A little housekeeping on this one. The Board of Zoning Appeals has an item on the agenda today where the developer is requesting a variance for signage on the building. Seems Lansing has a pretty strict signage ordinance, but this one should get through fairly easily. BZA decisions are final, they don't go through the City Council, so this should pass tonight. We also get a few rough elevation drawings showing the max building height for this one will be 63'-6".
MONDAY, Nov. 12 — Meijer has Pat Gillespie’s back against a wall.
Officials at the Midwestern retail giant, anxious to launch an urban market grocery store in downtown Lansing, have asked the Gillespie Group to accelerate the timeframe for its massive development announced earlier this summer along Michigan Avenue. Meijer now wants to set up shop there in less than two years, Gillespie said.
And a trove of proposed financial incentives will be needed to meet the company’s Sept. 1, 2020, deadline.
“You know how excited we’ve been to finally get a grocery store,” Gillespie explained to the Lansing City Council’s Development and Planning Committee. “That’s good and bad. That grocery store is now very eager to get in, so they put our backs against the wall and asked us to do some things that are pretty tough to do.”
He says shovels need to be in the ground by April.
The City Council unanimously approved a public hearing in consideration of the Brownfield plan for Nov. 19. From there, it’ll go back to the Planning and Development Committee on Nov. 26 and could be up for final approval later than night. Time is of the essence, Gillespie repeatedly emphasized during this week’s meeting.
“They’re hoping for Lansing approvals before the end of November,” Gillespie said.
It's good to see these anchors help accelerate their developments. Target did the same in East Lansing. The lack of a big name anchor at Red Cedar Renaissance feels like the big reason we haven't seen any urgency.
This is good news as it takes years sometimes from the announced plan and the actual construction. It might help "sell" the neighborhood if they took down the "for sale" signs and put up, "coming soon" signs.
I read where Target[in EL] will be open before the rest of the building is completed.
To be sure, the there is literally a billboard over the site advertising the "future site" of 600 East Michigan Avenue:
And to be clear, the project hasn't been behind schedule; it fact, it has hit all its scheduled marks. The article, rather, was to highlight how eager Meijer is to get into this building. For once, the "problem" Gillespie is having is a good problem for all those involved in the long-run.
LSJ.com is saying this project will start as early as March. Soon there be some much opportunity to "sidewalk supervise" from one new development to the next. For me, that is really a fun thing to do!
Comments
A little housekeeping on this one. The Board of Zoning Appeals has an item on the agenda today where the developer is requesting a variance for signage on the building. Seems Lansing has a pretty strict signage ordinance, but this one should get through fairly easily. BZA decisions are final, they don't go through the City Council, so this should pass tonight. We also get a few rough elevation drawings showing the max building height for this one will be 63'-6".
The City Pulse has a piece out today saying that Meijer is pushing Gillespie to speed up this project.
He says shovels need to be in the ground by April.
So there's your timeline, folks.
Good that it will come to fruition faster. Hopefully this doesn't jeopardize high quality design, planning or construction.
Interesting point.
This is good news as it takes years sometimes from the announced plan and the actual construction. It might help "sell" the neighborhood if they took down the "for sale" signs and put up, "coming soon" signs.
I read where Target[in EL] will be open before the rest of the building is completed.
To be sure, the there is literally a billboard over the site advertising the "future site" of 600 East Michigan Avenue:
And to be clear, the project hasn't been behind schedule; it fact, it has hit all its scheduled marks. The article, rather, was to highlight how eager Meijer is to get into this building. For once, the "problem" Gillespie is having is a good problem for all those involved in the long-run.
Well there you go, they must have been reading my post! I hope it looks better than the depiction on the billboard sign!
LSJ.com is saying this project will start as early as March. Soon there be some much opportunity to "sidewalk supervise" from one new development to the next. For me, that is really a fun thing to do!
Prep work has begun on-site: