I'm fairly confident that Eyde will get the incentives that he seeks, they're all pretty strait forward and I think it will be a very deserving project. For a second I was wondering if they were going to try to use the development bonds on this project. I think I'll a start a new topic for this project, as I'm sure there will be plenty of news, updates and discussion about it.
Here's a link to an LSJ archive of old articles and pictures of the Knapp's: LSJ Knapps Archive
Absolutely great news! This and the AF building are putting downtown Lansing on a solid upward trajectory. In my opinion, this was the last building in downtown that absolutely needed to be redeveloped.
A small chunk of news: The city of Lansing has a proposal in this weeks council meeting to buy the Yellow Cab building on Cedar St to raze and turn it into a parking lot. It states that the primary reason for acquiring the property is to facilitate future redevelopment of the site. This was one of the properties that were supposed to be part of the Kalamazoo Gateway development, I wonder if something is finally happening with that?
That would be awesome. However, I remember Townsend saying he was shelving Kalamazoo Gateway to focus on Ottawa and Butler. I doubt the current financial market would allow him to do both soon after eachother. So unless he's done a 180 and is focusing on the Gateway instead of Ottawa/Butler, I think it will be a parking lot for a while. Who knows though?!
The Yellow Cab building is one building that I won't miss regardless of what the lands used for. It's such an ugly, dilapidated building, I think a parking lot or even a grass lot would be an improvement. This also basically guarantees that the site will be available for future development.
I always new that Grand Rapids had a lot of benefactors, but I had no idea that Flint did. Anyways this drives home the point that Lansing is on it's own when it comes to big public projects.
In this weeks City Council agenda it looks like the approval for the liquor license at the Wild Beaver Saloon is going through, it will also include a sidewalk dining area.
There are also several resolutions regarding the old Marshall Street Armory: a rezoning request and several tax abatements.
Wild Beaver Saloon is up and running and this Friday and Saturday downtown was hopping. The weather probably played a part, but there was tons of foot traffic and people around downtown. Geno's Pizzeria (former Menna's Joint) was busy till close on Friday and Saturday. Things just looked really great for downtown this weekend and not just during the bar hopping times after 10pm.
I don't post much here, usually content to lurk, but I run the comic book shop in the 200 block of Washington (Clem's Collectibles) and we have an annual event called Free Comic Book Day that we hosted this last Saturday. Had almost 500 people come through, record traffic for us.
It's always good to hear that a lot of people were downtown on a weekend. So on free comic book day you actually give out free comics? I've never been into to comics but that sounds like a pretty good deal...
It looks like the old Temple Club will now become an entertainment complex, called the Temple of Michigan or "TOM," like the BOB in GR. It will include a bar, restaurant, entertainment venue and party store. It all sounds pretty good besides the party store, I'm not sure why they decided to throw that in the mix.
Comments
Here's a link to an LSJ archive of old articles and pictures of the Knapp's:
LSJ Knapps Archive
I always new that Grand Rapids had a lot of benefactors, but I had no idea that Flint did. Anyways this drives home the point that Lansing is on it's own when it comes to big public projects.
There are also several resolutions regarding the old Marshall Street Armory: a rezoning request and several tax abatements.
It looks like the old Temple Club will now become an entertainment complex, called the Temple of Michigan or "TOM," like the BOB in GR. It will include a bar, restaurant, entertainment venue and party store. It all sounds pretty good besides the party store, I'm not sure why they decided to throw that in the mix.
Lansing's former Temple Club could become entertainment complex