So, I was riding my bike both along and near the River Trail, this evening and noticed to my surprise that it appears that the Red Cedar Friends Meeting (Lansing-area Quaker congregation) is finally ready to break ground. The site is roped off, and there appears to have already been some digging done. I just went to their website, and it says their official ground breaking will be October 22 where they will present renderings for the structure.
For those that don't know or remember they aquired this site back in 2005, and it's pretty much sat untouched since then. The location is basically an empty site across the street from the On The Grand condominiums, and north of Goldenrod Music at Turner and Clinton.
From what I hear it's only going to be one floor, but "green" and made to fit with the existing buildings in Old Town.
I was looking through CB Richard Ellis/Martin, the other day and saw they were marketing the surface lot at Washington & St. Joseph, right off 496, for development, which got me researching who actually owns the thing. Turns out Accident Fund has owned it since 2001.
So, it got me thinking 'what else does Accident Fund own, downtown?' Looking them up on the city's property look-up tool it seems they just bought the surface parking lot in the 400 block of South Washington (Arbaugh's block) that is located between the new Jamaican restaurant and the downtown smokeshop, last month. And, as some may already know, besides their headquarters, they also own the surface lot across from their current headquarters at Capitol and Washtenaw, as well as the Ellis Parking Ramp across from the Boji Tower.
I'm wondering if they have any plans for their new Washington lot, though. It seems odd, to me, that they'd just randomly be buying parking lots on far South Washington for no reason...
They have owned the lot in the 400 block for at least a couple years, they've had ellis parking running it for awhile. About 6 months ago there was talk of someone buying but I can't remember who, I beleive it was a developer, either hepler or townsend I beleive.
Oops. I went back and see I read the assessors page incorrectly. Yeah, they bought 418 South Washington back in 2001, it appears, but it shows that last month they transferred it to a "Washington Abraham, LLC" who's paying the taxes, yet they are still listed as the owners. How does that work?
Yeah, like I said, I knew about their ownership of the Ellis Ramp and their other properties directly around their headquarters, but did not know they owned anything along Washington. I wonder how much money they make off the lots? I never took them as the kind of company that would be running parking operations around town.
When I talked to the guy running it I figured they grossed about 100-130k per year @100% occupancy off the washington lot. They charged like $120 per month in that lot, the ones closer to their HQ probably cost at least that much.
Saw that on WILX at 5, today. I was fairly surprised (I was told a few months back by the BWL spokesman to expect an announcement on renewable energy in the coming months), but this makes so much since it isn't funny.
Yes, the "hill" is actually holding or treatment tanks for the Dye Treatment facility across the street. The area is a quasi-park with benches and historic street lamps. You can reach by climbing up the back of the hill from Cedar Street.
Yeah, there wasn't ever anything that could have been developed on top of them but something as creative as this. I'm glad to BWL saw this opportunity.
Here are a few oldish photos I've taken from the "hill"
Comments
For those that don't know or remember they aquired this site back in 2005, and it's pretty much sat untouched since then. The location is basically an empty site across the street from the On The Grand condominiums, and north of Goldenrod Music at Turner and Clinton.
From what I hear it's only going to be one floor, but "green" and made to fit with the existing buildings in Old Town.
So, it got me thinking 'what else does Accident Fund own, downtown?' Looking them up on the city's property look-up tool it seems they just bought the surface parking lot in the 400 block of South Washington (Arbaugh's block) that is located between the new Jamaican restaurant and the downtown smokeshop, last month. And, as some may already know, besides their headquarters, they also own the surface lot across from their current headquarters at Capitol and Washtenaw, as well as the Ellis Parking Ramp across from the Boji Tower.
I'm wondering if they have any plans for their new Washington lot, though. It seems odd, to me, that they'd just randomly be buying parking lots on far South Washington for no reason...
Yeah, like I said, I knew about their ownership of the Ellis Ramp and their other properties directly around their headquarters, but did not know they owned anything along Washington. I wonder how much money they make off the lots? I never took them as the kind of company that would be running parking operations around town.
This sounds cool,I'd be interested to hear more about it.
Yeah, there wasn't ever anything that could have been developed on top of them but something as creative as this. I'm glad to BWL saw this opportunity.
Here are a few oldish photos I've taken from the "hill"
I guess the Boji's wanted a proper outdoor balcony.