess is that they asked for a revocation of the OPRA because they plan to instead focus on the new construction, but that's just a guess. Seems weird to ask for a revocation instead of simply just letting it lapse unless maybe they've gotten some kind of other tenant lined up for the office space they'd planned to turn into residences.
Comments
As for developing blocks, unless we're going to require orientations in the zoning code that create inner courtyards on blocks, architects, developers and the city are always going to see some part of the lot as the "back" and another as a "font." And, yeah, in a block like this, the only sense to make of it is that Kalamazoo and/or Grand are the "front" as more major local roads. You can't reasonably have those roads as the "back" of the parcel.
https://www.wilx.com/2023/08/16/affordable-housing-project-breaks-ground-lansing/
It was also reported that the new playground/pier in Adado new Saginaw St is slated to open in mid-Septemeber. This should really help bring more attention to Adado when events aren't going on and make the west bank Rivertrail more active, maybe people will even start to use that amphitheater again.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/08/15/accessible-playground-lansing-adado-park-ada/70573503007/
Edit: Went back through the council agendas to see if I could find what I'd originally found on West Pointe and can't find anything. The search function on the program they use is horrible. Maybe citykid could help us out, but I thought West Pointe was going to be affordable rentals.
MSHDA Standards of Design. Maryanne Vukonich vukonichm@michigan.gov is the Chief Architect.
Pointe West Condos - The units will be condominiumized so ICLB doesn't have to be a landlord or contract with that type of property management. They didn't get any special incentives from the city so you wouldn't find anything about it. I don't know the funding model, but affordable can be mean simply 60% AMI so that may not be a difficult target for them to hit. I'm interested to see how it works as middle-housing infill. We haven't really seen this type of product in Lansing.
As for Cherry Hill, I forgot to ask - and perhaps it was discussed some pages back - if MSHDA is even involved? I see the most recent article we were talking about doesn't even mention MSHDA.
I'm still confused about all the movements and changes going on in that area. The OPRA district and certificate rewarded was for residential in the unused part of the factory. The only thing I can guess is that they asked for a revocation of the OPRA because they plan to instead focus on the new construction, but that's just a guess. Seems weird to ask for a revocation instead of simply just letting it lapse unless maybe they've gotten some kind of other tenant lined up for the office space they'd planned to turn into residences.