McLaren was limited by the State with a two mile radius from their Pennsylvania campus, not three. This location was as far as they could move it to the east. I remember from previous discussions on here that McLaren is aiming to get more traffic from the east side of the Lansing area (East Lansing, Okemos, and Haslett) and were hopeful that this location would bring that as well as expansion room.
I believe that the majority of traffic will not be using Forest Rd, but Jolly Rd instead. In the first drawing that MichMatters posted you can see the ambulance entrance on Collins Rd in the lower left corner. Forest Rd only goes west to Aurelius Rd, which may bring some traffic in from the north, but Jolly is much wider and has higher speed limits, as well as being a major east-west route for the south side. I can't say that I've ever seen an ambulance on Aurelius north of Mount Hope because the road by Potter Park is so narrow that it doesn't allow an ambulance to easily pass other vehicles.
As a neighborhood resident, I've been watching this for the last couple years and was hopeful that this would get built on the southern end of this technology park. It's disappointing, but it was what I was expecting. I bike down Forest Rd to MSU a few times per week and I'm hopeful that the traffic doesn't get too bad. At least I can look forward to the trail expansion from Cavanaugh through Beekman Center and Forest Akers to Spartan Village next year, assuming that it actually gets built.
I am hoping that because it is such a large and expensive project, the planners are considering improvements to transit and street access. I would think that they are not planning to leave bumpy Forest Road in its present condition and with only one bus line. I could be reading the map wrong but doesn't it show the Forest road site is within both circles? Also wouldn't building this project be delayed until Spartan Village is no longer there? That could add years to this thing if they put it over there. I think that is a good project that this will be in Lansing even if it is on the very edge of the city.
I agree with you Jared. I wish those two communities, and Lansing Township, would work much harder to revitalize the whole swath of run-down and underdeveloped neighborhoods along k-zoo, south of Michigan Ave, between the campus and the Capitol Loop. Along the main roads are ideal locations for mid-to-high rise mixed use buildings, and many of those small houses in the residential areas would be perfect for grad students and young professionals.
That whole area has great potential as a tax-sharing developmental zone for all municipalities involved.
gbd - I'm not sure what the timescale is for decommissioning Spartan Village, but it was my understanding that it would be shut down permanently once 1855 place was finished. Provided I'm correct, they could potentially knock down the few remaining buildings at any time now.
My guess is that the location was chosen in part to please the MSU Foundation, which I'd imagine is pretty influential at the university. It was an easy way for McLaren to build clout at the university and stay within a 3 mile radius of the original location. The MSU Foundation was behind the development of the University Corporate Research Park, and I'm sure they consider snagging McLaren as a big step in advancing whatever their vision is for that location.
Looked at that way, the final location makes perfect sense and it's hard to see how it could work out differently. Of course I could be off the mark.
Regarding Spartan Village as an preferable site for , I came across a little detail buried in a recent Eli article:
"MSU's Vice President Vennie Gore tells ELi today that MSU will soon be kicking off planning for redevelopment along Crescent Road, the location of Spartan Village. Rumor has it that the plans may include a retirement community. Says Gore, "We are a long way to shovel in the ground" on any project at this location, but 2018 will see the start of the planning process."
It does make me wonder if there was some long-term planning to integrate services from the hospital with future assisted living facilities at the Spartan Village site...
Colocating the two to the same site would lead to some beneficial synergies. Instead of having ambulances driving up and down Harrison between the two. There are many examples of retirement homes being across the street or next door to hospitals.
A little off topic, but hopefully related... does anyone know who owns the large, vacant parcels of land north of Forest Rd., between Collins and Aurelius Rds? They'd be great building sites for upscale subdivisions - rolling hills, mixed meadows and woodland, and close proximity to MSU as well as downtown Lansing
Comments
McLaren was limited by the State with a two mile radius from their Pennsylvania campus, not three. This location was as far as they could move it to the east. I remember from previous discussions on here that McLaren is aiming to get more traffic from the east side of the Lansing area (East Lansing, Okemos, and Haslett) and were hopeful that this location would bring that as well as expansion room.
I believe that the majority of traffic will not be using Forest Rd, but Jolly Rd instead. In the first drawing that MichMatters posted you can see the ambulance entrance on Collins Rd in the lower left corner. Forest Rd only goes west to Aurelius Rd, which may bring some traffic in from the north, but Jolly is much wider and has higher speed limits, as well as being a major east-west route for the south side. I can't say that I've ever seen an ambulance on Aurelius north of Mount Hope because the road by Potter Park is so narrow that it doesn't allow an ambulance to easily pass other vehicles.
As a neighborhood resident, I've been watching this for the last couple years and was hopeful that this would get built on the southern end of this technology park. It's disappointing, but it was what I was expecting. I bike down Forest Rd to MSU a few times per week and I'm hopeful that the traffic doesn't get too bad. At least I can look forward to the trail expansion from Cavanaugh through Beekman Center and Forest Akers to Spartan Village next year, assuming that it actually gets built.
I am hoping that because it is such a large and expensive project, the planners are considering improvements to transit and street access. I would think that they are not planning to leave bumpy Forest Road in its present condition and with only one bus line. I could be reading the map wrong but doesn't it show the Forest road site is within both circles? Also wouldn't building this project be delayed until Spartan Village is no longer there? That could add years to this thing if they put it over there. I think that is a good project that this will be in Lansing even if it is on the very edge of the city.
edit! I think that it is good this project will be in Lansing even if it is the very edge of the city!
I agree with you Jared. I wish those two communities, and Lansing Township, would work much harder to revitalize the whole swath of run-down and underdeveloped neighborhoods along k-zoo, south of Michigan Ave, between the campus and the Capitol Loop. Along the main roads are ideal locations for mid-to-high rise mixed use buildings, and many of those small houses in the residential areas would be perfect for grad students and young professionals.
That whole area has great potential as a tax-sharing developmental zone for all municipalities involved.
gbd - I'm not sure what the timescale is for decommissioning Spartan Village, but it was my understanding that it would be shut down permanently once 1855 place was finished. Provided I'm correct, they could potentially knock down the few remaining buildings at any time now.
Excellent point. The two cities working together would be great.
My guess is that the location was chosen in part to please the MSU Foundation, which I'd imagine is pretty influential at the university. It was an easy way for McLaren to build clout at the university and stay within a 3 mile radius of the original location. The MSU Foundation was behind the development of the University Corporate Research Park, and I'm sure they consider snagging McLaren as a big step in advancing whatever their vision is for that location.
Looked at that way, the final location makes perfect sense and it's hard to see how it could work out differently. Of course I could be off the mark.
Regarding Spartan Village as an preferable site for , I came across a little detail buried in a recent Eli article:
"MSU's Vice President Vennie Gore tells ELi today that MSU will soon be kicking off planning for redevelopment along Crescent Road, the location of Spartan Village. Rumor has it that the plans may include a retirement community. Says Gore, "We are a long way to shovel in the ground" on any project at this location, but 2018 will see the start of the planning process."
http://eastlansinginfo.org/content/whats-coming-east-lansing-2018
It does make me wonder if there was some long-term planning to integrate services from the hospital with future assisted living facilities at the Spartan Village site...
Colocating the two to the same site would lead to some beneficial synergies. Instead of having ambulances driving up and down Harrison between the two. There are many examples of retirement homes being across the street or next door to hospitals.
A little off topic, but hopefully related... does anyone know who owns the large, vacant parcels of land north of Forest Rd., between Collins and Aurelius Rds? They'd be great building sites for upscale subdivisions - rolling hills, mixed meadows and woodland, and close proximity to MSU as well as downtown Lansing