I took a bike ride on the new trail link behind Brody, it is only about 20 feet long, but it is a more convenient connection from campus to the trail around the Red Cedar development [is there a name for this development yet?] ponds and on to the Lansing River Trail. They have cleared a lot of the underbrush along the north side of the river creating some nice open green spaces under the shade of the big trees. It looks really nice and no longer hides "camps", so it looks and feels safer. The ponds banks are naturalizing with a lot of greenery, wildflowers [lots of daisies blooming] and banks of willows filling in the spaces along the shore. They need to clean up the goose poop, however. I guess that Lansing is tasked with taking care of the Michigan Avenue center median as it looks less cared for, with several newly planted, now dead trees and overgrown weeds in the drainage ditches. The drain fountains and streams were functioning nicely; I love that feature.
Looking at the passed budget, noticed an item that will fund a feasibility study for a community center on the southeast side. You've got Foster on the eastside, Gier on the northside, Letts on the eastside, but only Schmidt in the geographically expansive southside, and it's centered way to the southwest. It would really be nice to have one for citizens east of Washington or Cedar. Maybe they could reuse part of the old hospital off Penn that's right next door to Scott Woods; there's a River Trail head right there. Maybe they might build something new. I'm glad they are looking at this.
Looks like they will also be renovating a lot of playgrounds around town, too, as well as rebuilding tennis courts at Moores, Marscot, and Quentin parks. Speaking of playgrounds, the "Play Michigan" one at Riverfront Park is ALWAYS busy; it's easily one of the biggest parks department successes since the construction of the two "Beacon Field" soccer fields in town. I hope they consider a few more "Play Michigan" playgrounds around town.
I'm happy to hear about the prospect of a southeast side community center, you've got me thinking about where it could go. There's an old elementary school owned by the city at Maplehill & Southgate that last housed a Headstart and I'm not sure it's used for that (or anything) anymore, it may be too small for a community center but could be a candidate. Kendon Elementary has been reduced to just a preschool and Headstart as far as I can tell so it could end up being an option as well. I can't really see a location in the old Lansing General working out and it's further north than a fourth community center should be anyway imo. New construction would be cool but I'm not voting for any more millages.
I am not sure who is doing this project, but the woods on the north side of Kalamazoo behind Bordy have had all the underbrush along the river trail removed. They left all the big trees and have turned the space into an assessable green space; it looks really nice. I had walked through those woods last month and it was really unpleasant and even a little scary!
But I'm still quite not understanding what everyone is talking about, as the riverfront at Brody is almost no riverfront at all; the parking spaces off the street are practically on the riverbank.
They're marketing the brush removal as invasive species removal and better river accessibility, but getting the homeless encampments out of those areas could intentionally be part of it. It seems to help in that regard.
@MichMatters The brush removal mentioned in the LSJ article happened along the Red Cedar west of your screenshot, along the new part of the trail within the Red Cedar Development. They've done similar work at the Clippert trailhead and perhaps in other areas now
Thanks, Hood. I thought it was weird a park in East Lansing would be named "Capital City" Riverside Park. But it's also strange that this hasn't been mentioned by the City of Lansing's parks department.
Behind Bordy [complex] is just the way I described the area, it is the area that is now connected to the River Trail right behind the dorms on the southwest corner. Just drive down the Red Cedar Parkway, or Kalamazoo Street towards EL and the work is very noticeable. There is a nice seating area overlooking the river at the connector trail on MSU property behind Armstrong Hall.
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Looks like they will also be renovating a lot of playgrounds around town, too, as well as rebuilding tennis courts at Moores, Marscot, and Quentin parks. Speaking of playgrounds, the "Play Michigan" one at Riverfront Park is ALWAYS busy; it's easily one of the biggest parks department successes since the construction of the two "Beacon Field" soccer fields in town. I hope they consider a few more "Play Michigan" playgrounds around town.
Capital City Riverside Park
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2025/04/04/capital-city-riverside-park-red-cedar-development/82792463007/
But I'm still quite not understanding what everyone is talking about, as the riverfront at Brody is almost no riverfront at all; the parking spaces off the street are practically on the riverbank.
@MichMatters The brush removal mentioned in the LSJ article happened along the Red Cedar west of your screenshot, along the new part of the trail within the Red Cedar Development. They've done similar work at the Clippert trailhead and perhaps in other areas now