noticed the building at Kalamazoo and Pennsylvania [ a long-time eye sore] has been renovated at least on the outside with the sort of common steel and rock faced brick style of facade you see these days.
Passed this for the first time, today. I'd actually been to the QD across the street I thought not that long ago, but maybe it was much longer than I realized, because I did not remember seeing this renovation. lol Whoever owned it had been renovating it for a long time, and the last time I remember seeing it, it was just sticks. I was pretty well shocked to see what they did with it. It's a nice-looking building, better than what I'd expect for that corner.
Not a fan of the big metal-looking panels, but I always appreciate bricks and stone. It shows that you don't have to spend a lot of money for a decent-looking small commercial building. I'm going to have to look through city records to see who they used, architecturally, for the project.
Edit: Not seeing any architects, but the renovator is a small builder out of Farmington Hills. Permits speak of a convenience store and/or carry-out restaurant. Records show lots of cancelled permits from late last year, so it looks like this has been in flux.
I drive by this pretty regularly. It did move fast after several stalls. I figured it was a design build project based on how it it was progressing and how unprofessional/sporatic the whole renovation was. I've got to admit, it turned out better than I'd have expected for the use and area. I'm sure it will be plastered with signs and ads plastered on the windows like most of these corner stores once it opens.
One bit of particularly good news from the article is that the renovations shouldn't take long, they'll be done by September in time for the Dam Jam.
EDIT:
There's also a new Brownfield plan out for the Rescue Mission properties on Michigan Ave: Gillespie Group will be renovating the old Mission, along with the two storefronts to the west, into 15 apartments and "one commercial storefront". The singular storefront I find interesting given that there's over a half block of frontage here, I tend to think they have a tenant in mind. It says they'll be spending $8.2 million on the project, which is more than what I would have guessed. I expect that it should turn out nice.
Brownfield plan to be introduced next week for renovation of the City Rescue Mission property + 2 buildings to the west. Typical ground floor commercial units with 15 residential units on the top floors. Apparently, the apartments of the 2 buildings to the west are currently being used for storage. Gillespie is doing this. Never any doubt these were going to be hot properties, but I do wish everything didn't get snapped up by them.
I've noticed that the former Rite-Aid at Saginaw and Clippert has been under reconstruction. I was surprised it didn't sit and rot forever as these kind of buildings often do. Frandor actually owns the building. But what is curious and unusual is that there are no building permits or projects filed for this one on the assessor look-up tool.
I saw this work being done yesterday and it just remined me of the Spartan Theaters that stood on that corner. Who thought a Rite-Aid and a bank would make more money than a theater [who knows maybe they did]? I did not live here when the Rite-Aid replaced the theater, it would be nice if Frandor would build something perhaps a bit impressive on this hilltop site. There is also some demolition going on at the former gas station up the block from Frandor.
Okay, so the permits & projects at the assessor tool were under an adjacent address. No information given except that permits were pulled in February and May Glad that this corner won't sit empty for years like the old gas station down the street did, at least. Will be interesting to see what goes here, but I suspect it'd be something more interesting than Rite-Aid, though that certainly wasn't a bad use of the site, honestly.
Before it was Rite Aid the corner housed a Discovery Zone (DZ) in the 90s. It was like a Chuck-E-Cheeze funhouse for kids with games and a tubed-play area. I loved that place. Apparently, the company filed for bankrupt in 1996. The Rite-Aid has been there since 1998.
I was trying to remember where the local DZs were! It was always such a reward to go there haha.
I noticed this construction as well. It looked like they were breaking it up into a strip mall that would face Clippert. I'd be curious if they already have tenants or if they think the smaller spaces will be easier to market. Could be entirely wrong too, but that's what it looked like to me.
The new small commercial plazas do seem to do well. The one across the street at 3415 E Saginaw - "Pointe North Retail Center," which is also owned by Frandor, BTW - was built in 2008 is always leased up. Same with the Lake Lansing Place at the SW corner of Lake Lansing and Coolidge built in 2016. Even Phipps Plaza across the Lake Lansing that's been there forever stays full. I've been noticing a lot more successful small commercial & retail in Lansing, lately. A lot of restaurant space, but even some smaller retail.
BTW, found brochure on how Frandor is marketing this site, so I guess this answers the question:
I kind of wish they'd have added a second floor like Lake Lansing Place I was talking about, especially on prominent corners. I think small office spaces are something they wouldn't have much trouble leasing. There is certainly enough parking for it.
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Passed this for the first time, today. I'd actually been to the QD across the street I thought not that long ago, but maybe it was much longer than I realized, because I did not remember seeing this renovation. lol Whoever owned it had been renovating it for a long time, and the last time I remember seeing it, it was just sticks. I was pretty well shocked to see what they did with it. It's a nice-looking building, better than what I'd expect for that corner.
Not a fan of the big metal-looking panels, but I always appreciate bricks and stone. It shows that you don't have to spend a lot of money for a decent-looking small commercial building. I'm going to have to look through city records to see who they used, architecturally, for the project.
Edit: Not seeing any architects, but the renovator is a small builder out of Farmington Hills. Permits speak of a convenience store and/or carry-out restaurant. Records show lots of cancelled permits from late last year, so it looks like this has been in flux.
https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/major-renovations-underway-at-old-towns-burchard-park,141576
One bit of particularly good news from the article is that the renovations shouldn't take long, they'll be done by September in time for the Dam Jam.
EDIT:
There's also a new Brownfield plan out for the Rescue Mission properties on Michigan Ave: Gillespie Group will be renovating the old Mission, along with the two storefronts to the west, into 15 apartments and "one commercial storefront". The singular storefront I find interesting given that there's over a half block of frontage here, I tend to think they have a tenant in mind. It says they'll be spending $8.2 million on the project, which is more than what I would have guessed. I expect that it should turn out nice.
Edit: Oops! Missed hood's mentions of these. lol
Before it was Rite Aid the corner housed a Discovery Zone (DZ) in the 90s. It was like a Chuck-E-Cheeze funhouse for kids with games and a tubed-play area. I loved that place. Apparently, the company filed for bankrupt in 1996. The Rite-Aid has been there since 1998.
I noticed this construction as well. It looked like they were breaking it up into a strip mall that would face Clippert. I'd be curious if they already have tenants or if they think the smaller spaces will be easier to market. Could be entirely wrong too, but that's what it looked like to me.
BTW, found brochure on how Frandor is marketing this site, so I guess this answers the question:
I kind of wish they'd have added a second floor like Lake Lansing Place I was talking about, especially on prominent corners. I think small office spaces are something they wouldn't have much trouble leasing. There is certainly enough parking for it.