I like the look of the brick alot. It would have been nice to see some balconies wrap the corners or at least on the sides though. I also like the style of the "Stadium" sign on the front, it looks like an old theater sign.
They are making a lot of progress on the steel, I wouldn't be suprised to see the entire eastern half of the structure completed this week, maybe even started on the other half.
Yeah, the Stadium sign does look like an old moviehouse marquee. Excellent touch to a great looking project. I'd be interested in seeing exactly the amenities on the roof. I know the highest roof in the middle of the structure is an elevated garden area, but I don't remember seeing anything else.
Looks really nice and should add some taste to that old parking lot.It will be a nice cornerstone to the city.How nice is it that the city gives the property to the developer,its the future home to Lansing Chamber of Commerce,and a tax abatement is given to the property.My only problem is nearly every contractor working on the project is from out of town. Majority of them are from Grand Rapids and Adrain.Why would Gillispe hire out of town contractors on a project so heavily funded and influced be local people? These workers take our money and spend it in their local economies and we have plenty of very capable contractors in the area that could do the work, if not better. With the sense of pride that they would have, in helping to build our city this would directly reflect in their craftsmanship and expediency to finish the project.It would also help to boost are already floundering local economy.
Welcome concerned taxpayer, its always nice to have a new voice.
On the subject of why there are so many out of town workers there, I think it is simply because Gillespie chose to use Fryling a Grand Rapids general contractor, and they brought in their own people. Using Fryling was probably a good choice, they are extremely competent when it comes to mixed use projects, especially ones of this size and height. I've also heard they are considerably cheaper than Lansing's big players like Granger, Clark and Christman, all of which are more acustomed to larger, more expensive projects.
I also feel sorry for the construction workers having to travel so far for their work. I was all ready to go into construction (as a union worker,) but then I found that it would require a lot of traveling, which I wasn't willing to do, even for $30+ an hour.
Welcome concernedtaxpayer. There are also people protesting in MSU because of some of the sewer work that is being done is by non-union workers. Have you seen that?
As beautiful of a building as this is going to be, it will always be an eye sore to me. Money once again has been the driving factor to who does a city project. Hood, I bet that the BIG guys never got to even bid the project. I bet that the BIG guys would have only been slightly more expensive and the money would have stayed here in Lansing. The cheaper guy normally ends up costing more in the long run. Have you been to Grand Rapids, Hood? There is always something going on there and they never stop building big beautiful buildings. Even MSU has noticed. They are investing millions of dollars into their new campus for the medical arts building there. We are right next door to East Lansing and they have decided to drive around us to go there. Grand Rapids is self-sufficient and helps pay for their projects from local people who have made their money in Lansing. I bet you'll never see a Lansing contractor over there doing work. That’s because Grand Rapids believes in themselves and their local economy. We need to have the same mentality. We need to stick our money back into Lansing before it becomes another Flint. You would think that the capital of Michigan would be the nicest city in the state, with its significance.
We can only do this by investing in ourselves. Grand Rapids contractors are taking over this town and taking our money back with them. The next time you’re driving to work and a work truck or van passes, look at the phone number on the door. More than likely the area code will be 616, 269, or 213. Some have keyed in on this and only list their 1-800 number. This is not the only job in Lansing being built by Grand Rapids contractors. The roads downtown are being done by them, also, and we all know the problems they have had down there. One more downtown evacuation and we should all leave town before they blow it up.
Hood, do you work for Gillispie or Fryling? Or are you one of those from Grand Rapids? If you were a Lansing resident, what I said earlier would have made sense. Would it be ok if the company you worked for hired Grand Rapids people because they worked a little cheaper than you? Would it be alright as long as they were as competent as you? Would it be alright if your company hired someone else because they were a little more rounded even if they didn’t check your qualifications?
Let's not let this thread get off-topic. But on the issue of MSU investing in Grand Rapids, that has to do with the lack of a medical school in Grand Rapids and the large population to support it. The Lansing area doesn't have a large enough population to support the medical school.
Also, although I would like to see more projects in Lansing, the fact that it is the capital city shouldn't give it increased priority over cities that have larger economies.
Comments
On the subject of why there are so many out of town workers there, I think it is simply because Gillespie chose to use Fryling a Grand Rapids general contractor, and they brought in their own people. Using Fryling was probably a good choice, they are extremely competent when it comes to mixed use projects, especially ones of this size and height. I've also heard they are considerably cheaper than Lansing's big players like Granger, Clark and Christman, all of which are more acustomed to larger, more expensive projects.
I also feel sorry for the construction workers having to travel so far for their work. I was all ready to go into construction (as a union worker,) but then I found that it would require a lot of traveling, which I wasn't willing to do, even for $30+ an hour.
Out of curiosity, would you happen to be one of the regulars that protest the site? I saw you guys out their during the Lugnuts game the other day.
We can only do this by investing in ourselves. Grand Rapids contractors are taking over this town and taking our money back with them. The next time you’re driving to work and a work truck or van passes, look at the phone number on the door. More than likely the area code will be 616, 269, or 213. Some have keyed in on this and only list their 1-800 number. This is not the only job in Lansing being built by Grand Rapids contractors. The roads downtown are being done by them, also, and we all know the problems they have had down there. One more downtown evacuation and we should all leave town before they blow it up.
Hood, do you work for Gillispie or Fryling? Or are you one of those from Grand Rapids? If you were a Lansing resident, what I said earlier would have made sense. Would it be ok if the company you worked for hired Grand Rapids people because they worked a little cheaper than you? Would it be alright as long as they were as competent as you? Would it be alright if your company hired someone else because they were a little more rounded even if they didn’t check your qualifications?
Also, although I would like to see more projects in Lansing, the fact that it is the capital city shouldn't give it increased priority over cities that have larger economies.