So, the focus group tonight: It was a focus group for downtown residents (5 of us) and two people from a company hired by the PSD I think that is working to offer suggestions to the PSD for retail/business/event suggestions to entice more people to live downtown. Of the five residents, two were women who recently moved into the new condos on 200 block Washington Sq., one was a single "young professional" woman who works for the legislature, myself, and a cooley law student who lives in the Arbaugh (I think). They apparently had a much larger focus group meeting earlier today with retail employees from downtown businesses getting their input. Lot's of things were thrown out: having more coordinated marketing between downtown Lansing, Old Town, East Lansing to highlight more of what is offered in the metro area; working on some aesthetics such as Kelly's/Byblos, having something like a Wallgreens downtown. Advertising more with Cooley students such as having a handout for all new students that highlights things in Lansing, maybe having an event downtown welcoming students back at the beginning of the school year. They should work on marketing downtown Lansing more better like how Old Town is marketed. It was mentioned to do something with the Knapp's building such as more shopping or a movie theater. I mentioned having better coordinated marketing so events downtown include information about CATA and other services to be used. All in all, it went pretty well...some good comments, so we'll see where that goes. There was alot more mentioned, but this is what comes to mind right now. I will also mention, recently Capitol Pharmacy changed owners and is now owned by a husband/wife partner. It is no longer a pharmacy and they are trying to build it up as more of a grocery store (now it's called Capitol Convenience). They are staying open till 5:30pm weekdays now, and offering Saturday hours (11am-roughly 2pm). I mentioned I live downtown a couple weeks ago and they have taken suggestions on things we would buy and they gave us their number so if we're coming home but won't be there till 6ish they would stay open till we got there.
***There is a public input meeting (it will be worskshop types of focus groups) tomorrow 6-8pm at the Lansing Center***
Thanks micro! I'm really interested in what was said about the Knapps building - a block of shopping would be such an improvement down there... I doubt it would be feasible, but a small galleria type thing with a movie theater would be fantastic. I thought the Power Plant was an incredible opportunity for this - a bunch of bars, restaurants and national/independent retail and a theater. Something like that could be a one-stop attraction to downtown and single handedly bring shoppers, diners and leisure-seekers into the core. Have a rock-climbing wall, a gym, an arcade... make it a place for kids too. Even could have a daycare for downtown workers etc. I'm really glad the power plant is being redeveloped, but I still feel it was a missed opportunity. It and the Tate Modern Museum in London are two of the best examples of that style of architecture in the world - there was an article on it a while back. The building truly is in amazing company in that regard. I wish there was some other way to do a galleria - it could include the performing arts center that is always talked about.
Supposedly Michigan is slated to get 50,00 jobs in the battery industry in the next 5 years, I sure hope so. What do you think about Lansing getting that new GM battery plant slated for an unnamed Michigan location?
The Korean subsidiary is based in Troy. It would seem most likely than any new GM battery plant would be in Metro Detroit, esepcially considering that the Volt and its engine will be made in Flint and Detroit. It'd be so cool if they'd build it where Lansing Car Assembly downtown used to be. Word is that GM wants to reuse that part of LCA for future GM operations (the one in Lansing Township they want to sell off from what I hear).
I'm not sure if I haven't been reading the stories about this from yesterday, correctly, but I'm still not getting exactly what Michigan is supposed to have lined up. There are two narratives playing out at the state government level. One seems to be saying that we've simply set ourselves up to be the battery capital of the continent/globe. The other narrative coming from some is that we've already lined up a number of companies. I'm just confused as to exactly how far into the game we are?
I just don't want to see Lansing start depending completey on the auto-industry. Flint, Detroit and Saginaw did such and now look at the three cities... high crime, poverty, etc...
Would anyone happen to know much about the type of 50,000 jobs offered, and would it be negative or positive for the area in general?
Of course it would be positive for the area. Jobs are always positive for the area. From what has been said, the jobs would be working with the batteries that will go in the new electric cars, but the batteries won't be made here in Michigan. That means that any chemicals used in the battery making has less of a chance of going in to the soil near the plant.
The battery cells will be built in Korea and assembled into whole batteries here.
Also, if we capitalize on this industry we could be building batteries for all kinds of things, not just cars. I know it's not the most romantic business in the world, but it could make for a lot of well paying factory jobs and plenty of high paying, high tech R & D jobs.
I can see what Coolbrezze is say about the potential for jobs not being positive. If these jobs are all going to be dependent on the auto industry, how is that a step towards diversifying the economy...which is something we have agreed in the past is a necessary thing for Michigan. If all these batteries are going into cars, wouldn't we just be furthering our reliance on the auto industry? How great is adding 50,000 jobs if the plants are going to go bankrupt in 3 years (let's not forget the company that 6 months ago was getting a few $million in tax incentives because they were adding 250 jobs and fast forward to today and that company is bankrupt). However, if these batteries and the technology from the R&D divisions can become applicable to cell phones, laptops, etc. (other industries), then this opportunity is truly a great one. Also, if the gamble on electric cars payoff, it could still be a good investment...but lets not ignore the fact that as it stands, these jobs will be 100% tied to whether electric cars sell well, at least for the immediate future, and if the cars don't sell well, this will go belly-up.
With that said, I things it's a worthwhile gamble for MI, especially since the focus will be R&D, so they won't all be manufacturing jobs.
Comments
***There is a public input meeting (it will be worskshop types of focus groups) tomorrow 6-8pm at the Lansing Center***
50,000 new jobs in battery industry
I'm not sure if I haven't been reading the stories about this from yesterday, correctly, but I'm still not getting exactly what Michigan is supposed to have lined up. There are two narratives playing out at the state government level. One seems to be saying that we've simply set ourselves up to be the battery capital of the continent/globe. The other narrative coming from some is that we've already lined up a number of companies. I'm just confused as to exactly how far into the game we are?
Would anyone happen to know much about the type of 50,000 jobs offered, and would it be negative or positive for the area in general?
So the job will be placing batteries in the cars?
Also, if we capitalize on this industry we could be building batteries for all kinds of things, not just cars. I know it's not the most romantic business in the world, but it could make for a lot of well paying factory jobs and plenty of high paying, high tech R & D jobs.
With that said, I things it's a worthwhile gamble for MI, especially since the focus will be R&D, so they won't all be manufacturing jobs.