I think it's been discussed here before, but does anyone know why all the open space around the Chrysler dealer across from Kohls and Kroger near Creyts is still undeveloped? The only thing I ever really remember changing on that whole lot the since '98 was when the fire dept burned down a house as a training exercise.
I got curious and looked it up. Apparently, it's owned by a company connected to the Eydes (Brookside Crossing, LLC) created in 1999. The company name would seem to imply commercial development, to me, and it's also zoned for commercial/retail.
The only other thing I can find on the land is that the company sued the Eaton County Drain Commissioner back in 2005 because they didn't want to pay a special assesment for the adjacent drainage project on Carrier Creek. They lost the case.
At $200 million maybe that sort of town center is what they are planning. I also would like to see the mall redeveloped, it would be better than building more retail down the road while abandoning the mall little by little.
Well, that was quick. I honestly don't see how they save it without physically downsizing it and creating a sort of "town center" at the site like the township has been mulling for decades. But I guess we'll see what the new owners can do.
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - News 10 was able to confirm that the mall has been sold to the Kohan Retail Investment Group, a company that’s been in the mall business for 20 years. The sale happened in early March for 9.2 million dollars.
Owner Mike Kohan says that, while they are only in the initial stages, they have a plan for growing the location. They intend to work with local businesses alongside major franchise retailers to create a diversity of businesses in one location that will have a positive effect on the foot traffic in the area.
Those changes are still in the blueprint stages, Kohan said. He expects it to take four to five months to hear back from those larger retailers, and in the meantime, they’re planning no other changes.
I don't know, I think there's some other directions they could go with the mall if they can make it work with a lower psf revenue. There's a lot of people around the country coming up with interesting reuses of malls, it's hard to say at this point what sorts of things will really work. Whether it's more entertainment options like axe throwing, go carting, mini golf, arcades, etc... or more non-corporate bars & restaurants or more small/locally owned stores, there's lots of options that might work.
You need an LSJ subscription to read it, but there's some disagreement within Delta Township and the developer of the new Delta Crossing about if and how the developer might get additional incentives from the township to complete Phase 2 (the residential portion of the development). Not surprisingly, the developer says that can't do Phase 2 if they're on the hook for building out public infrastructure.
The plan's path to approval hit a roadblock this month when all three officials — Beth Bowen, Fonda Brewer and Dennis Fedewa, the board's treasurer — voted against approval of the board's Sept. 20 meeting agenda because it included the formal introduction of the plan.
Trustee Andrea Cascarilla was absent from the meeting, which was adjourned before anything on the agenda was addressed.
Bowen said the plan's consideration shouldn't be rushed.
"It's a very big step that we're taking," she said. "It's the first time that Delta Township has ever done anything like this and I want to make sure that transparency is part of this whole process, and that ... taxpayer money is spent responsibly and in the best interest of all the residents who live here."
I'm just really on the fence about tax incentives in general. For something like this, a greenfield cookie-cutter retail and residential complex, I lean against giving up anything to the developer. I'd call their bluff, if they can't pull of a suburban greenfield development right near a major interchange without public help in a housing market like we have today then I guess it's just not to be.
Lansing had a couple of what are IMO egregious misuses of tax incentives that they gave to a couple of car dealerships, one on Michigan Ave in an area ripe for mixed use redevelopment. That just shouldn't happen, even under the best circumstances those dealerships offer little gain for the city, in the case of the one on Michigan Ave I believe it would have been more beneficial to the city to see the dealership move or close and their old site be redeveloped eventually. The city also continues to give property tax abatements on poorly constructed apartment buildings that will be functionally obsolete by the time the city starts collecting taxes (or in the case of the ones on Ottawa they're trash from day one), I'm sure the owners will then offer to renovate said building if offered further incentives. The city will never see much if any revenue from most of these stick built mixed use buildings that use residential quality construction methods, it doesn't make sense. I'd like to see a system that rewards developers for building quality buildings that will benefit the neighborhoods and the tax rolls for many, many decades to come.
I read an article on LJS.com about the project west of I-96, they seem to be giving a total green light to the whole project. I guess that is good, but the retail already there and the new big box stores are going to be stores that are already here, with some of them having moved down the street to the west a mile or so. Leaving behind empty big boxes and huge parking lots. To me it just looks like an extension of the West Saginaw suburban sprawl. A lot of taxpayer's money is going this project, why does it have to be so boring? I know why $, but still why more of the same thing, is that what people want?
Was looking through the township boards agenda as it related to the 425 Agreement, and came across something else I'd missed. In February, the board approved the creation of the Saginaw Highway Corridor Improvement Act (CIA) as a way to use the new Delta Crossings development to benefit the entire corridor between Broadbent west of the freeway to Waverly Road. So, last night they passed a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan for the CIA to help finance any projects they decide to do along the right-of-way (i.e road improvements, sidewalks, streetscapes/lighting, public transit facilities, non-motorized pathways, parks, planning/engineering serivces, etc)
The TIF in this case is only being applied to Delta Crossings and Brookside Crossings (whe it's developed) on the other side of the freeway.
Comments
The only other thing I can find on the land is that the company sued the Eaton County Drain Commissioner back in 2005 because they didn't want to pay a special assesment for the adjacent drainage project on Carrier Creek. They lost the case.
https://www.wilx.com/2021/03/23/sold-lansing-mall-going-to-new-owners/
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2021/10/04/delta-township-tax-increment-financing-corridor-improvement-delta-crossing-saginaw-corridor/5849424001/
Lansing had a couple of what are IMO egregious misuses of tax incentives that they gave to a couple of car dealerships, one on Michigan Ave in an area ripe for mixed use redevelopment. That just shouldn't happen, even under the best circumstances those dealerships offer little gain for the city, in the case of the one on Michigan Ave I believe it would have been more beneficial to the city to see the dealership move or close and their old site be redeveloped eventually. The city also continues to give property tax abatements on poorly constructed apartment buildings that will be functionally obsolete by the time the city starts collecting taxes (or in the case of the ones on Ottawa they're trash from day one), I'm sure the owners will then offer to renovate said building if offered further incentives. The city will never see much if any revenue from most of these stick built mixed use buildings that use residential quality construction methods, it doesn't make sense. I'd like to see a system that rewards developers for building quality buildings that will benefit the neighborhoods and the tax rolls for many, many decades to come.
The TIF in this case is only being applied to Delta Crossings and Brookside Crossings (whe it's developed) on the other side of the freeway.