Quite frankly, I'm tired of hearing about the so-called creative class. That seems to be their catch-all to everything. I agree I'd like to see a bit more live/work space on site so people wouldn't have to drive everywhere for their jobs, but I don't get where they get away with saying the entire project is "low income". From my understanding quite a few of the planned homes (at least half the housing, I think) is market rate housing. Really, the "creative class" has an entire neighborhood they've already taken over literally a half-a-mile or so east down Grand River. It's called Old Town.
Written by Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
The Ingham County Land Bank is in the process of a plan to build detached houses and townhouses on chunks of the vacated School for the Blind’s 30-acre campus in northwest Lansing. Eric Schertzing, county treasurer and Land Bank board chairman, expects to take title to 10.3 acres of the northwest portion of the property before 2009. The Land Bank already owns three lots at the northeast corner, at Willow and Pine streets, and is eyeing purchase of the large superintendent’s house on Pine Street.
But finding buyers in this depressed housing market, in a neighborhood where half its homes are rentals, will not be easy. So Schertzing hired consulting firm Market Perspectives of Roseville, Calif., to study who will buy, and how much they would be willing to spend.
Has anyone heard anymore about what is happening with this property? I am soon going to be moving back to the general area and am really interested in what is happening to the property.
As far as I know the project is still moving forward, albeit slowly. They just rehabbed one of the buildings on the property into a Neighborhood Empowerment Center and an old house on the site into commercial space. I still haven't seen any site plans renderings or anything about the further plans for the site though.
This will be good to have on the edge of Old Town and downtown. Lots of people living walking distance of both centers is going to be great for business and for the people who live at this urban campus. I thought this was all underway with the Mayor giving a speech in front of one of the buildings about a year ago. I hope this is the real start of the development.
My Lansing note, our neighbor girl who was partially deaf and blind, had classes there with Stevie Wonder right when he had his first song out on the radio. All the kids at that school were very excited about it. He was from Saginaw, and lived in a dorm as did all the children who did not live in Lansing.
I hope they are able to save most of trees there.
TWG Development out of Indianapolis will be responsible for the redvelopment. In total, this will involved 72 units of family housing and 60 units of senior housing. The 72-units of family housing will be in one new-construction building nearest Willow. 42 units of senior housing will go into the Abigail (administration building). The high school will include 18 units of senior housing. The auditorium will be demolished demolished.
Most of this seems to be solely focused on the core of the school property, with little to no mention of the many other buildings that ring the perimeter on the north, south and west. I know the Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy uses one (or more?) of the buildings on the site, but there are a lot of other structures here.
Virtually all the small buildings on the site were demolished a few years ago (check out Google Maps to see what's left, imagery is up to date for this area). The Mid Michigan Leadership Academy has the building directly south of the administration building and may have the small gym-looking building just to the west of them also.
I'm just happy to see some real plans for this property, the western portion of the site will be another project for another day.
Looks good like it belongs in Lansing. It seems like they should wait until they have all the funding and tax breaks in place before they announce the development plans. Maybe that is part of the PR campaign that has to take place in order to get the tax incentives. I hope it all just rolls along like the Skyview project on Michigan Ave. The LSJ was using "if's" today when talking about this project.
Comments
Plans in the Bank
Written by Gretchen Cochran
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
The Ingham County Land Bank is in the process of a plan to build detached houses and townhouses on chunks of the vacated School for the Blind’s 30-acre campus in northwest Lansing. Eric Schertzing, county treasurer and Land Bank board chairman, expects to take title to 10.3 acres of the northwest portion of the property before 2009. The Land Bank already owns three lots at the northeast corner, at Willow and Pine streets, and is eyeing purchase of the large superintendent’s house on Pine Street.
But finding buyers in this depressed housing market, in a neighborhood where half its homes are rentals, will not be easy. So Schertzing hired consulting firm Market Perspectives of Roseville, Calif., to study who will buy, and how much they would be willing to spend.
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My Lansing note, our neighbor girl who was partially deaf and blind, had classes there with Stevie Wonder right when he had his first song out on the radio. All the kids at that school were very excited about it. He was from Saginaw, and lived in a dorm as did all the children who did not live in Lansing.
I hope they are able to save most of trees there.
TWG Development out of Indianapolis will be responsible for the redvelopment. In total, this will involved 72 units of family housing and 60 units of senior housing. The 72-units of family housing will be in one new-construction building nearest Willow. 42 units of senior housing will go into the Abigail (administration building). The high school will include 18 units of senior housing. The auditorium will be demolished demolished.
Most of this seems to be solely focused on the core of the school property, with little to no mention of the many other buildings that ring the perimeter on the north, south and west. I know the Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy uses one (or more?) of the buildings on the site, but there are a lot of other structures here.
I'm just happy to see some real plans for this property, the western portion of the site will be another project for another day.