Yeah, it was good to read that. It seems that, at the moment, the deal is just a development deal (i.e. a deal that simply gives development rights to a specific site to a developer), but knowing Gillespie, he'll have a plan sooner rather than later. I'm glad he upped the size of the market from the original 9,000 or so square feet of enclosed spaced to 11,000. It may have just been a pyschological thing with me, but considering the market is currently 16,000, I was looking for at least 10,000 sq ft of enclosed spaced.
Saw on WILX that he actually had a preliminary rendering at the announcement, today. It was nearly impossible to see, but it looks like he was going the way I advised with it, and gave it the old-time market design (i.e. pitched roof).
I'm still having a hard time figuring out exactly what side of Museum Drive this will be one, but they say directly north of the Lansing Center, so I'm guess in they mean the parking lot directly north of the center on the east side of Museum Drive.
Its actually north of Museum drive, there is a little corner of the park that it will sit on, between Museum and the parking lot of the current variation of the market... if you look at an aerial you can see the "sun bowl" or the round brick area, the City market would sit just east of that. Right now, it slopes pretty heavily to the river, which is why the retaining wall shown in the b&w rendering is necessary. The sun bowl would be retained as a seating, event, dining, and market vendor area.
The site view would need to be flipped 90 degrees to the left to be oriented with the top facing north (in other words, the top is facing west right now). The path that wraps around the market will be normally closed to car traffic, its designed to be an integrated part of the river trail. On market days, however, the parking would be for handicap access and for vendors, including vendors who simply want to sell out the back of a pickup... the main idea is that it would be mostly closed off so people can walk around the path on market days and not be fighting with cars. The boxes lining the path would actually be little "huts" for seasonal vendors to set up shop on market days. Because some vendors can function better out of doors than in that allowed the building to use less square footage than what is in the current variation of the market, albeit laid out much much more efficiently.
What really excites me about this plan is that right now I only go to the market if I'm looking for something specific... i would never go there just to hang out, sit by the river, listen to live music (if they had any), people watch, and such... but this new place... I would happily do all of those things... and probably end up spending twice as much money as I normally do.
Ok, I think I've oriented it in my head, correctly. The blueline in the upper right-hand corner must be the river, and the arrowed trail must be part of the existing River Trail so the top of the siteplan is facing west. What was confusing me was the brick plaza, as I wasn't aware they were simply reusing the current ampitheater spot.
What's really going to make this work, this time, is that it will be part of a multi-faceted district, instead of a stand-alone building. And, instead of being surrounded by a parking lot it will incorporate itself into the surrounding area utilizing existing infrastructure (i.e. river trail, ampitheater, etc...)
Now, if they can just connect the future Accident Fund Headquarters with the existing pedestrian bridge just to the south, you'll be able to funnel in even more potential customers.
Susan Vela • Lansing State Journal • June 23, 2008 • From LSJ.com
A $1 million state grant application to clean up the current Lansing City Market site is scheduled to go before Lansing City Council tonight.
It is likely to be assigned to one of council's committees and, according to city officials, the application only can be sent to the state Department of Environmental Quality if council also approves a development agreement to sell the current market site to East Lansing developer Pat Gillespie.
Gillespie has plans to build a $24 million to $30 million retail, office and residential development along the downtown riverfront. The city plans to build a new market on adjacent park space.
While city officials such as Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero are rallying support for the grant, which would remove contaminants from the current city market site on the southwest corner of the intersection of Cedar and Shiawassee streets, some are asking city officials to slow down.
"We haven't even determined that we're selling the property," Councilwoman Carol Wood said. "I have a number of concerns. I want to make sure that, as we're moving forward, we're not creating empty buildings."
Lansing resident Joel Wiese, a Friends of the Market member, has been upset because he doesn't think city officials are thoroughly reviewing public input. He's one of the residents in favor of the market staying at its present location.
"The due process hasn't been done," Wiese said.
Today's City Council session begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave.
The Lansing Planning Board unanimously (6-0) voted in support of selling the City Market to Gillespie. Hopefully the City Council will vote for it as well.
Also, has anyone noticed that it looks like Gillespie has aquired all the property for Ballpark North except the old house and the City's Garage? Everything else appears to be vacant now.
Comments
Story: Shut Out
I'm still having a hard time figuring out exactly what side of Museum Drive this will be one, but they say directly north of the Lansing Center, so I'm guess in they mean the parking lot directly north of the center on the east side of Museum Drive.
The site view would need to be flipped 90 degrees to the left to be oriented with the top facing north (in other words, the top is facing west right now). The path that wraps around the market will be normally closed to car traffic, its designed to be an integrated part of the river trail. On market days, however, the parking would be for handicap access and for vendors, including vendors who simply want to sell out the back of a pickup... the main idea is that it would be mostly closed off so people can walk around the path on market days and not be fighting with cars. The boxes lining the path would actually be little "huts" for seasonal vendors to set up shop on market days. Because some vendors can function better out of doors than in that allowed the building to use less square footage than what is in the current variation of the market, albeit laid out much much more efficiently.
What really excites me about this plan is that right now I only go to the market if I'm looking for something specific... i would never go there just to hang out, sit by the river, listen to live music (if they had any), people watch, and such... but this new place... I would happily do all of those things... and probably end up spending twice as much money as I normally do.
What's really going to make this work, this time, is that it will be part of a multi-faceted district, instead of a stand-alone building. And, instead of being surrounded by a parking lot it will incorporate itself into the surrounding area utilizing existing infrastructure (i.e. river trail, ampitheater, etc...)
Now, if they can just connect the future Accident Fund Headquarters with the existing pedestrian bridge just to the south, you'll be able to funnel in even more potential customers.
Susan Vela • Lansing State Journal • June 23, 2008 • From LSJ.com
A $1 million state grant application to clean up the current Lansing City Market site is scheduled to go before Lansing City Council tonight.
It is likely to be assigned to one of council's committees and, according to city officials, the application only can be sent to the state Department of Environmental Quality if council also approves a development agreement to sell the current market site to East Lansing developer Pat Gillespie.
Gillespie has plans to build a $24 million to $30 million retail, office and residential development along the downtown riverfront. The city plans to build a new market on adjacent park space.
While city officials such as Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero are rallying support for the grant, which would remove contaminants from the current city market site on the southwest corner of the intersection of Cedar and Shiawassee streets, some are asking city officials to slow down.
"We haven't even determined that we're selling the property," Councilwoman Carol Wood said. "I have a number of concerns. I want to make sure that, as we're moving forward, we're not creating empty buildings."
Lansing resident Joel Wiese, a Friends of the Market member, has been upset because he doesn't think city officials are thoroughly reviewing public input. He's one of the residents in favor of the market staying at its present location.
"The due process hasn't been done," Wiese said.
Today's City Council session begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave.
Contact Susan Vela at 702-4248 or svela@lsj.com.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080723/NEWS01/807230348