I'm all for Sparrow using the building if they can but if they can't I hope they're at least willing to keep the Penn facing section of the building along with the auditorium and sell it, it'd only amount to about 1.5 acres or so out of the 18 or 19 acres of developable land they own north of Jerome. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1YOgEMiIIMHEYpYrlDRVMc4sdJKh_8O8&usp=sharing
I read an interesting opinion ed. in the City Pulse about saving Eastern. I was surprised to read that the architects for Eastern were the same who designed the Michigan Union and the MSU Union.
It is just another small thing that seems to say "we don't care much about Lansing history" the UofM Sparrow has set up the Santa and his sleigh lights on the ground in front of the south side building, not up on the roof of the main tower where it has been since I was a kid in the '60's. This display has always been pointed out by Lansing parents to their kids "look Santa is coming" as from a distance it really did look like that could be Santa! Oh well I am sure it is cheaper to set it up on the ground.
I enjoyed looking at the old photos of Eastern High School on LSJ.com. I went to Sexton, so I did not visit Eastern very often, I had never seen some of the beautiful classic areas of the building. It looks like they are going to indeed tear it down. There was a small look at the plans for that space, the ornate arch over one of the entrances was preserved as an entrance to a green space, I could be wrong but the depiction I noted has a green space and parking where the school stands, it may be that they are tearing down some Lansing history for grass and parking. I was hoping that any new building would front Pennsylvania.
It was exactly as I feared. The City Pulse made it clear recently that the actual facility would even stand in the footprint of the existing building. So, indeed, this is being torn down for parking and a green "buffer." This is exactly why I opposed this tear down so vociferously, because I knew they'd be replacing it with some suburban-styled crap set back from the street when the site is very clearly large enough to have fit the entire development they want without having to tear down anything fronting Penn.
That the mayor has been working as UM-Sparrow's comms team on this is also weird. He made absolutely zero demands of UM-Sparrow, and it's his job to take his constituents concerns to them. That he has NO critique of this project or did anything to allay resident's concerns is concerning, itself. Meanwhile, Sparrow still hasn't said anyting about it's surgery center it planned years ago kitty corner to this. Just the worst kind of neighbors.
I'm or less numb to this at this point. This city is full of inept "leaders" and politicians along with a largely apathetic citizenry. The result has been decades of stupid and counterproductive decision making, Eastern's demise just being the latest example.
I will carry a grudge against UofM and Sparrow for as long as I stay in Lansing, which may or may not be that long. Maybe everything goes right and this current bump in new construction turns into a sustained boom and 10 years later the city is a fundamentally different place. Losing Eastern would still be a massive negative but not a knock-out blow. However, if this round of construction ends with more stagnation, or even just the trickle of development we're used to in "good" times, then I'm probably checking out of the city as soon as I can afford a piece of land or to move to a town near Lake Michigan. That's not even mentioning the literal projects they're building in my neighborhood (and LHC wants to build even more in the same area). There's so many ways things can go bad.
I can't keep being angry at stuff like this. I don't have the energy. There's better places to be.
I agree that U of M leaders seem deaf to Lansing citizens' concerns about their own neighborhood. They have a great institution that is benefiting our community however this issue seems to point to some arrogance on their part. I am a Spartan, and I do have lifelong negative [however adolescent] feelings toward the U of M, now they even make you wear a block M on your visitor badge! I had never worn an "M" before! Plus having the mayor basically roll over for them because they decided to move into "poor" Lansing, so he had better not make any demands on them is really sad. It reminds me of something orange down in DC. My hope at this point is that they actually start building these new facilities this year as I am wondering how long we will have to look at the sad boarded up school that many people have true fondness and love for. PS The prices for land and housing are cheaper on the "Sunrise Side" [Lake Huron]!
I'm sensing it will be years, if decades, before Sparrow builds on any of these sites they've been leveling. It's so disheartening and disappointing. All people can do in the future is vote and try to get some better leadership in this city. I can only hope that with changing generations, maybe we can get a change for the better.
Comments
Not sure why this is photo is rendering on its side like this.
I'm all for Sparrow using the building if they can but if they can't I hope they're at least willing to keep the Penn facing section of the building along with the auditorium and sell it, it'd only amount to about 1.5 acres or so out of the 18 or 19 acres of developable land they own north of Jerome.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1YOgEMiIIMHEYpYrlDRVMc4sdJKh_8O8&usp=sharing
That the mayor has been working as UM-Sparrow's comms team on this is also weird. He made absolutely zero demands of UM-Sparrow, and it's his job to take his constituents concerns to them. That he has NO critique of this project or did anything to allay resident's concerns is concerning, itself. Meanwhile, Sparrow still hasn't said anyting about it's surgery center it planned years ago kitty corner to this. Just the worst kind of neighbors.
I will carry a grudge against UofM and Sparrow for as long as I stay in Lansing, which may or may not be that long. Maybe everything goes right and this current bump in new construction turns into a sustained boom and 10 years later the city is a fundamentally different place. Losing Eastern would still be a massive negative but not a knock-out blow. However, if this round of construction ends with more stagnation, or even just the trickle of development we're used to in "good" times, then I'm probably checking out of the city as soon as I can afford a piece of land or to move to a town near Lake Michigan. That's not even mentioning the literal projects they're building in my neighborhood (and LHC wants to build even more in the same area). There's so many ways things can go bad.
I can't keep being angry at stuff like this. I don't have the energy. There's better places to be.