20 months would be pretty quick for completion if they haven't started doing basic site preparation work yet. I'd like to see what the design looks like.
Yeah, they were supposed to approve it last Tuesday, but something came up. I was almost sure the local media would jump on this, but nothing more than a news story last Tuesday. Hood, see if you can dig up some information/renderings.
Hmm, interesting. Anyway, the link simply linked to news blurbs for the government:
TRIANGLE PROJECT TO OPEN IN 2009
Date: Thursday, March 15, 2007
Volume: #46 Report: #51
Despite harsh criticism from some Republicans, the proposed new headquarters for the Department of State Police won relatively easy, bipartisan approval Thursday from the Joint Capital Outlay Committee.
Iguess I filed a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), because, I got some information back concerning the Triangle Project from the State Building Authority. I have what I guess was submitted to the committee, and let me just say I'm VERY disappointed. I'll post some of the crudely-copied renderings/elevations, later.
Let's just say the design looks like a prison, and I'm not kidding. I'm talking cheap architecture, parking on the river, walls and fences along Kalamazoo, etc...just about everything any urban enthusiast would hate to see.
I'm genuinely angry that this was allowed to pass. I was willing to accept that we wouldn't get a quality, mixed-use project on site. I was willing to accept a nicely-designed state office building, but it seems they can't even do that, and 7-foot walls and fences along Grand and Kalamazoo to add insult to injury.
I present to you 150,000 square feet of crap:
And, Hobbs & Black (the architects) usually do such a good job with state office buildings.
That is entirely disappointing with everything that the city has been talking about trying to do. Can we get any development to focus on the river?
I read an article in the New York Times a while back about how new office buildings (public and private) are building in anti-terrorism mechanisms like this 7-foot security wall, but the article talked about how architects were designing the walls to appear as part of the design of the structure and not just a wall. Some of these examples used many steel benches and/or stairs surrounding the buildings with large planters near the road.
The use of a 7-foot wall may just be asking for vandalism and a worse perception of downtown Lansing. Lansing doesn't need any walls, there's nobody we need to keep out. If the architects are worried about a terrorist threat, couldn't they have spent a LITTLE more time and came up with a creative solution?
While the fencing could have been a lot more creative, I find the actual design of the building, far worse. I mean, couldn't they have at least done something like Constitution Hall. It's also a huge, squat box, but with an interesting atrium. It looks as if the architects didn't even try. This is bland beyond belief.
This will be the worst building in downtown if built this way. It is low and sprawling with a huge setback. It is ugly beyond beleif, and leaves no room for futere development on the remainging portion of the site. I'm just glad this is a coneptual design, I can only hope they make some changes. I would rather have an eternal parking lot than this.
Comments
EDIT:
I was able to find this:
http://www.gongwer.com/programming/new_NewsSearchResults.cfm?submit=false&locid=1
But, you need to be a subscriber to view the article.
Lmich, what was that link to, it's just coming up with a login screen.
TRIANGLE PROJECT TO OPEN IN 2009
Date: Thursday, March 15, 2007
Volume: #46 Report: #51
Despite harsh criticism from some Republicans, the proposed new headquarters for the Department of State Police won relatively easy, bipartisan approval Thursday from the Joint Capital Outlay Committee.
Let's just say the design looks like a prison, and I'm not kidding. I'm talking cheap architecture, parking on the river, walls and fences along Kalamazoo, etc...just about everything any urban enthusiast would hate to see.
I present to you 150,000 square feet of crap:
And, Hobbs & Black (the architects) usually do such a good job with state office buildings.
I read an article in the New York Times a while back about how new office buildings (public and private) are building in anti-terrorism mechanisms like this 7-foot security wall, but the article talked about how architects were designing the walls to appear as part of the design of the structure and not just a wall. Some of these examples used many steel benches and/or stairs surrounding the buildings with large planters near the road.
The use of a 7-foot wall may just be asking for vandalism and a worse perception of downtown Lansing. Lansing doesn't need any walls, there's nobody we need to keep out. If the architects are worried about a terrorist threat, couldn't they have spent a LITTLE more time and came up with a creative solution?