It's a sort of a chicken/egg problem. The city wants to have year round residents living downtown, but many businesses that would support permanent residents don't exist because there aren't permanent residents (a large-scale grocery store, for example).
I think the best route to go here is to feed the ever present demand for student rentals, but structure the leases in 12-month increments instead of 9-month leases. Once the downtown EL market is saturated with student rentals (it still has a ways to go), then I think more businesses will relocate or open up shop downtown. This will in turn provide the increased quality of life that longer term residents are likely looking for when considering trading their picket-fences for urban living.
Park District Investment Group LLC, the project's developer, wants to tear down the former Citizens Bank building at 100 W. Grand River Ave. in East Lansing and six other properties near Abbot Road and Evergreen Avenue, according to a staff report to the commission.
Developers' plans call for a 120-room hotel, 102 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, retail and restaurant space. It also would have 283 parking spaces on two levels underground.
As we're well aware of now, proposals for this piece of land seem to come and go every year, so I don't have my hopes up. But it would be nice to see one of them succeed.
The proposal for the city to sell the parking lots to DTN failed at the vote yesterday. DTN has said that they won't be able to do the project without the city's property, but I think they need to be a bit more creative here. Potentially scale down the project, but the land that they *do* have is far too viable to say that it is an all or nothing.
It is frustrating - though not surprising - to see this project delayed again. Part of me does not blame DTN for pulling their proposal. With all the delays in this project and numerous opportunities for public feedback, some of this is on the voters. (I say that as a resident of Lansing, not EL, so my apologies - I don't mean that to come across as harsh). Certainly a no vote to sell city parking lots would have meant a delay in the project. Between this and the uncertainty surrounding the former bank building, will a large scale development ever occur in this area? Or are smaller 2-4 story developments on each parcel probable? I wonder if it is more likely that two years from now a similar proposal (to sell the parking lots) goes to the voters again.
A similar proposal will definitely go to voters during the next cycle. But I don't necessarily think the voters were wrong.
Many of the people in East Lansing have watched as the city-initiated projects have failed and don't want to keep piling on the damages, so to speak. We've seen developers do amazing things with small lots. The proposed Capitol Club Tower high rise in Lansing was going to be on a small lot. So there is no need from my eyes for them to require all of this land. I also think it would be in the best long term interests of everyone if one company doesn't own a mega project like this. Separate developers can bring diversity to the designs and goals, allowing a more unique and interesting use of land.
That's fair, and you make good points. Capitol Club Tower was on a small lot. It makes me wonder if the Citizens Bank Bldg is holding some of this up -- i.e. in such a prominent location, if that building were redeveloped first, nearby parcels will follow. Do you think a relatively large hotel is necessary near this spot? Especially with the hotels being constructed/proposed near Eastwood and Frandor, is there enough demand for another hotel in downtown East Lansing? (Not sure off hand how often the Marriott and Kellogg Center fill up.)
After thinking about it more, the Capitol Club Tower did benefit from the parking ramp located next door, but a building could also have below-ground parking or a few above ground floors of parking built-in to it (see Stonehouse Village 2).
Yeah, I think the hotels at Eastwood show that there is demand, and if new ones got built in downtown East Lansing they would pull people away from staying out at Eastwood. The original proposals for Michigan Museum Place was to include a boutique hotel, and I don't think much has changed with the surroundings to make that not a feasible goal.
It really would be great if a new library would open up near downtown. The coffee houses are packed with students studying, and the library would be the ideal place but the MSU library gets very full and the ELPL is very small. A second branch of the ELPL near downtown could be really good, and might be a nice use of one of the city-owned buildings.
I'm ready to see this project buried. I don't really know what the best course of action is, but this project has been an epic failure and continues to disappoint after all these years. I'm ready to see Citizen Bank Building razed and the other buildings put back to use, the area is embarrassing and I imagine making any potential investment nearby a harder sell. I like the idea of different developments by different developers at different times and I definitely agree that it would likely yield a better final result.
Only 4,858 residents voted yes on the ballot — 56.58 percent of the votes.
Two of the five buildings in the Park District, which were planned to be built by Park District Investment Group on privately-owned land, will still move forward. - SN
link: http://statenews.com/article/2014/11/dtn-withfdraw-park-district
Why was this parking lot so important for DTN? Its a little greedy from them to not have a secondary plan.
Comments
I think the best route to go here is to feed the ever present demand for student rentals, but structure the leases in 12-month increments instead of 9-month leases. Once the downtown EL market is saturated with student rentals (it still has a ways to go), then I think more businesses will relocate or open up shop downtown. This will in turn provide the increased quality of life that longer term residents are likely looking for when considering trading their picket-fences for urban living.
http://eastlansing.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=71&meta_id=19371
http://eastlansing.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=71&meta_id=19380
Of note, the parking for the proposal includes vehicle lifts, which would be the first that I know of in Michigan.
Many of the people in East Lansing have watched as the city-initiated projects have failed and don't want to keep piling on the damages, so to speak. We've seen developers do amazing things with small lots. The proposed Capitol Club Tower high rise in Lansing was going to be on a small lot. So there is no need from my eyes for them to require all of this land. I also think it would be in the best long term interests of everyone if one company doesn't own a mega project like this. Separate developers can bring diversity to the designs and goals, allowing a more unique and interesting use of land.
Yeah, I think the hotels at Eastwood show that there is demand, and if new ones got built in downtown East Lansing they would pull people away from staying out at Eastwood. The original proposals for Michigan Museum Place was to include a boutique hotel, and I don't think much has changed with the surroundings to make that not a feasible goal.
It really would be great if a new library would open up near downtown. The coffee houses are packed with students studying, and the library would be the ideal place but the MSU library gets very full and the ELPL is very small. A second branch of the ELPL near downtown could be really good, and might be a nice use of one of the city-owned buildings.
Two of the five buildings in the Park District, which were planned to be built by Park District Investment Group on privately-owned land, will still move forward. - SN
link: http://statenews.com/article/2014/11/dtn-withfdraw-park-district
Why was this parking lot so important for DTN? Its a little greedy from them to not have a secondary plan.