Thanks for the information. It seems like there will be a lot of folks living on the south side of downtown in a year or two! I think it would be cool to create a linear park from Kalamazoo down to Malcome X along S. Washington. The street is so wide there it would be easy to use one lane for a green line which would join up with the new walkway next to the substation wall offering a pleasant walk from Downtown and REOtown.
Those comments by Breitler are pretty laughable. I liked this one: “If I build, I build. If I don’t, I don’t,” Breitler declared. “It won’t be the end of the world for me, but it will likely be the end of the world for the city of Lansing..."
I'll be glad to see this project die and for the city to wise up and do a proper restoration of City Hall. There's many, many potential locations for hotels throughout downtown including several sites adjacent to the Capitol. Potential hotel sites adjacent to the Capitol include the Constitution Hall lot, the old Tower ramp, the Catholic Diocese site and the NW corner of Walnut & Ottawa. Both the Farnum Building and Boji Building could also potentially be renovated into hotels. That's six potential sites directly adjacent to the Capitol Building, that being said my two favorite sites for a hotel would be the SW corner of Grand & Michigan or the Grandview Plaza site.
hood - Yes; SW Grand & Michigan would be perfect. I'd love to see this coupled to a book-ended development at Kzoo and Grand to help spur infill along the bleak parking lot crater between the two (along the north side of Grand).
The Grandview site has interested me for some time, as it sits along the riverside, and is obvious need of an updating to its facade (unless you're Darth Vader, or otherwise partial to the dark side of the force, that is...). It could be good as an apt. or mixed-use building, with one or two lower-level restaurants leading down to the riverfront.
I agree that the Grand View building is entirely unremarkable, and I find the window pattern to be rather phallic! Add the Lugnut tower and it looks like we are all up in Lansing!:} Is this building up for sale or dedeveoplment? I think it would be a great site for a hotel or housing.
Grandview Plaza is a glass-over historic building that's been occupied by the state for decades. In recent years the state Department of Corrections has been headquartered there. I don't imagine they are going anywhere any time soon. It works for what it is, unless you guys are talking about a different building.
I honestly don't have any problem with the building, and in fact I've always been an advocate or making it into interesting parkland should it ever be demolished. I don't think there needs to be a building there, nor do I think there needs to be any structure where the South Grand Ramp currently sits.
Yoops I was talking about the Grand Tower!
It's true this would be a great place for a park, I could see lots of green framing the avenue on both sides of the street. They should also make Wentworth Park a more formal park with nice seating and plantings and a path leading down to the river bank as well.
Yep MIch, that's the one. I'd love to see the old building underneath the "Sith makeover" they did on the facade in the 1970s or 1980s.
It would be nice to see the South Grand Ramp go, and have a park put in. I always think that ramp is such an eyesore on the river bank as I cross the bridge heading towards downtown.
The original building was two stories and in sorry shape, nothing of much architectural value. It was the original Montgomery Wards in Lansing, right across the river from Sears - now known as the Chandler Building
Sorry I'm late, but regarding the Grandview Plaza building... I think only a small portion of that building is a historic building. Going by my memory of others comments the old building was only a 3 floor building that was added on top of and around. It's not a great building, I doubt it could ever be class A space. I'd bet it's almost certain to be demolished and replaced if downtown Lansing ever does reasonably well. It used to be owned by Gentilozzi I think, it may still be.
Comments
Thanks for the information. It seems like there will be a lot of folks living on the south side of downtown in a year or two! I think it would be cool to create a linear park from Kalamazoo down to Malcome X along S. Washington. The street is so wide there it would be easy to use one lane for a green line which would join up with the new walkway next to the substation wall offering a pleasant walk from Downtown and REOtown.
Those comments by Breitler are pretty laughable. I liked this one: “If I build, I build. If I don’t, I don’t,” Breitler declared. “It won’t be the end of the world for me, but it will likely be the end of the world for the city of Lansing..."
I'll be glad to see this project die and for the city to wise up and do a proper restoration of City Hall. There's many, many potential locations for hotels throughout downtown including several sites adjacent to the Capitol. Potential hotel sites adjacent to the Capitol include the Constitution Hall lot, the old Tower ramp, the Catholic Diocese site and the NW corner of Walnut & Ottawa. Both the Farnum Building and Boji Building could also potentially be renovated into hotels. That's six potential sites directly adjacent to the Capitol Building, that being said my two favorite sites for a hotel would be the SW corner of Grand & Michigan or the Grandview Plaza site.
gbd - Great idea!
hood - Yes; SW Grand & Michigan would be perfect. I'd love to see this coupled to a book-ended development at Kzoo and Grand to help spur infill along the bleak parking lot crater between the two (along the north side of Grand).
The Grandview site has interested me for some time, as it sits along the riverside, and is obvious need of an updating to its facade (unless you're Darth Vader, or otherwise partial to the dark side of the force, that is...). It could be good as an apt. or mixed-use building, with one or two lower-level restaurants leading down to the riverfront.
I agree that the Grand View building is entirely unremarkable, and I find the window pattern to be rather phallic! Add the Lugnut tower and it looks like we are all up in Lansing!:} Is this building up for sale or dedeveoplment? I think it would be a great site for a hotel or housing.
Grandview Plaza is a glass-over historic building that's been occupied by the state for decades. In recent years the state Department of Corrections has been headquartered there. I don't imagine they are going anywhere any time soon. It works for what it is, unless you guys are talking about a different building.
I honestly don't have any problem with the building, and in fact I've always been an advocate or making it into interesting parkland should it ever be demolished. I don't think there needs to be a building there, nor do I think there needs to be any structure where the South Grand Ramp currently sits.
Yoops I was talking about the Grand Tower!
It's true this would be a great place for a park, I could see lots of green framing the avenue on both sides of the street. They should also make Wentworth Park a more formal park with nice seating and plantings and a path leading down to the river bank as well.
Yep MIch, that's the one. I'd love to see the old building underneath the "Sith makeover" they did on the facade in the 1970s or 1980s.
It would be nice to see the South Grand Ramp go, and have a park put in. I always think that ramp is such an eyesore on the river bank as I cross the bridge heading towards downtown.
The original building was two stories and in sorry shape, nothing of much architectural value. It was the original Montgomery Wards in Lansing, right across the river from Sears - now known as the Chandler Building
Yeah, posted a photo this morning showing the building in history thread:
Looks pretty hideous, really, for an older building. For some reason, I'd remembered even older pictures showing something nicer, but maybe not.
Sorry I'm late, but regarding the Grandview Plaza building... I think only a small portion of that building is a historic building. Going by my memory of others comments the old building was only a 3 floor building that was added on top of and around. It's not a great building, I doubt it could ever be class A space. I'd bet it's almost certain to be demolished and replaced if downtown Lansing ever does reasonably well. It used to be owned by Gentilozzi I think, it may still be.