Interesting find in a planning commission meeting. The city is requesting a "visibility eastement" on the small parcel immediately north of the Masonic Temple so that the Bojis won't develop it. It's only 54 feet wide and 165 feet deep. It's currently a (small) parking lot, and with the easement that's likely all it will remain. Seems like a missed opportunity by the city to purchase it and turn it into a small pocket plaza/park if they wanted to keep it "empty." Anyway, Public Services seems to doubt that it's legally enforceable.
I'm very, very disappointed that they seem to have no intention of buying that lot. I was hoping for a plaza on the corner and a nice facade renovation maybe with a small addition on the blank wall that is on the south side of the building. If that easement isn't enforceable it'd seem likely that building will end up a largely windowless and not so pleasant place to work.
I'd always envisioned the Masonic Temple as more fit for redevelopment into something like GR's BOB, or even Detroit's Masonic Temple. It's just not well suited to being offices, apartments or a hotel.
I assume the easement must mean that they are going to punch windows into the blank northern facade.
I've never even thought about the south end of this block because it's an active parking lot owned by BCBS, and it's never been mentioned in discussions about the city hall move.
It was the first thing I thought about when they selected this site, imo getting the parking lot as well should have been a precondition of this site being selected. These sorts of decisions/oversights are why I have so little faith in the city as of late. A city hall is multi decade (or aspirationally a century) decision, every step of the handling of this makes me feel like it's a gift to a couple developers with little thought given to it other than just getting it done.
The proposal calls for paying the Boji Group $5 million. That includes $3.65 million for the building and another $1.35 million for a “visibility easement” on a parking lot adjacent to the north side of the building also owned by Boji, a Lansing-based real estate developer.
This is even more ridiculous than I thought. More than a quarter of the money we're paying to the Bojis is for the "visibility easement." This is a racket. Apparently, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval for this on Wednesday. When are we going to stop doing corruption like this? lol The article tries to allay the concerns that the state is basically funding the renovation, but on principal alone I'm against paying the Bojis absolutely anything more than what the site is worth.
Parcel viewer says that the value of the lot (and improvements) for this "visibility easement" is ~$96,800. Even in taking to account the potential for them inflating the purchase price of the lot on the market, it wouldn't have cost anywhere near $1.35 million to outright buy this lot from the Bojis. City council needs to force the mayor to renegotiate this deal. Sorry.
Small amendment to the brownfield plan for the 500 S. block of Capitol/Washington appears to be up, next week. It looks like they are rearranging the parcels in such a way that the vacant parcel fronting Washington south of the existing two-story commercial building is separated and goes to the private developer instead of staying with the city. Not sure what that ultimately means except that it gives someone else an opportunity to redevelop the corner at Hillsdale and Washington.
The documents also seem to imply that the old credit union tower has not been completely renovated yet, giving a date for that. I was surprised since they've been leasing since last year. As for Ovation, they give the start of prep work for April with completion scheduled for October of next year. Looks like the existing building will house a green room and staff servicces on the first floor and the offices of the Lansing Public Media Center on the second floor. In the center itself, the basement will hold a recording studio, bars on the ground and second floors, and looks like what could be a restaurant on the roof.
That's all good news as far as I'm concerned. I'm particularly glad that development of the Washington & Hillsdale corner wont be hindered by that commercial buildings incorporation into The Ovation, I'd love to see a mid/high rise there someday. I'll be very happy to see construction finally begin on the Ovation, fingers crossed it actually happens.
Comments
I'd always envisioned the Masonic Temple as more fit for redevelopment into something like GR's BOB, or even Detroit's Masonic Temple. It's just not well suited to being offices, apartments or a hotel.
I've never even thought about the south end of this block because it's an active parking lot owned by BCBS, and it's never been mentioned in discussions about the city hall move.
This is even more ridiculous than I thought. More than a quarter of the money we're paying to the Bojis is for the "visibility easement." This is a racket. Apparently, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval for this on Wednesday. When are we going to stop doing corruption like this? lol The article tries to allay the concerns that the state is basically funding the renovation, but on principal alone I'm against paying the Bojis absolutely anything more than what the site is worth.
Parcel viewer says that the value of the lot (and improvements) for this "visibility easement" is ~$96,800. Even in taking to account the potential for them inflating the purchase price of the lot on the market, it wouldn't have cost anywhere near $1.35 million to outright buy this lot from the Bojis. City council needs to force the mayor to renegotiate this deal. Sorry.
The documents also seem to imply that the old credit union tower has not been completely renovated yet, giving a date for that. I was surprised since they've been leasing since last year. As for Ovation, they give the start of prep work for April with completion scheduled for October of next year. Looks like the existing building will house a green room and staff servicces on the first floor and the offices of the Lansing Public Media Center on the second floor. In the center itself, the basement will hold a recording studio, bars on the ground and second floors, and looks like what could be a restaurant on the roof.
https://www.wilx.com/2024/01/30/former-lansing-assembly-plant-secures-state-funding-redevelopment/