I think these photos are very interesting. Even I am not old enough to remember Sears downtown on Michigan Ave.. So downtown had at least six large department stores! I know that parking and the idea that shopping centers became the ideal place to shop they are modern and downtown was not.But why was it so complete every shop [but a few] and department store gone from downtown by 1980. That was the beginning of the end for Downtown as a shopping district, Sears was the first to leave downtown.
I do remember Sears and Frandor looking like this photo. I think that the stone facades looked like Lansing. Many of the modern buildings built at that time in that area had similar stone and light colored brick facades. Like the WJIM building and Brody at MSU. It is a shame the way Frandor looks today. It would be a treasured mid-century building today I think if they had not "improved" it to start with in the 70's. Fandor's owners should take a look at this photo and and others of the original Frandor if they should ever decide to put some money into the place. It would look so great for Frandor to revive that kind of prairie-school modern look and be a proper nice place at such an important spot on Michigan Avenue.
You can still see the stairway the went up to Michigan Ave. on the south side. It was part of the original river walk. the signage is still there and looks cheap and dated. They could rebuild those stairs or maybe have some sort of cool "steam punk" looking elevator that bikers and walker on the river trail could be lifted right up to Michigan Ave and downtown. I had some bikers on the trail ask me how to get to the Capital from that spot and I told maybe just park your bikes at the city market and go up the Lansing Center stairs and walk to the Capital building. There should be a direct and easy way to get up to Michigan Ave from the river trail with real bike lane leading downtown and to the Capital Complex.
I spoke with with the Parks Department during their "City Hall on the Road" event and essentially they told me that they haven't gotten the funds yet from the millage but once they do they will be rebuilding the staircase to Michigan Avenue on the South side and then repair the one by the Lansing Center (it very much needs it).
They're actually having some public meetings to get input on how to spend the money. The one for North Lansing/Downtown is November 12th at 6:30PM at the Foster Community Center.
That is so great to hear, I hope they consider making it look nice. The Lansing Center stairs seem to have a bad gate you really have to watch your step there. I hope they plan a bike path up to Michigan Ave from the river trail. It could go up Museum Drive. Also there are really no bike racks there for parking.
For the Michigan Ave access to the rivertrail, I personally had been among chatter/involvement to possibly rebuild the stair and liven up the bridge itself but that's all I can really say. I'm not sure where it went for there. I haven't really heard any updates. Again, it had to do with funding more than anything.
I agree though, something really needs to be done with both of those access points to Michigan Ave.
I love the river trail and it is good to hear that Lansing will be getting a far share of the parks and trails millage. I believe that investment in the downtown part of the trail will be returned by people using it, maybe even stopping to spend some money. I walked down to old town for the [most non-German ever] Oktoberfest and that part of the trail is really pretty on warm sunny evening with kids playing, people fishing, and boating.One part I never understood is the fish ladder or have I ever seen a fish using it. The stained cement is kind of ugly and the design is very "what is this suppose to be". Here is what it could be, divert river water over the blocks and the circular wash that has the water channel just at the bottom, as sort of a rolling water fall flowing into the "fish" channel. The river water gushing over the blocks and wash would cause allege and water plants to grow on the cement covering the gray with green and providing a home to tiny aquatic animals. It kind of looks like the design might have had that kind of thing in mind.
Today is a good day to think about what is French about Michigan. Michigan was a part of France for over 140 years. French was commonly spoken here until the mid 19th century. The explorers, traders, and settlers left us with the sound of French that we still hear everyday when we say the names of our cities towns villages,our streams rivers and lakes, our islands and landmarks. Thousands of Michiganders fought for freedom in France in the wars of the last century, thousands rest there still. We should think about what is French about Michigan, and be grateful, we should think about what is French about the World and be grateful. The Capital City of Michigan stands with The Capital City of France.
It would be so great use all the little rail routes that cross the Lansing area to move people. Out east they used a self motorized diesel passenger cars on some lines I think they were called BUD cars. Basically a bus on rails. I could see that sort of train being used here for commutators from nearby towns and maybe north to Mt. Pleasant and south to Jackson east to Willamston and west to Grand Ledge. It just a fantasy, I like trains and think with the rails that are already in place we could use them for passenger service.
I think I've mentioned an old failed project my dad told me about called SpiraMart, a 31 floor building proposed for the block that the Radisson and One Michigan sit on. My dad found a news blip from the Detroit Free Press while searching newspaper archives (the LSJ isn't on the site yet). This one is from September 20th, 1973:
I'd attempted to find something on this in the LSJ's microfilms before without knowing the date, now that I have a date to work with I should be able to find the LSJ articles with more information and renderings. I'd also like to find more info on the apparent reasoning behind its failure, it was supposedly tall enough to drive the smoke/soot from the nearby Ottawa Power Plants down to street level so the proposal was either blocked or voluntarily cancelled. Whenever I finally get to the library I'll post anything interesting I find here.
Also, here's a more general article on Lansing's urban renewal from the Free Press on October 3rd, 1973. (Photobucket wont let me post a large enough image to read it so follow the link and click the '+' sign on the image for a readable article.)
Comments
I wonder what they did with the stone when they tore it down in the 50's. it sure was an impressive building.
I do remember Sears and Frandor looking like this photo. I think that the stone facades looked like Lansing. Many of the modern buildings built at that time in that area had similar stone and light colored brick facades. Like the WJIM building and Brody at MSU. It is a shame the way Frandor looks today. It would be a treasured mid-century building today I think if they had not "improved" it to start with in the 70's. Fandor's owners should take a look at this photo and and others of the original Frandor if they should ever decide to put some money into the place. It would look so great for Frandor to revive that kind of prairie-school modern look and be a proper nice place at such an important spot on Michigan Avenue.
They're actually having some public meetings to get input on how to spend the money. The one for North Lansing/Downtown is November 12th at 6:30PM at the Foster Community Center.
I agree though, something really needs to be done with both of those access points to Michigan Ave.
I'd attempted to find something on this in the LSJ's microfilms before without knowing the date, now that I have a date to work with I should be able to find the LSJ articles with more information and renderings. I'd also like to find more info on the apparent reasoning behind its failure, it was supposedly tall enough to drive the smoke/soot from the nearby Ottawa Power Plants down to street level so the proposal was either blocked or voluntarily cancelled. Whenever I finally get to the library I'll post anything interesting I find here.
Also, here's a more general article on Lansing's urban renewal from the Free Press on October 3rd, 1973. (Photobucket wont let me post a large enough image to read it so follow the link and click the '+' sign on the image for a readable article.)