Yeah, I agree. It's nice variety downtown, but it might not be suited for that market, which is disappointing. I also would guess Old Town is too "high rent" for them. The crowd might make it worth it though.
I could see a Lansing- Art -History and Culture Center. This could include history galleries, retail, gallery spaces, classrooms practice studios and the like. There only a small space in the downtown Library basement to display historical items from our history. I could see this center downtown perhaps on one of the surface parking lots on S Grand or N Washington near LCC. Just dreaming of course. Combine say historical event programs art gallery openings and shows with cultural events and celebrations there could be a lot of people going to a center like that.
I forgot that Boarshead was more than just a theater, I never was in there. This city needs more of that kind of stuff.
I wouldn't have wanted to see an art museum/center lumped in with Ovation but I do hope that someone with the city or the local economic development organizations has some sort of plan to fill the arts museum void. I guess I'd personally consider finding new larger homes for Impression 5 and R E Olds museums a priority for cultural investments but I'd be happy to movement on anything.
It is a shame we don't have a better and more prominent "museum, culture and arts" type district. With how much people seem to love Impression 5, it's always amazed me that there isn't a more significant home for them. Only so much you can do with limited funds though. REOlds also deserves a larger and more prominent home with its historical significance to the city.
As someone whose discovered Riverwalk Theater I'm recent years, I'd love to see them, and more theater groups, have better and expanded spaces in a downtown setting.
Some of our best things are so tucked away in former warehouse style buildings, in floodplains.
I vaguely remember that little spot the museum had, it's not the kind of expansion I'm hoping for in the future but it was a neat place. I'd love to see them get a sizable old industrial building someday.
I think that smaller performance space at Ovation was just in the lobby on those existing floorplans for Ovation. It's great that organizations like Riverwalk Theater may have access to the Ovation but it's also good that they have their own permanent space. I just wish we had at least one old downtown theater for them, or a similar organization, to claim.
As for the money aspect, I think that can be solved with time. If one were to create a compelling vision I think you'd eventually find support through fundraising and grants, even if it could very well take many years to get off the ground. Specifically, I'd like to see local officials lobby the state on funding/helping fund a state museum of science and technology next to the library/historical center. The path to R E Olds' ideal museum is much cheaper an easier than Impression 5's I think. The boards that run these places need grander vision. They should start endowments for new facilities and specify what they want those new facilities to be, relatively modest donations today could bear fruit after many decades of investment.
Yeah, I'd agree that a dedicated parking space should probably not be a requirement. Even in rental situations there's cases where people will not need a car.
That's not even considering the looming rollout of robotaxis, which will make personal vehicle ownership very much optional for many people, even in the most car-oriented places. Whether in two or ten years, they're coming, and I think they're close enough that they should be on the radar of government planners.
I lived in a small town where driving around was not easy, many folks who visited hotels, guesthouses and rented had no cars. One way that people got around was pedicabs. They were human powered but newer models have electric motors too. The pedicabs took people home from downtown, transported tourist to restaurants at the far ends of town, and took a lot of them home after a night of partying. I could see pedicabs working in the central part of Lansing, Old Town, to REO-town down Michigan Ave maybe to EL, and the Capital Loop. They can be seasonalized, in Boston they run them year-round, of course after the snow has been plowed. Make the fares cheaper than Uber and there could be a nice easy way to get from the rental with no parking to downtown. Our wide streets could accommodate the cabs nicely! Just a thought!
I'd welcome something like a pedicab, I thought I've seen at least one running around in the past but not recently. Any out of the ordinary thing like that is good to have in town. The pedal powered party bus things seem to do ok here, at least the one or two that are around.
I wanted the share with anyone who has an LSJ subscription that they have quietly raised their price to $20 per month and are now raising it again to $25 per month. Absolutely ridiculous price, I just called to cancel my subscription. Just fyi in case anyone here didn't realize how much more expensive it's gotten.
Comments
I wouldn't have wanted to see an art museum/center lumped in with Ovation but I do hope that someone with the city or the local economic development organizations has some sort of plan to fill the arts museum void. I guess I'd personally consider finding new larger homes for Impression 5 and R E Olds museums a priority for cultural investments but I'd be happy to movement on anything.
It is a shame we don't have a better and more prominent "museum, culture and arts" type district. With how much people seem to love Impression 5, it's always amazed me that there isn't a more significant home for them. Only so much you can do with limited funds though. REOlds also deserves a larger and more prominent home with its historical significance to the city.
As someone whose discovered Riverwalk Theater I'm recent years, I'd love to see them, and more theater groups, have better and expanded spaces in a downtown setting.
Some of our best things are so tucked away in former warehouse style buildings, in floodplains.
I think that smaller performance space at Ovation was just in the lobby on those existing floorplans for Ovation. It's great that organizations like Riverwalk Theater may have access to the Ovation but it's also good that they have their own permanent space. I just wish we had at least one old downtown theater for them, or a similar organization, to claim.
As for the money aspect, I think that can be solved with time. If one were to create a compelling vision I think you'd eventually find support through fundraising and grants, even if it could very well take many years to get off the ground. Specifically, I'd like to see local officials lobby the state on funding/helping fund a state museum of science and technology next to the library/historical center. The path to R E Olds' ideal museum is much cheaper an easier than Impression 5's I think. The boards that run these places need grander vision. They should start endowments for new facilities and specify what they want those new facilities to be, relatively modest donations today could bear fruit after many decades of investment.
https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/granny-flats-a-backyard-solution-to-a-residential-crisis,110401
That's not even considering the looming rollout of robotaxis, which will make personal vehicle ownership very much optional for many people, even in the most car-oriented places. Whether in two or ten years, they're coming, and I think they're close enough that they should be on the radar of government planners.