Yes, and 50' from the street is much closer than any street in that rendering, it's about the same setback that Constitution Hall has. That photo is looking from the northeast, towards the southwest. Even at only five floors, the roof should be at about 80-90 ft, so it will be setback about 1/2 to 2/3 of it's height.
If it's looking from anywhere, towards anywhere, given the placement of the fence and parking lot, I would say it's from the norththeast looking southwest. The "long" side of the buildings are the east and west facades. BTW, for security, it would have been great for them to do what they actually did with the Constitution Hall in terms of making a "moat" around it instead of a fence. It would still be cut off, but it a much more subtle and urban way.
Two legislators are making a last-minute attempt to scuttle plans for a new Michigan State Police headquarters in downtown Lansing.
State Rep. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, and state Sen. Cameron Brown, R-Sturgis, plan to introduce legislation today to block the state from spending any money on the $45 million building, which the state would lease from two private developers.
Developers Joel Ferguson and Gary Granger plan to build the headquarters on a riverfront "triangle" property at Grand Avenue and Kalamazoo Street.
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"I feel this is a tremendous boondoggle," Jones said. "I have been contacted by over 200 State Police officers, both active and retired, that say this is the absolute worst place to put a headquarters."
State officials have said the building is needed to replace the State Police's aging facility in East Lansing, which is leased from Michigan State University for $1 a year.
Read more on this story in Tuesday's Lansing State Journal.
Contact Jeremy W. Steele at 377-1015 or jwsteele@lsj.com.
I'm still torn on whether or not I want to see this built. On one hand I want to see $45 million invested downtown, I want to see the extra 500 workers, I want this parking lot developed. However, this project will still leave a lot of surface parking, even on the river, and even without surface parking I'd rather not see more offices on the river, and I really think this lot should be intersected by a new street and multiple buildings constructed over time.
I kind of support the legislature trying to hold this project back again, if even my concerns are a bit different than those that also want to hold it back. What I do want to see is this project moved out of downtown like Rick Jones wants to (to the secondary complex), rather, still downtown but on one of those huge state-owned parking lots at the Capitol Complex.
I really don't even much care, anymore. The legislatures efforts will be futile. They've tried to stop this for half a decade, now, but are doing little more than delaying the inevitable. Ferguson and Granger have greased the right palms, and there is little the legislature can do to counteract the effect of importance campaign contributions in politics.
I assume the reason Ferguson and Granger chose this lot because the city was trying to give it away, and I'm sure a state surface lot costs a lot more. I'm also a bit peeved because I know the developers originally pitched to the city to do something great with this lot, when they probably knew all along they were going to put up a big state office building. I fault the city, too, for not seeing through this knowing that Ferguson and Granger only partner up when they are building huge state office buildings (i.e. Anderson House Legislature Building over Ottawa). EVERYONE dropped the ball, here.
There is now equipment on site. There is a Clark Construction trailer and a piece of a crane. Theres also holes in the parking lot that look like they were drilling.
There is now even more things on site, today. I'm not exactly sure what they are. There was an oversized semi unloading something I couldn't see. The Journal had a story yesterday about Rick Jones still trying to stop this thing. lol
I really do wish they would stop this project already... its the wrong project for that location! The state has plenty of land west of the capital. Its a sharp looking building (for government), but build it over near the hall of justice. The site along the Grand would be better if it were mixed-use w/ residential!
yeah.. yeah... i know, I know... but i can see lansing kickin' itself in the near future that they let this development go forward... such is life i guess.
(PS- having worked in the capital complex, probably the last thing that side of town needs is even more government buildings...)
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[ From LSJ.com ]
2 lawmakers want to block State Police project
Jeremy W. Steele
Lansing State Journal
Two legislators are making a last-minute attempt to scuttle plans for a new Michigan State Police headquarters in downtown Lansing.
State Rep. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, and state Sen. Cameron Brown, R-Sturgis, plan to introduce legislation today to block the state from spending any money on the $45 million building, which the state would lease from two private developers.
Developers Joel Ferguson and Gary Granger plan to build the headquarters on a riverfront "triangle" property at Grand Avenue and Kalamazoo Street.
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"I feel this is a tremendous boondoggle," Jones said. "I have been contacted by over 200 State Police officers, both active and retired, that say this is the absolute worst place to put a headquarters."
State officials have said the building is needed to replace the State Police's aging facility in East Lansing, which is leased from Michigan State University for $1 a year.
Read more on this story in Tuesday's Lansing State Journal.
Contact Jeremy W. Steele at 377-1015 or jwsteele@lsj.com.
I kind of support the legislature trying to hold this project back again, if even my concerns are a bit different than those that also want to hold it back. What I do want to see is this project moved out of downtown like Rick Jones wants to (to the secondary complex), rather, still downtown but on one of those huge state-owned parking lots at the Capitol Complex.
I really don't even much care, anymore. The legislatures efforts will be futile. They've tried to stop this for half a decade, now, but are doing little more than delaying the inevitable. Ferguson and Granger have greased the right palms, and there is little the legislature can do to counteract the effect of importance campaign contributions in politics.
I assume the reason Ferguson and Granger chose this lot because the city was trying to give it away, and I'm sure a state surface lot costs a lot more. I'm also a bit peeved because I know the developers originally pitched to the city to do something great with this lot, when they probably knew all along they were going to put up a big state office building. I fault the city, too, for not seeing through this knowing that Ferguson and Granger only partner up when they are building huge state office buildings (i.e. Anderson House Legislature Building over Ottawa). EVERYONE dropped the ball, here.
*end rant*
(PS- having worked in the capital complex, probably the last thing that side of town needs is even more government buildings...)