Another good piece of news: the Michigan Credit Union League is moving it's office from Northville to downtown Lansing in the building that Troppos is in. They are taking up the entire 9th floor (9,000 sq/ft). Great to hear businesses moving from the outskirts into downtowns instead of moving out of downtown anywhere, but especially Lansing.
The first is cost, and his estimates peg the total increased cost to the bureau over five years — the term of the lease with the Gillespie Group — at just over $786,000. That figure includes an estimated moving cost of $50,000 and a "build-out" cost of approximately $346,000. The build-out costs are incurred by the bureau because the space they'll occupy isn't finished; rather, it will be finished to suit its needs prior to the move-in date.
The issue isn't just the cost incurred by the bureau. After all, if a company moves to newer, more expensive digs, thats its choice. Hladki says that's a price the bureau is willing to pay to be close to two big draws — the Lansing Center and Lugnuts Stadium — with a streetlevel storefront and a visitors center. The Old Town offices are on the second story and do not include a visitors center. The bureau had operated a visitors center on the first floor, but it was shut down several years ago. The bureau sublets the space.
The problem is the anticipated ripple effect on Old Town, where the bureau is viewed as an anchor.
Ferguson, whose own office is also in the Grand Center, began investing in Old Town in the 1990s at the invitation of then-Mayor Dave Hollister. He notes, in the letter, that the initial commitment of the visitors bureau to place its offices in Old Town spurred other developments and revitalizations in which Ferguson Development has been involved, including partnering with the city to obtain a state grant allowing for improvements to the River Walk.
I got an invitation from the Public Service Dept. and the PSD for "input for the upcoming streetscape project onS. Washington Sq." I'm sure they wouldn't be upset if some you came. It's this Thursday, Jan. 29, 8am at the Radisson Hotel, Michigan Rooms II and III. If I can go into work late, I'll definitely go, so if some of you who always have great and usefull comments can't go and want to pass them to me I'll definitely pass the ideas along at the meeting. FYI, the back of the postcard invite says:
"The design phase of a streetscape and corridor beautification project is ongoing in the 200 and 300 blocks of South Washington. The project will improve the pedestrian environment with new paving, curb bumpouts, and rain gardens, which will further benefit the City's storm water system. Design of the project is a crucial step to a successful project. We ask for your cooperation during this important design period, which will ultimately improve the quality of the Washington Square business corridor. We invite you to attend a Commerical Property Design Meeting. This meeting is being held for commercial property owners and tenants in or near the project area. If you are a stakeholder of property in this area, you are highly encouraged to attend this meeting. This is your opportunity to provide your ideas prior to the design of the project. If you have questions, please call Mindy at the Lansing PSD at 487.3322."
I'm not sure what they mean, I thought they were going to continue the same streetscape improvements they put on the redone parts of Washington. I am happy with the improvements they have already done, and I'd like to see those continue down to 496. The only point I'd stress is that they use traffic lights mounted on poles rather than on wires. Also I wish they could incorporate at least a couple sculptures, statues or fountains along Washington. I hope that they block off access to Cooley's lot from Washington also, I'm guessing thats part of why they demoed a part of Town Center.
Yeah, I've noticed the chiller plant, it's a bit taller than I was expecting. I hope they make it look decent, it looks good in the rendering but it's sort of hard to tell.
I do hope that Cooley could buy Knapp's, that may be the one realistic idea that could happen in the near future.
I didn't see that one coming, I wish I could here more details on this. There are some other very interesting sounding items on that project wish list. I copied the list for Lansing:
(city / project / money requested / jobs created)
Lansing Wind turbine deployment $7,000,000 55
Lansing Solar energy deployment $2,000,000 24
Lansing Moores Dam hydro north turbine rehabilitation $1,975,000 25
Lansing North Lansing Dam hydro refurbishment $2,450,000 24
Lansing Landfill gas interconnection $2,000,000 12
Lansing Biomass injection system $2,000,000 24
Lansing Biomethane fueled gas turbine generation $32,900,000 325
Lansing Smart grid investment $12,500,000 26
Lansing Sodium hypochlorite generation system $1,500,000 20
Lansing AMI metering infrastructure $21,000,000 180
Lansing Biodiesel cofiring existing conventional coal $2,800,000 57
Lansing Drinking water infrastructure energy efficiency $6,500,000 170
Lansing Distributed drinking water infrastructure $84,000,000 500
Lansing Fleet replacement - hybrid electric vehicles $4,600,000 380
Lansing Hybrid bus acquisition (10) $6,220,000 0
Lansing Expand/renovate bus storage facility $4,500,000 50
Lansing Jackson national life expansion $2,000,000 800
Lansing Deluxe Inn mixed use redevelopment $1,000,000 50
Lansing Green zone riverfront development $25,000,000 500
Lansing Lansing smart zone biobusiness incubator $2,000,000 50
Lansing Lansing downtown smartzone business incubator $2,000,000 75
Lansing Information Technology Empowerment center $3,000,000 50
Lansing Museum Drive mixed use redevelopment $20,000,000 150
Lansing Downtown karp mixed use redevelopment $1,000,000 30
Lansing Capital club towers $2,000,000 100
Lansing New city market/mixed use development $3,000,000 200
Lansing Lansing convention center expansion $30,000,000 100
Lansing Local Street rehabilitation $6,000,000 90
Lansing Safe Routes to School sidewalk gap closure $3,000,000 40
Lansing Major street rehabilitation $4,000,000 60
Lansing Critical infrastructure and technology $342,000,000 0
Lansing Lansing School District school building infrastructure and technology $67,148,189 0
Lansing Replace student buses with energy efficient units $6,375,000 0
Comments
http://capitalgainsmedia.com/devnews/credit0303.aspx
"The design phase of a streetscape and corridor beautification project is ongoing in the 200 and 300 blocks of South Washington. The project will improve the pedestrian environment with new paving, curb bumpouts, and rain gardens, which will further benefit the City's storm water system. Design of the project is a crucial step to a successful project. We ask for your cooperation during this important design period, which will ultimately improve the quality of the Washington Square business corridor. We invite you to attend a Commerical Property Design Meeting. This meeting is being held for commercial property owners and tenants in or near the project area. If you are a stakeholder of property in this area, you are highly encouraged to attend this meeting. This is your opportunity to provide your ideas prior to the design of the project. If you have questions, please call Mindy at the Lansing PSD at 487.3322."
I'm not sure what they mean, I thought they were going to continue the same streetscape improvements they put on the redone parts of Washington. I am happy with the improvements they have already done, and I'd like to see those continue down to 496. The only point I'd stress is that they use traffic lights mounted on poles rather than on wires. Also I wish they could incorporate at least a couple sculptures, statues or fountains along Washington. I hope that they block off access to Cooley's lot from Washington also, I'm guessing thats part of why they demoed a part of Town Center.
Cooley helps shape Downtown Lansing's growth
I do hope that Cooley could buy Knapp's, that may be the one realistic idea that could happen in the near future.
(city / project / money requested / jobs created)
Lansing Wind turbine deployment $7,000,000 55
Lansing Solar energy deployment $2,000,000 24
Lansing Moores Dam hydro north turbine rehabilitation $1,975,000 25
Lansing North Lansing Dam hydro refurbishment $2,450,000 24
Lansing Landfill gas interconnection $2,000,000 12
Lansing Biomass injection system $2,000,000 24
Lansing Biomethane fueled gas turbine generation $32,900,000 325
Lansing Smart grid investment $12,500,000 26
Lansing Sodium hypochlorite generation system $1,500,000 20
Lansing AMI metering infrastructure $21,000,000 180
Lansing Biodiesel cofiring existing conventional coal $2,800,000 57
Lansing Drinking water infrastructure energy efficiency $6,500,000 170
Lansing Distributed drinking water infrastructure $84,000,000 500
Lansing Fleet replacement - hybrid electric vehicles $4,600,000 380
Lansing Hybrid bus acquisition (10) $6,220,000 0
Lansing Expand/renovate bus storage facility $4,500,000 50
Lansing Jackson national life expansion $2,000,000 800
Lansing Deluxe Inn mixed use redevelopment $1,000,000 50
Lansing Green zone riverfront development $25,000,000 500
Lansing Lansing smart zone biobusiness incubator $2,000,000 50
Lansing Lansing downtown smartzone business incubator $2,000,000 75
Lansing Information Technology Empowerment center $3,000,000 50
Lansing Museum Drive mixed use redevelopment $20,000,000 150
Lansing Downtown karp mixed use redevelopment $1,000,000 30
Lansing Capital club towers $2,000,000 100
Lansing New city market/mixed use development $3,000,000 200
Lansing Lansing convention center expansion $30,000,000 100
Lansing Local Street rehabilitation $6,000,000 90
Lansing Safe Routes to School sidewalk gap closure $3,000,000 40
Lansing Major street rehabilitation $4,000,000 60
Lansing Critical infrastructure and technology $342,000,000 0
Lansing Lansing School District school building infrastructure and technology $67,148,189 0
Lansing Replace student buses with energy efficient units $6,375,000 0