Yeah, I saw that article but also don't pay for LSJ, if anyone does please let us know if there's anything noteworthy there. Hopefully there's no more delays.
I ponied up a dollar so I could read the artical, which seemed pretty confident about the construction beginning in the spring. It talked about the cost and the new design, which looks good. The artical also talked about the Lansing Media Center being built in the little brick '60s building next door which is now under renovation. I did not know that project had started.
Another artical talked about the proposed data center, the company reps. said that this will be a small sized data center not really useful for AI but for other uses, they said the center would use about the same amount of power as Wendy's across the street! It would not use water from the Grand River, provide the hot water for BWL steam customers, and be sound proofed to the standards of the neighborhood noise zoning. If they are to be believed it may be a good thing for Lansing.
I'm still not for the data center there at all, my point is that if they wouldn't let someone put a warehouse there, they shouldn't allow a data center. It belongs in an industrial area. IMO It's another "why did we pass form based code?" moment.
Honestly, the more I've heard on the data center, and discussions with an electrical engineer that does power distribution, the more I'm for it. Sure, it's not ideal but it's likely better than that spot is going to get for a long time, if not ever. It would definitely be an upgrade from that underutilized lot that is deteriorating. Honestly, a warehouse at this point would be an improvement there. This really isn't a prestigious part of downtown. Look at all the vacant buildings over on larch that have sat empty for years. I don't think we're going to get better for this location.
I think of this spot more like a part of the industrial area that surrounds it on Kalamazoo, perhaps a less protonate industrial lot would be a better spot for this type of building, being next to our water and electric facilities has a lot to do with why they want to build there. Due to current economic circumstances, our downtown building boom may be over for a while and building this center there might be a "last chance" for anything to go up at that location for years. I am thinking that the positives outweigh the negatives at this point. maybe they could build a parking ramp over it to save those parking spaces.
I read in the LSJ.com that the folks who own Park Lake Creamery are planning to open a chocolate factory in Old Town at 527 E Ceasar Chaves that will include visitor viewing areas to watch the candy being made. The space is on the east side of Cedar so maybe it will bring some more foot traffic to the part of Old Town. Sounds like a good idea!
I'll have to be an outlier on the data center. If it were on an already privately owned piece of land I might begrudgingly accept it, but selling a city owned lot just raises the bar too high for me to not feel that fighting it is appropriate.
I hate to sometimes sound dramatic, but if I thought that a data center or a warehouse were the best thing we could get on that lot in the next 5 or 10 years, much less ever, then I really should not be here. It's less than a 1/4 mile away from the ballpark and the new construction in Stadium District. Less than 1/4 mile away from a new City Hall and new 28 floor apartment building across the river. Surrounded by major corridors on 3 sides that lead into the aforementioned areas. Even if not a hotel or housing or whatever, this lot would be a perfect place for any number of potential future public/quasi public projects: museum, arena, larger performing arts center, signature park/plaza, etc...
I think this a key piece of property in changing the fate of the Kalamazoo corridor and allowing downtown to straddle both sides of the river, a data center here screws that up long-term. I think the Dye water facility by itself is as big an obstacle the area can deal with. Given the choice, I'd quite literally prefer a city owned surface lot to a data center (or warehouse) here.
The news on Park Lake Creamery is good. I wonder to what extent they'll renovate that building? To have that be an attractive corner could do a lot to help Old Town. I know there was mention of a potential larger development across the street, could be a big change coming for the area.
Comments
Another artical talked about the proposed data center, the company reps. said that this will be a small sized data center not really useful for AI but for other uses, they said the center would use about the same amount of power as Wendy's across the street! It would not use water from the Grand River, provide the hot water for BWL steam customers, and be sound proofed to the standards of the neighborhood noise zoning. If they are to be believed it may be a good thing for Lansing.
I'm still not for the data center there at all, my point is that if they wouldn't let someone put a warehouse there, they shouldn't allow a data center. It belongs in an industrial area. IMO It's another "why did we pass form based code?" moment.
I hate to sometimes sound dramatic, but if I thought that a data center or a warehouse were the best thing we could get on that lot in the next 5 or 10 years, much less ever, then I really should not be here. It's less than a 1/4 mile away from the ballpark and the new construction in Stadium District. Less than 1/4 mile away from a new City Hall and new 28 floor apartment building across the river. Surrounded by major corridors on 3 sides that lead into the aforementioned areas. Even if not a hotel or housing or whatever, this lot would be a perfect place for any number of potential future public/quasi public projects: museum, arena, larger performing arts center, signature park/plaza, etc...
I think this a key piece of property in changing the fate of the Kalamazoo corridor and allowing downtown to straddle both sides of the river, a data center here screws that up long-term. I think the Dye water facility by itself is as big an obstacle the area can deal with. Given the choice, I'd quite literally prefer a city owned surface lot to a data center (or warehouse) here.
The news on Park Lake Creamery is good. I wonder to what extent they'll renovate that building? To have that be an attractive corner could do a lot to help Old Town. I know there was mention of a potential larger development across the street, could be a big change coming for the area.