I don't really enjoy thinking about next year right now! but seeing the construction for this project begin in February would really be wonderful and perhaps a sign everything is going to be OK.
Looks like the MEDC's Michigan Strategic Board approved their incentive package for New Vision Lansing, today. Kind of wish I could read the details, but they don't put up meeting packets until weeks after the meeting. In any case, this appears to have been the very last approval needed for the developers to feel comfortable starting this. So, we should see prep works and construction in the coming weeks and months.
I have been hoping to hear that this big project was actually going to happen, it is a relief to hear that it really is going to happen. Seems like our country has a lot of crazy people in charge, so you never know. I like the depiction of the new building on S. Washington I saw on the msn news page, now let's start building!
LANSING — The dirt was carefully prepared, hidden from the fledgling snowfall by a giant white tent as officials picked up ceremonial shovels and marked the start of work on the city's largest construction project in a generation.
The New Vision Lansing projects, roughly $315 million in investments, will start with a 28-story skyscraper, the Tower on Grand, that will take about two years to fully build. The centerpiece of the New Vision Lansing projects, it is expected to become the city's tallest building, a title that has been held for a century by a building now known as the Boji Tower.
I see that a permit for foundation construction was pulled on March 3rd for Tower on Grand, so this is definitely officially a go. The permit talks of a 27-floor tower and a WLNS article said it will be 320 feet tall. There was also a demolition permit pulled, yesterday, for the existing building on site, which was built in 1915, but which is mostly unrecognizable after a reconstruction in the 1960s.
I was so happy to see this event taking place. considering what has been going on in DC and Wall Street I was anticipating an announcement any day about canceling or downsizing the project. There were some cool big projects on paper in '07 and '08 which did not get built. The same thing happened way back in the urban renewal days when a 30-story project was going to be built on N Washinton Sq. it was delayed and delayed until the economy and environment concerns sank that project, and we got the "beautiful" building that stands there today. These guys are for real and I "hope!" to see the buildings going up very soon.
Has there been any hint or rumors about the Granger's lot at Michigan and Grand I had read they may be planning something.
Gary Granger has been "planning" something there for over a decade at least. And not just an idea, he's met with the city several times with idea after idea. It's never going to happen, unless someone else pays for it. He wants the city to pay for a significant chunk, and they've made it clear, they don't want to work with him. He's a very difficult person/organization to work with.
What's probably going to happen is the Waltner Neller building be torn down (soon I hope) and then remain as nothing. It's sad such a prime corner has such a shitty owner.
Yeah, we talked about this in the General Lansing Development thread a few months ago. GB even brought up at an LSJ article spoke of a March demolition. I'm not sure what has happened, but it's just good to see New Vision finally happening.
Yes, I think that's something we can all agree on. It's great to see something so significant and so many buildings actually happening. I just hope it isn't scaled back!
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New Vision Lansing project, including 28-story skyscraper, breaks ground in Lansing
Has there been any hint or rumors about the Granger's lot at Michigan and Grand I had read they may be planning something.
What's probably going to happen is the Waltner Neller building be torn down (soon I hope) and then remain as nothing. It's sad such a prime corner has such a shitty owner.