I have to say that I do go out there to visit the book store but I rarely shop at the other stores mainly because it is not that pleasant to walk around and it's kind of a pain to get in the car and drive to the next shop. They do keep the green spaces nice, there just has to be more, along with more trees that actually shade the sidewalks. The current hotels are in the corners and back of the development, they could have been lining a "urban street" right behind the theaters and I think the commercial spaces would be easier to market by being in the middle of the business district. If they want to make a downtown than stop building it like a suburban shopping center.
So I think the large apartment building looked pretty good in the quick few seconds it took me to pass it on the highway. Just like SkyVue though, there's no escaping the huge parking garage.
They say the Holiday Inn will open next spring, but I hadn't even noticed it under construction. Admittedly, I don't pass by it much that far back in the complex, so maybe it has been and I've just missed it.
The boom in hotels near Eastwood reflects a larger trend. At least 10 other hotels have been proposed or are currently under construction in the Lansing area, said Jack Schripsema, president and CEO of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The demand in the region has exploded," he said. "We are at historic levels.”
The occupancy rate in the area jumped from about 54% in 2010 to 64% last year, Schripsema said, and 2017 is already on track to pass those numbers.
Because of Lansing's growing tourism industry, demand for hotels rooms has remained high even as new hotels open, he said. Eventually the area could run the risk of becoming overbuilt with hotels, but that's likely a few years out, he said.
“That will be a concern down the road," he said. "I don’t think we’re there yet.”
I hope downtown is able to tap into at least some of this boom before then. lol
Yes, there may come a day when we have too many one and two star hotels lining the outer ring of Greater Lansing. I think that could happen if we get a large number of hotel rooms in the Downtown, Michigan Ave, Gr.River Ave core. More people would want to be in the real city not out on the edges if they had that choice.
Speaking of outer ring hotels, way back in 1981 I worked at The Hoffman House Restaurant in the Mid Way Motor Lodge when it first opened. In those days jobs were hard to come by, and over 400 people applied for 30 wait staff positions. I was lucky to get one, any way it was a pretty nice place back then. What I was wondering is where is the Mid Way Motor Lodge? I know it was on W. Saginaw but I do not see it when I am out that way. I know I could google it but I thought someone might know what happened to that place.
I read about the lawsuit out at Eastwood. Now I know what you guys are talking about in regards to Lansing Township and the developers. I will never understand already wealthy people always seem to need more and will gladly take less wealthy people's money in whatever way the can legally or not. I hope that they can avoid this sort of poor planning and wishful thinking when[if] they develop the Waverly Course.
The whole township operates so incestously. Hayward was the long-time executive director of the townships Eastwood "Downtown" Development Authority from 2000 to August of 2015, which helped the Eyde's develop Eastwood. He's now acting as a consultant for the township, while also working on a contract for the Eyde's. There is really no way he can act as an honest broker when he's trying to serve two masters who's interests won't always line up.
What needs to happen is that the township needs to let him go completely. If he want's to work for the Eydes, that's his business, but the township shouldn't be hiring him part-time. The whole set-up is rife for corruption and is just plain unprofessional. The township needs some outside profressional help. And, though it's too late now, they should have never been allowed to form a DDA in the first place.
To me, it is kind of like Lansing running the City Market. The city government just doesn't really know how to market retail space. Retail storefronts in a mall like shopping districts are closing everywhere. Why would someone want to open a shop back there? I do not remember if the build-out plans include another building/hotel/office across from The Heights but that may be the only way to get people back there. They should also rent out the existing first floor for offices which could put people back there that would support a restaurant or retail shop. The building looks great all lit up at night as you pass on the highway, but in the daylight, it looks deserted. I have always thought the location of "Eastwood" is just crazy next to the highway, landfill and cement factories.
A little update. Lansing Township's planning commission meeting agenda remarks on "FDR-18-7 – amendment to FDR 16-14" and spoke of applicant being Preyde III and "two hotels." So I wrote the township asking what FDR stood for and apparently it's "final development review." Apparently, the developer wants to amend the already approved Planned United Development (PUD) for the site that contains the Hilton Homewood Suites. The previous PUD also included the proposed Holiday Inn that is behind schedule and a free-standing restaurant. The developer wants to amend the PUD to remove the restaurant and replace it with yet another hotel, though a smaller "boutique" hotel.
I believe this would make for five hotels just in Eastwood proper if these other two are built. So far we have the Fairfield Inn, Hyatt Place, and Hilton Homewood Suites. They'd be adding the Holiday Inn and unnamed hotel. This is in addition to the "off-site" hotels including the Courtyard by Marriot at the southwest corner of Lake Lansing and US-127, and the Holiday Inn Express - East Lansing (West Road) and Hampton Inn East Lansing (Coolidge Road) in the northeast quadrant.
Catching up up this, the minutes for the July 10 board of trustees meeting shows that the amending of the site plan for the PD (planned development) for the area that includes the Hilton Homewood Suites pased in a narrow 3-2 vote with two trustees absent. The Holiday Inn is still planned tentatively at 6 stories and 120 rooms. We find out that the "boutique" hotel, which replaces the restaurant in this development, is planned for 7 stories and 138 rooms and will include a conference center. Some trustees raised conceerned about the area being "over hoteled" but were assured that's not the case because of all the hotel business the FRIB at MSU is creating.
When either of these will be built is anyone's guess, but I'd have to figure the developer is requesting this because things are being worked out.
Comments
I have to say that I do go out there to visit the book store but I rarely shop at the other stores mainly because it is not that pleasant to walk around and it's kind of a pain to get in the car and drive to the next shop. They do keep the green spaces nice, there just has to be more, along with more trees that actually shade the sidewalks. The current hotels are in the corners and back of the development, they could have been lining a "urban street" right behind the theaters and I think the commercial spaces would be easier to market by being in the middle of the business district. If they want to make a downtown than stop building it like a suburban shopping center.
I think the proposed Holiday Inn is supposed to behind (north of) the Hyatt Place.
So I think the large apartment building looked pretty good in the quick few seconds it took me to pass it on the highway. Just like SkyVue though, there's no escaping the huge parking garage.
We get a confirmation that the Homewood Suites by Hilton will open in mid-December.
They say the Holiday Inn will open next spring, but I hadn't even noticed it under construction. Admittedly, I don't pass by it much that far back in the complex, so maybe it has been and I've just missed it.
I hope downtown is able to tap into at least some of this boom before then. lol
Yes, there may come a day when we have too many one and two star hotels lining the outer ring of Greater Lansing. I think that could happen if we get a large number of hotel rooms in the Downtown, Michigan Ave, Gr.River Ave core. More people would want to be in the real city not out on the edges if they had that choice.
Speaking of outer ring hotels, way back in 1981 I worked at The Hoffman House Restaurant in the Mid Way Motor Lodge when it first opened. In those days jobs were hard to come by, and over 400 people applied for 30 wait staff positions. I was lucky to get one, any way it was a pretty nice place back then. What I was wondering is where is the Mid Way Motor Lodge? I know it was on W. Saginaw but I do not see it when I am out that way. I know I could google it but I thought someone might know what happened to that place.
I read about the lawsuit out at Eastwood. Now I know what you guys are talking about in regards to Lansing Township and the developers. I will never understand already wealthy people always seem to need more and will gladly take less wealthy people's money in whatever way the can legally or not. I hope that they can avoid this sort of poor planning and wishful thinking when[if] they develop the Waverly Course.
The whole township operates so incestously. Hayward was the long-time executive director of the townships Eastwood "Downtown" Development Authority from 2000 to August of 2015, which helped the Eyde's develop Eastwood. He's now acting as a consultant for the township, while also working on a contract for the Eyde's. There is really no way he can act as an honest broker when he's trying to serve two masters who's interests won't always line up.
What needs to happen is that the township needs to let him go completely. If he want's to work for the Eydes, that's his business, but the township shouldn't be hiring him part-time. The whole set-up is rife for corruption and is just plain unprofessional. The township needs some outside profressional help. And, though it's too late now, they should have never been allowed to form a DDA in the first place.
To me, it is kind of like Lansing running the City Market. The city government just doesn't really know how to market retail space. Retail storefronts in a mall like shopping districts are closing everywhere. Why would someone want to open a shop back there? I do not remember if the build-out plans include another building/hotel/office across from The Heights but that may be the only way to get people back there. They should also rent out the existing first floor for offices which could put people back there that would support a restaurant or retail shop. The building looks great all lit up at night as you pass on the highway, but in the daylight, it looks deserted. I have always thought the location of "Eastwood" is just crazy next to the highway, landfill and cement factories.
A little update. Lansing Township's planning commission meeting agenda remarks on "FDR-18-7 – amendment to FDR 16-14" and spoke of applicant being Preyde III and "two hotels." So I wrote the township asking what FDR stood for and apparently it's "final development review." Apparently, the developer wants to amend the already approved Planned United Development (PUD) for the site that contains the Hilton Homewood Suites. The previous PUD also included the proposed Holiday Inn that is behind schedule and a free-standing restaurant. The developer wants to amend the PUD to remove the restaurant and replace it with yet another hotel, though a smaller "boutique" hotel.
I believe this would make for five hotels just in Eastwood proper if these other two are built. So far we have the Fairfield Inn, Hyatt Place, and Hilton Homewood Suites. They'd be adding the Holiday Inn and unnamed hotel. This is in addition to the "off-site" hotels including the Courtyard by Marriot at the southwest corner of Lake Lansing and US-127, and the Holiday Inn Express - East Lansing (West Road) and Hampton Inn East Lansing (Coolidge Road) in the northeast quadrant.
Catching up up this, the minutes for the July 10 board of trustees meeting shows that the amending of the site plan for the PD (planned development) for the area that includes the Hilton Homewood Suites pased in a narrow 3-2 vote with two trustees absent. The Holiday Inn is still planned tentatively at 6 stories and 120 rooms. We find out that the "boutique" hotel, which replaces the restaurant in this development, is planned for 7 stories and 138 rooms and will include a conference center. Some trustees raised conceerned about the area being "over hoteled" but were assured that's not the case because of all the hotel business the FRIB at MSU is creating.
When either of these will be built is anyone's guess, but I'd have to figure the developer is requesting this because things are being worked out.