The LSJ today had a small photo spread on their front page saying the demolition of the burned-down building on Kalamazoo should be finished by the end of the week. Photos of the demolition can be found on lsj.com.
I frequent the Sunset Market across from it, and I'm glad to see this being brought to a closure. But, with the demolition of the former Curtis Drugstore down the street earlier back in 06, as well as the little shack-like homes that were demoed in Sunset's parking lot, it's getting to feel very empty around there. I'm heartened, though, that it was recently made an NEZ (Neighborhood Enterprise Zone), which will make it easier to redevelop when development comes to this major downtown gateway street.
BTW, here's an old pic I took of the street looking towards downtown back in 2006. The historic Curtis Drugs can still be seen to the left at K'zoo and Beech Street before it was demoed (and demoed not even for additional parking, BTW):
In the Business Weekly that's released every Monday, today's says that the Causeway Bay (former Holiday Inn South) that we were discussing earlier is actually only a Causeway Bay until they can find a brand for the hotel. In fact, there is a whole story in this week's Business Weekly about the hotel situation in Metro Lansing. It sounds like the market is still one of the few bright, or at least consistent, spots in our economy.
The Board of Water and Light is considering different options to pursue with the North Lansing Dam. The LSJ has an article about it. The four options listed are to maintain it in it's current state, convert it to a hydro-electric dam, remove the top part of the dam (thus lowering the water level), or convert it to rubble and create rapids.
Removing the top part of the dam could allow for small boats to travel up the Grand River, although the water level will reduce considerably. The last time the water level was lowered was during the summer of 2007, and some of the fishing near Old Town was affected. Converting the dam to a hydro-electric dam is another green step for the BWL, and a good PR move.
I think they'll end up converting it to a hydro-electric dam and push for their green agenda, just as they have the solar array now.
Of the given options, converting it back to producing power seems the most likely. Missing from all of the options, and I thought it was strange, was to completely remove the dam. Just taking off the top seems half-assed, and crushing it to create rapids sounds lazy, as well. In Dimondale, they took the entire dam out, and then rengineered the area where the dam was to create rapids, and that's the only way I'd accept rapids.
I like both the idea of turning into a hydroelectric dam and the idea of a rapids, although I agree that if they do rapids they would have to do a good job with them.
Yeah, I'm kind of torn, too, though as you said, whatever they do I would expect to be a better job than the four options described. The environmental part of me would want them to totally remove the dam, as it's been proven that undammed rivers are healthier rivers. But, practically, since the Moores River Dam would remain, what would be the use of removing the North Lansing Dam? No use, at all. Plus, that's not to mention that the already thin river would be even thinner.
As for the rapids, I like the idea, too. But, if they are going to do it, it can't be simply crushing the top of the dam. That's just tacky. If they are going to do rapids, I want to see some natural stone boulders shipped in. Perhaps, I might send them a link to the company that did Dimondale's rapids.
That kind of just leaves turning it back into a power-generating dam, which is probably the most practical and least controversial of all of the choices.
Speaking of the dam, I got a picture of it the other night:
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BTW, here's an old pic I took of the street looking towards downtown back in 2006. The historic Curtis Drugs can still be seen to the left at K'zoo and Beech Street before it was demoed (and demoed not even for additional parking, BTW):
Removing the top part of the dam could allow for small boats to travel up the Grand River, although the water level will reduce considerably. The last time the water level was lowered was during the summer of 2007, and some of the fishing near Old Town was affected. Converting the dam to a hydro-electric dam is another green step for the BWL, and a good PR move.
I think they'll end up converting it to a hydro-electric dam and push for their green agenda, just as they have the solar array now.
As for the rapids, I like the idea, too. But, if they are going to do it, it can't be simply crushing the top of the dam. That's just tacky. If they are going to do rapids, I want to see some natural stone boulders shipped in. Perhaps, I might send them a link to the company that did Dimondale's rapids.
That kind of just leaves turning it back into a power-generating dam, which is probably the most practical and least controversial of all of the choices.
Speaking of the dam, I got a picture of it the other night: