It does feel weird, to me, to have a giant surface parking lot stuck between the two downtowns, feels like the location should be more "built up" than that. (I say that, yet we recently returned from a vacation in downtown Houston... and there are large surface lots in downtown Houston. So, well.)
I am hoping the Sears building and lot will be developed soon. they could build a whole neighborhood in that space. It was all about the parking back then, I don't remember when Frandor opened but I have seen some ads which tout the huge number of Free Parking spaces that were available. Man, that nickel or dime folks had to pay to park downtown must have really bugged them, still does, I guess. My Dad often went to great lengths to avoid paying to park downtown. The lots may have been full at times, but later they built a small amusement park over a large part of the parking area, the parking area was always over built so they filled it later with all the outbuildings there now. Still the huge [ugly] Sears lot stands a reminder of much busier days for our Frandor.
There was more information about the Kalamazoo St. data center in the LSJ today, which includes the that original plan was putting the data center in the Cooley Law School's former library building! I had not heard that before. You can read it, but the newest information was about using fuel cells to produce electricity. It was again emphasized that this is a small center that would have other uses other than A.I... They seem to be trying to address resident's issues, I don't really know too much about fuel cells or data centers for that matter but this one sound more positive than negative.
It doesn't change my opinion on it at all, my objections have always been a zoning-based, coupled the with the property's city-owned status giving the city an opportunity to use their leverage to get something better than the market would normally allow. As I've always said, if a warehouse isn't appropriate here, a data center isn't. I personally don't think a warehouse would be appropriate here, current zoning forbids it, case closed imo. I wholly disagree with the general public sentiment that seems broadly against data centers and AI for whatever that's worth.
Also of note... Natural gas fuel cells, while cleaner than turbines, still emit stuff beyond just water vapor and co2. I'm not sure having those exhaust gasses pouring out so near tall buildings is wise. I can't imagine the residents of Tower on Grand would appreciate it on days the wind blows west.
Thanks for the post, I would rather see something that would be a better fit for the location as well. Like I say I don't really know very much about these issues that have been brought up. What kind of exhaust do fuel cells emit? Is it dangerous or smell bad? I wonder if they would consider another location?
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Also of note... Natural gas fuel cells, while cleaner than turbines, still emit stuff beyond just water vapor and co2. I'm not sure having those exhaust gasses pouring out so near tall buildings is wise. I can't imagine the residents of Tower on Grand would appreciate it on days the wind blows west.