Somethings to watch on the city council agenda, today:
1. Issuance of an OPRA (Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act) for 600 South Capitol - Doggie daycare development
2. Issuance of an OPRA for 1106 North Cedar - Old Cedar Street School across from Preuss, medical building
3. Exemption for new personal property tax for Jackson National is approved, a step forward in keeping their expansion project, here.
4. Approval of Brownfield redevelopment plan for NuUnion at 6501 S. Cedar in South Lansing - Old Regency Motel
5. New sidewalk along the north of Edgewood from where it currently ends in the east to Martin Luther King - IMO, one of the most useful city improvements in awhile. Two many people live down that way crammed into apartments, and the sidewalks are sporadic, at best. Yes!
I saw that last week but forgot to mention it. Yeah, the company moved out to Jolly somewhere freeing up the building. I've been waiting for years to see this building renovated. It's the last of the large structures in REO Town to be renovated.
In this weeks City Council Agenda there is an application by Knight Kap to have an outdoor dining area, not exactly big news but it will be nice to see more of that along Michigan Ave.
Also, there is the Development Agreement for Market Place, there are some interesting things in that regarding timelines and guidelines for the development.
I'd been hearing about this for years, but it looks like we may see this actually start. The city looks very close to finally getting the money to clear 34 homes in the Urbandale neighborhood (and some north of Baker-Donora) to move part of the city out of natures way. Not only will this prevent a lot of potential flood damage, but it will clean-up an area of a lot of shoddy housing and perhaps densify the neighborhoods directly to the north and west of Urbandale.
Christine Rook • Lansing State Journal • June 30, 2008 • From Lansing State Journal
Lansing has received initial approval of its $2 million federal grant application to buy and demolish homes in the city's most flood-prone areas.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed Friday that Lansing still must pass a final financial review and scrutiny over the project's effect on the environment and any historic structures.
Lansing sits at the confluence of two rivers: the Red Cedar and the Grand. And moving people out of the massive 100-year flood plain has been a goal of emergency officials.
The two targeted areas include the eastern edge of the city and two streets near Pennsylvania Avenue in central Lansing.
More likely they'd let it revert back to natural greenspace. That would probably be the best bet seeing as how just across the freeway is natural lands. They could then connect it to the existing River Trail that runs just south of the freeway.
I've always been surprised to see how few houses are really down that way. These are some pretty big city lots, but with rather small, shoddy houses. I wonder what the history behind Urbandale is? I'm trying to imagine exactly who these homes would have been built for.
As for Beulah and Fayette streets, I've actually never been on either, at least where they are looking to take down the homes, but you can tell from the River Trail how when the Red Cedar floods it can (and has) flood the neighborhood.
For those that want to see the 100-year flood plain map for Lansing, I'm posting the link to the city map:
The story behind Urbandale is that many houses were destroyed by floods, it was much denser, and in better shape. I think the 70's flood really doomed the area, the freeways in that area act as levee's.
Comments
1. Issuance of an OPRA (Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act) for 600 South Capitol - Doggie daycare development
2. Issuance of an OPRA for 1106 North Cedar - Old Cedar Street School across from Preuss, medical building
3. Exemption for new personal property tax for Jackson National is approved, a step forward in keeping their expansion project, here.
4. Approval of Brownfield redevelopment plan for NuUnion at 6501 S. Cedar in South Lansing - Old Regency Motel
5. New sidewalk along the north of Edgewood from where it currently ends in the east to Martin Luther King - IMO, one of the most useful city improvements in awhile. Two many people live down that way crammed into apartments, and the sidewalks are sporadic, at best. Yes!
Also, there is the Development Agreement for Market Place, there are some interesting things in that regarding timelines and guidelines for the development.
I also say that the council will be passing an ACT so that the city will now buy the Boarshead Theater property, finally.
City Gets Initial OK to Clear Flood Area
Christine Rook • Lansing State Journal • June 30, 2008 • From Lansing State Journal
Lansing has received initial approval of its $2 million federal grant application to buy and demolish homes in the city's most flood-prone areas.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed Friday that Lansing still must pass a final financial review and scrutiny over the project's effect on the environment and any historic structures.
Lansing sits at the confluence of two rivers: the Red Cedar and the Grand. And moving people out of the massive 100-year flood plain has been a goal of emergency officials.
The two targeted areas include the eastern edge of the city and two streets near Pennsylvania Avenue in central Lansing.
....
I've always been surprised to see how few houses are really down that way. These are some pretty big city lots, but with rather small, shoddy houses. I wonder what the history behind Urbandale is? I'm trying to imagine exactly who these homes would have been built for.
As for Beulah and Fayette streets, I've actually never been on either, at least where they are looking to take down the homes, but you can tell from the River Trail how when the Red Cedar floods it can (and has) flood the neighborhood.
For those that want to see the 100-year flood plain map for Lansing, I'm posting the link to the city map:
http://www.lansingmi.gov/Lansing/pnd/planning/flood_plain_2_16_07.jpg
I didn't make it an image because it's so big. As you can see, the Red Cedar's flood plain is a monster of a thing.