Yeah, they are essentially a lobbying organization. One would hope, though, that there would be some coordiation by the city to try to steer them to the building that is proposed almost specifically to attract these organization: The Lenawee. I don't see the EDC and city doing enough to play that project up.
I heard today that the State has some preliminary plans to build $100 million Secretary of State building, it is supposed to be State-built also. When I learn more I'll post it here.
Nothing big, but LCC seems to be beautifying its prominent southeast corner at Shiawasee and Grand. For many years, it was a big blank brick wall for what I believe hid its garbage and power operations. They seem to be redoing it to make it look similar to their plaza at Shiawassee and Washington. It'll be good when the whole southside of campus gets a better streetscape.
The Causeway Bay Group of Companies is putting $4 million into the complete renovation of the 1970s-style former Holiday Inn on Lansing’s Southside.
Causeway Bay Group recently took over the 300 room, 30,000 square foot bankrupt hotel. Ps-Tse Keung, with Causeway Bay, says the Canadian Company scoped the hotel for about eight months before making the purchase.
The hotel did not close during the change of owners. Keung has no intentions to close the hotel and will work around bookings.
“The place is basically booked for the next six months,” he says. “We’re doing very well.”
Keung suggests that some local businesses have outsourced events to newer facilities in Grand Rapids and Detroit. "We think this will draw back business that left for Grand Rapids and Detroit,” he says.
The renovation of the former Holiday Inn includes a total gutting. Everything, from the floors to the wallpaper, will be modernized.
“We’re remodeling close to a five-star rating, but we’re concentrating on staying in the three-star price,” he says.
Keung says that, unlike many hotel takeovers, he plans to hire more employees rather than cutting jobs. The hotel employs 110 people. Keung expects to double this number.
“People don’t like to put money in a property like this, draw it out and run away,” Keung says.
Keung will add a fitness facility and other amenities to the hotel. The renovations should be complete by 2010.
“We’re the one bright spot in the hotel industry—we’re not going bankrupt, and we won’t because we don’t owe anyone any money,” he says.
I heard today that the State has some preliminary plans to build $100 million Secretary of State building, it is supposed to be State-built also. When I learn more I'll post it here.
That could really be something. I can already hear the public backlash over this, though. If you think the moves to stop the MSP project were vicious in better times, just imagine the howling from the public (particularly the GOP) if Granholm tried to push through another $100 million construction building project downtown in these times. It would definitely have to come sooner rather than later, though, because she's almost on her way out of office.
BTW, I never realized where the current Department of State (Secretary of State) headquarters were until I looked them up. Apparently they are at 430 West Allegan in the Treasury Building, which is the most southern of the two long buildings in the Capitol Complex. It be interesting to hear how much space they take up in that building, and who'd they fill that empty space with. I think the DofS is one of the larger departments in state government.
Hood, see if you can figure out how much space they are looking for. That would be very informative as to what we could anticipate if they moved somewhere.
They have a decent amount of the Treasury Building, about 1 & 1/2 floors, but their main office is in a building out at Secondary Complex. I don't know how much space they're looking for now, but about ten years ago they needed a minimum of like 250k sq ft. I figure the only two likely locations are just east of Constitution Hall or between the Ottawa/Hannah buildings and the hall of justice. Just FYI the info came third-hand, should be reliable though.
BTW, does anyone know if the Holiday Inn South on Cedar near 96 which was referenced above was originally built as a Holiday Inn? City records show it was completed in 1985, but I'm not sure what the original brand was.
It most definitely was not a Holiday Inn originally. The Holiday Inn used to be what is behind the current Belle Tire just north of I-96.
I want to say it was a Days Inn originally, and at some point the two companies swapped buildings. I will try to come up with something corroborate this.
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That could really be something. I can already hear the public backlash over this, though. If you think the moves to stop the MSP project were vicious in better times, just imagine the howling from the public (particularly the GOP) if Granholm tried to push through another $100 million construction building project downtown in these times. It would definitely have to come sooner rather than later, though, because she's almost on her way out of office.
BTW, I never realized where the current Department of State (Secretary of State) headquarters were until I looked them up. Apparently they are at 430 West Allegan in the Treasury Building, which is the most southern of the two long buildings in the Capitol Complex. It be interesting to hear how much space they take up in that building, and who'd they fill that empty space with. I think the DofS is one of the larger departments in state government.
Hood, see if you can figure out how much space they are looking for. That would be very informative as to what we could anticipate if they moved somewhere.
I want to say it was a Days Inn originally, and at some point the two companies swapped buildings. I will try to come up with something corroborate this.