Oh ok. I see what you're talking about. Yeah, if I could fly from Lansing to my end destination, then I would choose Lansing over DTW because it's much easier for a number of reasons. It stinks because JetAmerica was going to make it easy for me to fly to New York right from Lansing, but it never materialized.
When I go to Detroit I take the Greyhound as it takes me right to downtown Detroit and the round trip fare is a better deal than taking the Flyer (not to mention that DTW is quite a ways from downtown and the DDOT). For the number of trips that the Greyhound makes, it is usually pretty busy.
Jared I completely agree about JetAmerica - my parents were elated when it was announced, as I live in NYC now. It would have been incredible to just hop a flight from Lansing to Newark, and especially for so cheap.
MichMatters, I agree with you too - it's not the Flyer's fault. In fact it's great to have it, considering that DTW is really the best way to get around the country. DTW is a world-class airport and there's no way Lansing could compete, but I do think that if it got focused and hits a stroke of good luck (it seems that a lot of the problems lately have stemmed not from the airport but those the airport contracts with - like JetAmerica's failure) it could become a great niche airport.
I'm thinking cheap flights to holiday destinations, weekend getaways and connecting flights. We have customs now. Why not fly to Toronto and Montreal? Why not try to attract boutique airlines (which in fairness it seems we have been trying to do) that would offer a flight down to Florida or South Texas or LA or NYC on Friday evening, and then a return flight on Sunday evening? Advertise the NYC trip as 'go shopping for a weekend,' partner with NYC hotels for special deals, and sell weekend getaway packages. Same for South Padre, Disney, etc.
If Lansing paired with Disney for a package flight, hotel and amusement park entry, people would come FROM Detroit to take advantage of it. A family in the Detroit metro that wants to go to Disney in Orlando could look up the cheapest deals, find that they can get a whole package leaving from Lansing cheaper than booking a trip from DTW and doing everything separately, and then hop on the Flyer. Lansing could even partner with the Flyer to be part of the package. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having increased traffic coming from Detroit. That's the kind of thing I think we need to pursue. We're never going to be the choice for people who need to structure their own trips for business and pleasure, but we CAN be the choice for prepackaged, easy and cheap structured trips, as well as offering connections to major hubs.
There is a lot of of news this week coming out of Capital Gains and the City Pulse, theres a few more articles that I didn't post because they're sorta old news.
Yeah, I noticed the colors and they were nice. Other priminent buildings would be cool too.
The former Comp USA store in Frandor had the awning/entrance completely covered up by plywood and I peaked and the interior is gutted down to concrete for as much as I could see. Something going in there?
Id be willing to bet something is going in there. Most landlords will leave a vacant space as is, in case of a tenant that has a similar need, thus negating buildout costs. If they have gutted it, its likely there is a buildout in process.
When I said the awning/entrance was covered, I didn't mean the doors/windows were 2-dimensionally covered. I meant they've built a cube with plywood covering the awning completely so that there is only about one foot of space left of the sidewalk...you basically have to step into the street to walk around that section. So it's definitely not to secure the building. I should have been more descriptive before.
I would like to say yes, but I have a feeling that it would take too much to get that building into shape, although they've never been clear as to how much work must actually be done. That being said I don't know what other suitable building downtown has 10,000 sq ft of space, maybe One Michigan Ave, or Capitol Tower.
In the upcoming council agenda there is a notice to transfer a liquor license to Craft Beer at 408 S Washington Sq. This is a currently vacant storefront, two spots down from MBC.
I would rather just see the YMCA building go than to see it rehabbed in any fashion. It looks so small amongst the other buildings in that immediate area, besides being ugly.
I do agree that its good news anytime a new venture capitalist sets up shop, it means more opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
Comments
When I go to Detroit I take the Greyhound as it takes me right to downtown Detroit and the round trip fare is a better deal than taking the Flyer (not to mention that DTW is quite a ways from downtown and the DDOT). For the number of trips that the Greyhound makes, it is usually pretty busy.
MichMatters, I agree with you too - it's not the Flyer's fault. In fact it's great to have it, considering that DTW is really the best way to get around the country. DTW is a world-class airport and there's no way Lansing could compete, but I do think that if it got focused and hits a stroke of good luck (it seems that a lot of the problems lately have stemmed not from the airport but those the airport contracts with - like JetAmerica's failure) it could become a great niche airport.
I'm thinking cheap flights to holiday destinations, weekend getaways and connecting flights. We have customs now. Why not fly to Toronto and Montreal? Why not try to attract boutique airlines (which in fairness it seems we have been trying to do) that would offer a flight down to Florida or South Texas or LA or NYC on Friday evening, and then a return flight on Sunday evening? Advertise the NYC trip as 'go shopping for a weekend,' partner with NYC hotels for special deals, and sell weekend getaway packages. Same for South Padre, Disney, etc.
If Lansing paired with Disney for a package flight, hotel and amusement park entry, people would come FROM Detroit to take advantage of it. A family in the Detroit metro that wants to go to Disney in Orlando could look up the cheapest deals, find that they can get a whole package leaving from Lansing cheaper than booking a trip from DTW and doing everything separately, and then hop on the Flyer. Lansing could even partner with the Flyer to be part of the package. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having increased traffic coming from Detroit. That's the kind of thing I think we need to pursue. We're never going to be the choice for people who need to structure their own trips for business and pleasure, but we CAN be the choice for prepackaged, easy and cheap structured trips, as well as offering connections to major hubs.
Architecture Firm in Lansing Lands $1.5 Million Airport Pod Contract, First in U.S.
GiftZip Grows eRetail Site, Projects $1 Million in Sales Next Year
Architecture Firm in Lansing Lands $1.5 Million Airport Pod Contract, First in U.S.
Biotech Company Invests $10.9 Million to Update Key Lansing Facility
Spartan Internet Breaks Ground on $2 Million Holmes Street School Renovation
The former Comp USA store in Frandor had the awning/entrance completely covered up by plywood and I peaked and the interior is gutted down to concrete for as much as I could see. Something going in there?
I do agree that its good news anytime a new venture capitalist sets up shop, it means more opportunities for local entrepreneurs.