Marketplace

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Comments

  • is there a way to upload on this thing or only link to a website?
  • I just upload pics to Photobucket.com and link them here.
  • I'll host files too if somebody wants to email them to me.
  • edited August 2008
    So it sounds like the new City Market development's fate is teetering and possibly leaning towards not happening. Also, Gillespie is suggesting if this doesn't go through he will rethink his focus on developing downtown, which might be an empty threat to get this passed, but do we want to chance? Tonight is a hearing on this for the City Council at 7pm 10th floor of City Hall. I'm definitely going to voice my support and it would be great if anyone else does the same. Also, I've posted contact info for the council members. I've already sent them an e-mail in support and maybe I'll call their offices as well.

    If this is getting a little too political and maybe not appropriate for this forum please let me know, but I thought this was important enough to post and allow others to decide for themselves.

    http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/NEWS01/808040344

    jeffries@ci.lansing.mi.us; dquinney@ci.lansing.mi.us; sallen@ci.lansing.mi.us; kdunbar@ci.lansing.mi.us; ehewitt@ci.lansing.mi.us; TKaltenb@ci.lansing.mi.us; arobins@ci.lansing.mi.us; cwood@ci.lansing.mi.us


    Carol Wood (517) 483-4188
    A’Lynne Robinson (517) 483-4191
    Tim Kaltenbach (517) 483-4190
    Eric Hewitt (517) 483-4181
    Kathie Dunbar (517) 483-4171
    Sandy Allen (517) 483-4178
    Derrick Quinney (517) 483-4170
    Brian Jeffries (517) 483-4180
  • I'm also not sure how plausible it is that this won't go through given the City Council hasn't voted against a development once for a couple years. And it sounded like people thought the Planning Commission wouldn't pass it and they did unanimously, so maybe I'll going a little overboard.
  • right now it doesn't have the votes to pass, if you know anything about council then you can probably guess where the votes are landing... they need 6 yes votes for the development to pass...

    if they say no next monday night, downtown development will be a thing for east lansing
  • edited August 2008
    CityMarketMostRecent.jpg
  • The future of Lansing is teetering on this vote, it will set a tone for awhile and investors and developers will surely take note. I'm very worried, I could write an essay about how I feel about this whole situation. But if I was on council, and this vote fails, I would resign.

    BTW, I like that new siteplan.
  • I just returned from the city council meeting. There were more supporters than opponents and frankly, a couple of the opponents shouted things about destroying a superfund site and ruining our water and how ruining the water was causing abortions and that's why we don't have enough 30-40 year olds for jobs in Lansing. Not to say there weren't a fair number of intelligent people against it, but frankly most of them were based mostly in how they feel and nostalgia. Will the council see this...or am I way off, we'll see!

    I was happy to see quite a few major endoresements though, Rick Pruess of Pruess pets, a guy I pretty sure identified himself as the manager of the Allen Street market, Gene Townsend, a couple of local companies who did work (bricks, electrical) for the Stadium District took head on the charge that local labor won't/hasn't been used by Gillespie and on and on. Also, quite a few "young professionals" showed up talking about how this type of development is necessary to pull people like them in (not one was against).

    Seriously though, word from others is that other developers are watching the vote as a kind of litmus test for the reception in Lansing to development. I've heard that a person who's put down a deposit for an entire floor of the Capitol Club is watching this vote and may back out is this doesn't go through. So really, if you feel at all strongly about this, you need to contact council members in some manor to voice support. The vote is currently scheduled for a week from today (next Monday). So now I'll end my campainging since I'm preaching almost entirely to the choir here.
  • Preaching to the choir indeed. I was there too. I really should have spoke but didn't prepare to and the meeting lasted 4 and a half hours even with reducing speaking time to two minutes instead of the usual 3 for people. Also I thought I'd note there was actually quite a divide in terms of the people for and against it (slightly more for) with an obvious bias on both sides. Like you said micro many of the people against it had nostalgia and "if it aint broke don't fix it" mindsets though on the other hand several of the people for it were Gillespie employees or connected to them in some way or another. And of course several of the "young professionals" were people who have moved into the stadium district and etc but that should tell the council something right there. Its not that these are the only type of people that Lansing is courting but officials and those against the development should see that to gain and retain such residents as well as to breathe new life into things like the market and downtown itself that changes have to be made. I'm not entirely stating a one sided opinion on this as I do agree with some (keyword) things that the people against it feel as well as perhaps more details needing to be made known and questions answered, but many people against do not seem to be looking at the entire scope of things. This is about more than just a building. This is about Lansing's future...
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