I also saw a MSUFCU "ad" or announcement board next to the Union ATM [my closest] touting their support for the Ovation Arts and Performance Center, which is new to me and a good sign that this center is really going to happen. I have not been that way in a while has construction started.
While driving around I noticed crews cutting down all the trees on the SW corner of Oakland and Cedar, is this area part of the housing going up near Motor Wheel Lofts?
No. As far as I can tell, this was just clean-up of part of the site after a storm blew down some trees on the property a few months back. One of the trees had fallen into Cedar after the storm; had it fallens another way, it'd have crushed their neighbors house. There are still trees on the site, just nothing that could fall into either of the streets, now. Looking up the area on the parcel viewer (it's actually two lots), it looks like the lots were sold to an individual in March, but probably just passing through family members. It looks like at the end of October they got fined by code compliance for "Trash." I have to assume this was the fallen trees.
Anything Motor Wheels involved is directly adjacent to the factory.
I just read a LSJ online artical about the demolition of the Walter Nellar building that will take place in March. The spokesperson again said that they are planning some sort of "something special" for that space which [as with all Lansing future developments] will be announced "sometime" about nine months from now. Perhaps that space looks more attractive for development with the New Vision developments going up across the street. Almost anything would be better than a surface parking lot and a tumble-down building.
Looking like a lot of loose end approvals getting tied up on the 16th at city council concerning the ADU ordinance and the amendments to the zoning code. I think New Vision Lansing's stuff, too? We'll finally have all of that out the way.
I have read about more funds coming for Lansing for downtown development and improvement. I guess this about bringing people back downtown after the covid era emptied out a lot of offices. I think this a good idea as it will be people living in the downtown neighborhood, many of whom will want to work from their home but would like to have amities and services within walking distance that will change the fabric of area from the office park, [as downtown kind of is], to a neighborhood of people.
It's a proposal in the lameduck legislature to expand the "tax capture" district downtown. We'll see if it gets through. But I'm not particularly supportive of it, since it would steer more money away from the school district. They say the district is all right with that. Whether or not that's true, I'm not. lol
I really wish they would do something with or without the state funds, new sidewalks on S Washington Sq., street leveled to the sidewalk no curbs, more green space doesn't seem like something impossible for a city the size of Lansing.
Yeah, Detroit is about to do something similar to what you described with state funding for Monroe Street:
It just takes local vision. In this case, the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership came up with the idea to put this out for proposal. And they didn't get the money right away (they started planning this in 2019, I think), but stuck to it.
I really like the more European approach with the streets. I just wonder, is that basically turning Washington into a mall, again? I'm just not sure how well it would work in Lansing, as much as I like the idea. Also, those specific example images, there isn't any parking. People here seem to have a tantrum if they can't park right in front of their destination, for free.
I do think something needs to be done with Washington though. It really is such a wide ROW for what it is. Or at least I think it is. Also, it seems like a lot of money for the city to spend on something that isn't exactly broken.
Comments
No. As far as I can tell, this was just clean-up of part of the site after a storm blew down some trees on the property a few months back. One of the trees had fallen into Cedar after the storm; had it fallens another way, it'd have crushed their neighbors house. There are still trees on the site, just nothing that could fall into either of the streets, now. Looking up the area on the parcel viewer (it's actually two lots), it looks like the lots were sold to an individual in March, but probably just passing through family members. It looks like at the end of October they got fined by code compliance for "Trash." I have to assume this was the fallen trees.
Anything Motor Wheels involved is directly adjacent to the factory.
It just takes local vision. In this case, the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership came up with the idea to put this out for proposal. And they didn't get the money right away (they started planning this in 2019, I think), but stuck to it.
I do think something needs to be done with Washington though. It really is such a wide ROW for what it is. Or at least I think it is. Also, it seems like a lot of money for the city to spend on something that isn't exactly broken.