General Lansing Development

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  • Missed this news on Wednesday, but the Build Lansing development program put out RFIs (request for information) for three city-owned sites on Wednesay due on April 9th.
    • 1020 West Hillsdale: This lot is where Uniona Missionary Baptist was at MLK and Hillsdale before they moved across the streeet. The site is 2.2 acres.
    • 500 East Kalamazoo: This is the city parking lot located across from the South Cedar Wendy's, which was nearly developed as the Gateway project over a decade ago. It is 1.2 acres.
    • 6726 South Washington: This is the old Life O'Reilly at the extreme southern end of the city. It is 13.8 acres.

    I guess an RFI is a step you can take before and RFP (request for proposal).
  • Each one of those is a potentially interesting project. I imagine/hope we'll see something similar to the old Kalamazoo Gateway proposal for that site, I honestly would kinda like if they just reused that design. I have no idea what to expect for the Hillsdale site, I would think that the city would prefer for a low rise apartment, mixed use or office building there. The south Washington property will probably be a small apartment or townhouse complex, if the surrounding neighborhood doesn't mind I think a couple of commercial lots along Washington would be smart.
  • I am inquisitive as to why the trail does not run on the north side of the road by the university club? In the future, it would be exciting to see a separated path along Forest and Harrison all the way north to link up with the river trail at Kalamazoo.
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    There is a house on the north side of Forest Rd in front of the Henry Center (3509 Forest Rd). My guess is that it prevented the trail from running on that side of Forest Rd.
  • edited February 2021
    I'd just as soon assume it was the club they didn't want to deal with. In either case, I don't think they have to ask permission for easements along an existing right-of-way (I could be wrong about this). But I assumed to potentially avoid the headache, they just decided it'd be easier to go on the southside of the road where there is an existing easement for a powerline.
  • That's a good point about the Club. I can't remember where I read it (it was last year I think) but I remember seeing that the trail extension that was planned to run along the east side of 127 from Forest Rd to Mt Hope was having issues because the U Club was putting pickleball courts where the trail was planned.
  • What the heck is pickleball? all the sudden this last year I hear the name pickle ball! I have never heard of this sport!
    Today the lsj.com has some nice shots of the new hotel in the Block 600 building, the rooms are really nice. [subscribers only] The hotel will open Thursday with 122 rooms! The building does not look that big, they noted that there are already reservations for Valentine's Day. I think the hotel will be very popular once we get back to normal.
    I go the City Market a lot, it is always so calm and pleasant to shop there. The sushi is excellent and lots of local bake goods are great too. They need a little help with the deli/sandwich stand. I can not really tell what they sell and have never seen any of their sandwiches. I was the head chef for a big very busy deli out east on the Cape selling 600 sandwiches a day in the summer, so I know how to do it!. Having nothing on display except for a plate of cookies and photo copy menus of too many very busy rather expensive sandwiches with poorly written chalk- board specials is not a recipe for success in my opinion. Hey I could be wrong maybe they are doing great! Has anyone bought a sandwich there?
  • edited February 2021
    Clifford,

    Actually went and read the resolution for the easements, and it's interesting because they actually mention the acquisition of the easements so that the non-motorized path connects to "the new McLaren Hospital, the University Club, MSU Foundation and the existing non-motorized facilitieson Forest Road and Harrison Road." So they are going to get it whether they like it or not. lol But I still agree with you, too, that it's completely possible the single home-owner on that stretch didn't the path going in front of their house. I'd have loved to have been the fly on the wall when the Club was acquiring all that land. I'd almost bet that property must have been part of the original plans, and they simply refused to sell; it's really the only way to explain it.

    In some other news, it looks like a playground is planned for Riverfront Park according to the Park Board agenda, though they never post a packet, so I don't know exactly where this would be. I've always thought some kind of playground needed to be in the park on the west side of the river even though there is one south of the Shiawassee Street bridge on the east side of the park. So I'm glad to hear about this.

    Also, it appears that a letter was sent to the council earlier this week from the Neighbors of Scott Woods neighborhood association requesting upgrades to Scott Woods down near Hawk Island. They want a complete swing set, "teeter totter or any other playground equipment," additional parking spaces, and expansion of the park for adult recreation (volleyball courts, softball field, etc.). According to the letter, the park is pretty busy - the few times I've been through it, it was fairly quiet, though that was years ago - and they'd like to make it larger to absord the heavy usage. Something they mention is perhaps acquiring the old McLaren parking lot property and/or other lands near the heads of the trails. They say a lot of young families are moving into the neighborhood, which consists of over 500 homes.

    It really is a beautfiul natural area. I guess much of this is requested for around the Clifton Street entrance, which I've never accessed the park from. I've always gone in through the river trail. The letter speaks to how "tiny" the park is, so they must be talking about the small open sectiona at the foot of Clifton behind the hospital, which is quite small.
  • Isn't the university club owned by MSU? I wouldn't think they would work too hard to interfere with any reasonable placement of a pathway around there.

    I'm not sure a playground further north at Riverfront Park would really get used that much, there's no residential around there that wouldn't already be closer to another playground. If they do build one there I hope that it's a larger and more "special" one so it can be something of a destination, a larger playground with more capacity would also make sense for events which are when I imagine it would see most of its use.

    I don't get out there often but I do like the River Trail as it goes through Scott Woods, I hope they don't cut down too many trees to make way for anything they decide to build there. I do understand the neighborhood's desire for there to be more there since I'm sure it gets used by a lot of people off the trail in addition to people from nearby. Their probably right about the families moving there, pretty much all those neighborhoods up and down Cedar and Penn between Mt Hope and Jolly are a quite good and stable areas with a nice feel to them, probably some of the best places in the area to buy a starter home for a family for around $100k.
  • I've always thought it was weird that one homeowner held out. I can't say that I'd enjoy being surrounded by all that activity and light.
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