This is quasi-related to the new city hall so I figured it fits best in this thread... The mayor is proposing a 3.9 mil 30 year bond to raise $175 million for a new police/courts/lockup facility and fire station upgrades. I'm not sure how I feel about this and I absolutely will be voting no on it if they don't provide more details, most importantly a specific location for the consolidated facility as I will not support a move out of downtown. I'm not really excited to add that much to my taxes, it has to be something that satisfies all the practical needs for the city on top of being a beautiful building and at a location that will benefit the city's future goals.
A 30 year millage is gonna be a no from me dawg, that is a really long time to have it run its course. I also don't like the lack of clarity on how and where and what the funds will be used for. Public safety sure, but the devil is in the details.
Part of me thinks that he is using this as an opportunity to put a huge millage up for passage when public safety is a voter priority moreso then usual.
It's a no from me, too. To spring this very close to the deadline of putting this on the ballot with so few details is very clearly tactic, and an unethical one at that.
Well, they've started to flesh this out, and now we have a proposed site. It would rise directly north of the current Washington Avenue Office Complex where most of the City Clerk's operations are, now. Currently, its occupied by a surface parking lot owned by McLaren, which they don't really need, anymore.
I love the centralized location and would otherwise being willing to support the millage on that alone. But, the mayor - like the previous one - still seems dead-set on the next step being to sale City Hall, which I have not changed my mind on. In my mind, getting the police, fire and courts out of City Hall should free it up for the existing offices to get a bit more breathing room in the building. Just renovate the thing. But in a new HVAC system, knock down some interior walls, fix the issues with the underground garage, etc.
Yup, the millage is just a flat out "no"' from me. It's too much money , even if they lumped in a restored City Hall at that budget I'm not sure I could support it. I also don't trust Schor to make good decisions and possibly not even to have the city's best interests in mind.
I don't like the thought of burdening city residents for 30 years. Most of the people voting on this debt will be dead or moved out of Lansing before it is actually paid off, the quintessential passing the buck. I also don't like selling the current city hall and agree that it could be retooled with the jail/fire/courts getting booted out. Having it be right across the street from the capitol building has real merit and shouldn't be discounted when considering the politics of it all.
As it stands it's a no vote from me. If they were keeping city hall and finding a new place to put police/fire/courts alongside a smaller and shorter term millage that has an actual fleshed out plan I could be supportive of it. So something entirely different.
Chicago-based developer J. Paul Beitler is still ready to buy Lansing City Hall and renovate it into a hotel.
“Right now,” as he put it — six years after his first attempt.
But Beitler said this may be Lansing’s last chance to partner with him on the project.
“How many times do you go to the altar and get rejected?” he said. “We’ve submitted multiple proposals. Each time we have been told we need a new city hall. That has been the factor that has precluded the sale of the building. We absolutely have an interest in going forward with the plans as depicted on the YouTube video”
A $40 million appropriation in the state budget for a new city hall will dramatically shift the conversation about the old topic of relocation. It’s been on hold while the city sought to determine where to relocate the city’s lock-up facility, police operations and the courts from the current City Hall. That problem was solved in November when voters approved a $175 million bond proposal to build a new public safety facility.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor is ready to get to work on the sale and revamp as well, city spokesperson Scott Bean said.
“Mayor Schor really, really likes the old Beitler proposal and is looking forward to the city reaching out and working with him again once we have a plan in place for a future City Hall,” said Bean.
Where a new City Hall may go is still up in the air, Bean added. No plans for a Request for Proposals have been announced yet.
I guess I don't hate his proposal for the building. I'm just not going to be very accepting of a proposal to move City Hall to an existing building or some run-of-the-mill new structure (I've heard the old LSJ building and the Victor Building mentioned, I'm very near the former to where my property would benefit and I'm still against it). If they propose moving it to their new public safety complex I'm definitely going to have to drag myself to some meetings to complain in person.
In a perfect world I'd like to see them do a site selection first (maybe the Constitution Hall lot, Tower Ramp, LCC Shiawassee lot, North Grand Ramp, S Capitol Ramp, Kalamazoo/Larch/Cedar lot are all decent options imo) then do a design competition. Select the best design that the budget can afford and enjoy a hopefully decent-good new city hall. They can't be afraid to bond out some extra money for the building itself and possibly even more for a parking structure.
...Continued from General Lansing Development Thread...
Meh. Without buying the lot next door, removing the parking and renovating it as plaza space I'm very so-so on this. At least after seeing the Boji's do a decent job renovating the Farnum Building I have some faith that they'll respect the historical integrity of the old building where I was pretty negative on them before.
Almost any realistic plan to move City Hall was going to get a shoulder shrug at best from me. If they buy the lot next door for a public plaza, along with future space to expand, I'll be content. If they don't do that then I'll probably remain mildly negative on this move.
This is all assuming that the new hotel in the old City Hall Building happens on schedule and is of the quality depicted. That going poorly could make this all a big mistake.
Comments
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2022/06/27/lansing-175-million-tax-proposal-new-public-safety-buildings-andy-schor/7747111001/
Part of me thinks that he is using this as an opportunity to put a huge millage up for passage when public safety is a voter priority moreso then usual.
I love the centralized location and would otherwise being willing to support the millage on that alone. But, the mayor - like the previous one - still seems dead-set on the next step being to sale City Hall, which I have not changed my mind on. In my mind, getting the police, fire and courts out of City Hall should free it up for the existing offices to get a bit more breathing room in the building. Just renovate the thing. But in a new HVAC system, knock down some interior walls, fix the issues with the underground garage, etc.
As it stands it's a no vote from me. If they were keeping city hall and finding a new place to put police/fire/courts alongside a smaller and shorter term millage that has an actual fleshed out plan I could be supportive of it. So something entirely different.
Beitler wants another bite of the City Hall apple
In a perfect world I'd like to see them do a site selection first (maybe the Constitution Hall lot, Tower Ramp, LCC Shiawassee lot, North Grand Ramp, S Capitol Ramp, Kalamazoo/Larch/Cedar lot are all decent options imo) then do a design competition. Select the best design that the budget can afford and enjoy a hopefully decent-good new city hall. They can't be afraid to bond out some extra money for the building itself and possibly even more for a parking structure.
Meh. Without buying the lot next door, removing the parking and renovating it as plaza space I'm very so-so on this. At least after seeing the Boji's do a decent job renovating the Farnum Building I have some faith that they'll respect the historical integrity of the old building where I was pretty negative on them before.
Almost any realistic plan to move City Hall was going to get a shoulder shrug at best from me. If they buy the lot next door for a public plaza, along with future space to expand, I'll be content. If they don't do that then I'll probably remain mildly negative on this move.
This is all assuming that the new hotel in the old City Hall Building happens on schedule and is of the quality depicted. That going poorly could make this all a big mistake.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/09/13/lansing-city-hall-masonic-temple-building-boji/70840514007/