I committed on the proposed project as perhaps something positive, while it seems like some think otherwise. I had not heard of any other projects being proposed at that location so I was thinking it would be good to develop former industrial area/parking lot. I did not understand the negative aspects to a data center, which should be discussed. It would be a great spot for something more people oriented, but I never really thought of that intersection as the gateway to downtown, I guess it could be if Lansing were to land the right kind of project for a "gateway" project. It is kind of ironic that these huge machines that suck so much power are basically mechanical brains like the ones we already have, it makes me amazed at the "power" of the human brain. I know AI could be a great help to humankind, I wonder if it is really worth it sometimes.
I mean, everyone has opinions, I share mine candidly and encourage others to do so. If my concerns sway your opinion then great, if vice versa then also great, if we disagree then that's ok. I am never positive for the sake of being positive, I care about outcomes. I'm certainly not always right but strive to be right more often, that's why I seek debate.
On that note, yes, I consider data centers to be equivalent to warehouses or a sparsely staffed factory. I also believe that this data center would contribute nothing positive to the city besides whatever property taxes it pays while being a significant net-negative relative to a residential or office use. In my sort of decision-matrix I'd say if there's a decent chance of an apartment/office building in the next 10 years on that property than I'd absolutely say no to this data center. I think those odds are good.
The previously proposed Kalamazoo Gateway, killed by the 2008 recession:
I was kind of "something is better than nothing" on this project not really thinking about the actual negatives or positives. I lived in Mass. in '08 and I had not heard of this proposal, but I do know there were several really nice projects that did not happen because of the economy then. It is sad to remember those days, and I was anticipating hearing similar news about current projects, so I am happy to see those going up. I have a hard time understanding what or why this "administration" seems to be doing sending us into another '08 economy at high speed. Maybe we can get the country out of this as fast as the repubs got us into it. I think it would be great to see something like this built at that location.
There will be more details during the Act 33, but the Build Lansing initiative has seen the City open to discussing just about any proposal for city-owned land. This was the only proposal for Lot 49 in the last few years. There was an option for an apartment building early 2021 but it fell apart during the pandemic. I won't disagree that I personally envision something much more dynamic to serve as the southern anchor of the Stadium District.
But the data center case was tabled until December's meeting.
The rezoning for the 29-unit apartment building on Mt. Hope was recommended for approval.
The rezoning for the Island Ave. parking lot was recommended for approval.
Both land acquisitions for Parks and Recreation were recommended for approval.
/Planning Commission recap.
Well, I like the concept of being open to selling such land given a good proposal for it, but I do hope this sale is turned down. I guess that's why we have the processes we do.
Comments
On that note, yes, I consider data centers to be equivalent to warehouses or a sparsely staffed factory. I also believe that this data center would contribute nothing positive to the city besides whatever property taxes it pays while being a significant net-negative relative to a residential or office use. In my sort of decision-matrix I'd say if there's a decent chance of an apartment/office building in the next 10 years on that property than I'd absolutely say no to this data center. I think those odds are good.
The previously proposed Kalamazoo Gateway, killed by the 2008 recession:
But the data center case was tabled until December's meeting.
The rezoning for the 29-unit apartment building on Mt. Hope was recommended for approval.
The rezoning for the Island Ave. parking lot was recommended for approval.
Both land acquisitions for Parks and Recreation were recommended for approval.
/Planning Commission recap.
Thanks for the planning commission update.