I've been in touch with Brandon List, the new campus planner. I noticed Red Cedar Road is gone in front of this building in these renderings and I asked him if that road will get removed in front of this new building. He confirmed that when this gets built, that section of Red Cedar road will get removed. Last i heard they'll break ground in the fall. Hopefully, that does move forward.
I guess I'm of the opinion that this development is better than I expected. I agree with everything @P2005 said, especially on the driveways between the building and road, but I find it difficult to nitpick too much on this one. If anything, I wish the arena could have been on Michigan Ave, incorporated into the Red Cedar development.
The irony of Gillespie Group being named the Gateway District developer (partner) meanwhile their Stadium District properties are half vacant and overwhelmed by parking lots. I jest, I know MSU will make them a ton more money, but dang I wish they would add some residential density to Larch St. and help put pressure on the State for some street diets to make it more livable.
Has the Gillespie Group ever built such a large project? I wonder why they did not choose the same contractor that are building the "Wellness Center" which is Granger I believe, they seem to have handled that huge project quite well. I would think that MSU will be choosing the architects and design so Gillespie can't cheap out on that and build one of those boxy "same as the other one" type projects he likes.
I share the surprise that Gillespie Group is the selected developer, this sort of thing doesn't really seem in their wheelhouse. I guess I'm happy to see a local developer upping their game, hopefully that same energy shows up when he turns his attention back to downtown Lansing. @citykid I sense you were half-kidding, but are Gillespie's Stadium District properties doing that poor? Just from observation the parking lots all seem full. Despite his building's mediocre build quality and design, it's still not a sign for downtown if his properties are struggling.
What I have noticed is that some of the retail spaces in Pat's new buildings have not been leased out since the buildings were built, I think that may be that rental lease rates are too high, rather than then undesirable locations.
Gillespie Group has been and are doing things so kudos, seriously, it's awesome. I just wish if they had the resources they would be more aggressive. They keep peddling their obsolete industrial buildings on loopnet rather than demolishing and building up new residential. With that is how completely unlivable Cedar and Larch are as-is.
I just think leaving LBC and Stadium Lofts south as parking lots/underdeveloped is a huge opportunity cost.
I'm not a developer but I think they have to get better at designating micro-commercial suites and scaling up incubators rather than relying on residential rents to cover leaving anchor spaces vacant indefinitely.
I do hope that he gets back to work in the Stadium District, he's bought up so many properties there before finishing what he stared. Even seemingly completed projects like the original Stadium District building and Block 600 have tons of surface parking where further buildings could be developed. If we had a more diverse community of well-heeled developers here he would have never been able to buy up all those properties to begin with.
I really have no idea. If not in a new building there's certainly some office buildings along Saginaw in the Groespeck area that I could see it going in, there's a couple medical office buildings near Sparrow or maybe there's room in The Armory? New construction is always welcome, especially when it's an empty lot being built on.
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https://ipf.msu.edu/construction/current-projects/engineering-and-digital-innovation-center
I just think leaving LBC and Stadium Lofts south as parking lots/underdeveloped is a huge opportunity cost.
I'm not a developer but I think they have to get better at designating micro-commercial suites and scaling up incubators rather than relying on residential rents to cover leaving anchor spaces vacant indefinitely.
The three buildings at Michigan & Marshall are listed together and combine for 16k sq ft.
https://cpix.net/property-search/#/property/611a41e659e5e60007c09578
Here's a listing of properties from Gillespie's site, he also owns a church on Chester that's about the right size:
https://www.gillespie-group.com/commercial
https://www.facebook.com/thegillespiecompany/posts/pfbid033CSz7pqcvSmR8U6c3FqXimxR5QjkyVkwky2x6mek3Wug2HYQ69rrcAztVaYgyD9fl