There seems to be a public hearing set for the eight of next month in consideration of making East Village an NEZ (Neighborhood Enterpise Zone). Hopefully, this will get things started again for the development.
Does anyone know what kind of tax breaks East Village got to begin with? It's still my opinion that East Village is a very poor design, in both site plan and architecture, it's especially bad considering the location and target market it. I think it would have been much better off if it were designed more like Ottawa @ Butler.
Yeah, my problem with the development was that it wasn't connect to the neighborhoods around it. If they'd have simply kept the city street grid and worked the development into the area instead of trying to bring Okemos to cental Lansing it may have had more of a chance at success. As it is now, why would anyone want to buy there when they could get the same thing in the suburbs with better services?
I personally liked the original plan (though, it was also far from perfect) that was to incorporated retail along the edges of the development, I believe (or was it along Saginaw?). There is no kind of retail within reasonable walking distance from the development which means you're forced to simply drive from the place.
BTW, I figured out what's being built up at Larch and Lake Lansing/Douglas where the old Lee Buffet (and Theo's before that) used to be: another Tim Hortons. It's really kind of unfortunate that the building sits so back from the curb whereas the Lee Buffet was built right up against the corner. I understand Tim Horton's needs a drive thru, but perhaps they'd been better served somewhere mid-block as opposed to a prominent corner.
Actually, Larch/East is more heavily traveled than I think you think it is, especially at the turn-off to the beginning of Lake Lansing road.
Yeah, there were two or three plans (including the one currently built) for East Village. The first one was by the ADCO Group of Novi back in 2000, I think it was. It was to include retail along Saginaw. I can't exactly remember why they were dropped, but I think it had something to do with them not moving fast enough with their planning. After that Burton-Katzman (Bingham Farms), Oakwood Companies (Okemos), and Gillespite/Ferris competed for the site and Burton-Katzman won (Abbey Homes is co-developer, now). Apparently, the project isn't doing so well according to Maple Grove Property Management, the property management company. This was reported in the City Pulse in August.
This was discussed on here before, the Michigan police memorial thats supposed to go along Allegan, by the Vietnam Memorial. I emailed for an update and said that they are waiting on a commitment from some "large corps," for funding. She also specified that there will be 21 glass panels 8' tall and 4" thick.
Yeah, they've been trying to get donors for years, now, and it's coming slowly. I wish some well-heeled donors would just step up to get this thing done. It'd be a worthy cause.
Well, the latest issue of the Lansing Area Capitol Gains online magazines is out. According to one of the articles, the BWL is getting two small wind generators. The general manager concedes that these are going to be more symbolic than practical, though. One is to go at the Cedar Street Solar Array site, and the other at the new chiller plant going up near Allegan and Pine.
It'd really be something if we could utilize some of the high-rise roofs in downtown for wind and solar power.
That would be really cool about the wind generators on high-rises. It seems like the biggest hurdle would be air-rights to make sure that no adjacent properties can build taller and block the view of the wind turbine.
I like that the BWL is putting them up, even if it is just symbolic, because what is symbolic today should generate normality for the future.
Comments
I personally liked the original plan (though, it was also far from perfect) that was to incorporated retail along the edges of the development, I believe (or was it along Saginaw?). There is no kind of retail within reasonable walking distance from the development which means you're forced to simply drive from the place.
BTW, I figured out what's being built up at Larch and Lake Lansing/Douglas where the old Lee Buffet (and Theo's before that) used to be: another Tim Hortons. It's really kind of unfortunate that the building sits so back from the curb whereas the Lee Buffet was built right up against the corner. I understand Tim Horton's needs a drive thru, but perhaps they'd been better served somewhere mid-block as opposed to a prominent corner.
Really? Another Tim Hortons? The ones they already built don't seem to be doing that great if business, and that location isn't even very good.
Yeah, there were two or three plans (including the one currently built) for East Village. The first one was by the ADCO Group of Novi back in 2000, I think it was. It was to include retail along Saginaw. I can't exactly remember why they were dropped, but I think it had something to do with them not moving fast enough with their planning. After that Burton-Katzman (Bingham Farms), Oakwood Companies (Okemos), and Gillespite/Ferris competed for the site and Burton-Katzman won (Abbey Homes is co-developer, now). Apparently, the project isn't doing so well according to Maple Grove Property Management, the property management company. This was reported in the City Pulse in August.
This was discussed on here before, the Michigan police memorial thats supposed to go along Allegan, by the Vietnam Memorial. I emailed for an update and said that they are waiting on a commitment from some "large corps," for funding. She also specified that there will be 21 glass panels 8' tall and 4" thick.
It'd really be something if we could utilize some of the high-rise roofs in downtown for wind and solar power.
I like that the BWL is putting them up, even if it is just symbolic, because what is symbolic today should generate normality for the future.