The old dry cleaners property was bought by LHC, at the time of their meeting with my neighborhood organization last year they had no plans for the property yet.
I finally got out and took a few photos on Sunday... Here's a link to an album with a few more pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCV53Y
Starting out with Ovation, not much to see but it's great to see real work beginning
And a mix of Riverview 220, Grand Vista Place, and new City Hall pics:
Front of Grand Vista Place (GVP), looking northeast From Grand & Hillsdale
Front of GVP, looking east/southeast from Grand Ave
Rear of GVP, looking southwest from Lenawee & Cherry
City Hall, looking northeast from Grand & Lenawee
City Hall, looking east/southeast from Grand
City Hall, looking north/northeast from Lenawee
Front of Riverview 220, looking northeast from Grand
Side view of Riverview 220, looking southeast from Kalamazoo & Grand
Rear view of Riverview 220, looking from Cherry & Kalamazoo
Onto some pictures of Tower on Grand:
Tower on Grand, views looking northeast from Washtenaw & Grand
Tower on Grand, looking northwest from the Kalamazoo St bridge
And out to MSU for a picture of the groundwork at the new engineering building and some near-completed pics of the Student Wellness Center (more pics at album link)...
Engineering and Digital Innovation Center, Looking south from Shaw
Views of Student Wellness Center's (SMC) main entrance, looking southwest
View of SMC's eastern facade along Birch, looking southwest
View of SMC's western facade where work is ongoing, the pool at the south end of the building is also still under construction, looking southeast along Harrison
Really not a fan of how Riverplace 220 and GVP turned out. They look so busy and so cheap. There's almost no rhyme or reason to any of their features, aside from putting lipstick on a pig. I can't even tell what the white and blue panels even are, as an architectural professional. All I can guess is cheap and a short life span. These buildings are low quality, even by Lansing standards.
City Hall I'd another disappointment. A suburban office building off the beaten path. Glad to see my tax dollars at work to fund another disappointment.
We knew these projects were going to suck but part of me had hoped they'd turn out better.
Let's hope the The Ovation actually happens and turns out well along with the new tower on Grand. I'm really losing faith in the development in this city.
All that pessimism aside, thanks for all the photo updates @hood! I drive by these all the time but never stop to take an up close look.
I cannot disagree, at this point I just have to hope for the best. Hopefully avoid another misstep with the CADL main building, although that looks nearly inevitable at this point.
I'm still torn on my overall feelings toward development here, there's just so much more going on than there's been in many decades and it's been a continual ramp up for 10-15 years now. If everything that's supposed to get started in the next year actually happens we'll be deep in uncharted territory for this city... But the Eastern demo, the Boji City Hall downgrade, and the police/fire/courts moving out of downtown all within a relatively short period of time still anger me. Problems with Downtown Lansing Inc are concerning, as is the city's ineptitude on display in the form of delays in the Ovation (and their general lack of long term vision). If missteps continue the positive momentum can evaporate.
Oh, please don't remind me of the CADL building...it would be a travesty for them to leave that building. People I've told who have moved away that grew up going to that library just can't believe they'd do what they've been talking about. That building deserves a proper upgrade, and as I always say, is conpletely doable. I'd be more likely to vote on a milage for that than relocating it to some horrible location.
I'm right there with you. There is so much development it seems, but maybe only half of it is anything decent. I think that's being generous too. Maybe 1/3 decent, 1/3 okay and 1/3 garbage. Not sure I'd call any of it great projects. MAYBE the tower, depending how that turns out. That one has surprised me. I'd have to agree with all of your other points. The city and Downtown Lansing Inc have made some really stupid moves, and the majority of residents are apparently too blind to vote out the people we can.
I'm still bitter about all the city services being moved out of downtown. As a "downtown adjacent" resident, I'd of course love downtown to have more going on. Over the 20 years I've been adjacent, downtown seems like it went from, I wouldn't call it a high point, but a better point, to pretty dismal. At least for what I enjoy, and I know that's different for everyone. We've only got a handful of good restaurants that are open for dinner, if even that, and the same goes for retail options. I keep hoping these newer big project will bring some better options downtown. As we get more people with expendable income living downtown, I'm hoping that will help keep the money downtown. The affordable housing projects aren't going to do it. The Meijer was a huge plus for my household...I will give them that one.
Sorry, always get carried away when talking downtown development. As I do, I'm reminded of just how much has happened downtown but also many of the problems.
Comments
Starting out with Ovation, not much to see but it's great to see real work beginning
And a mix of Riverview 220, Grand Vista Place, and new City Hall pics:
Front of Grand Vista Place (GVP), looking northeast From Grand & Hillsdale
Front of GVP, looking east/southeast from Grand Ave
Rear of GVP, looking southwest from Lenawee & Cherry
City Hall, looking northeast from Grand & Lenawee
City Hall, looking east/southeast from Grand
City Hall, looking north/northeast from Lenawee
Front of Riverview 220, looking northeast from Grand
Side view of Riverview 220, looking southeast from Kalamazoo & Grand
Rear view of Riverview 220, looking from Cherry & Kalamazoo
Onto some pictures of Tower on Grand:
Tower on Grand, views looking northeast from Washtenaw & Grand
Tower on Grand, looking northwest from the Kalamazoo St bridge
And out to MSU for a picture of the groundwork at the new engineering building and some near-completed pics of the Student Wellness Center (more pics at album link)...
Engineering and Digital Innovation Center, Looking south from Shaw
Views of Student Wellness Center's (SMC) main entrance, looking southwest
View of SMC's eastern facade along Birch, looking southwest
View of SMC's western facade where work is ongoing, the pool at the south end of the building is also still under construction, looking southeast along Harrison
City Hall I'd another disappointment. A suburban office building off the beaten path. Glad to see my tax dollars at work to fund another disappointment.
We knew these projects were going to suck but part of me had hoped they'd turn out better.
Let's hope the The Ovation actually happens and turns out well along with the new tower on Grand. I'm really losing faith in the development in this city.
All that pessimism aside, thanks for all the photo updates @hood! I drive by these all the time but never stop to take an up close look.
I'm still torn on my overall feelings toward development here, there's just so much more going on than there's been in many decades and it's been a continual ramp up for 10-15 years now. If everything that's supposed to get started in the next year actually happens we'll be deep in uncharted territory for this city... But the Eastern demo, the Boji City Hall downgrade, and the police/fire/courts moving out of downtown all within a relatively short period of time still anger me. Problems with Downtown Lansing Inc are concerning, as is the city's ineptitude on display in the form of delays in the Ovation (and their general lack of long term vision). If missteps continue the positive momentum can evaporate.
I'm right there with you. There is so much development it seems, but maybe only half of it is anything decent. I think that's being generous too. Maybe 1/3 decent, 1/3 okay and 1/3 garbage. Not sure I'd call any of it great projects. MAYBE the tower, depending how that turns out. That one has surprised me. I'd have to agree with all of your other points. The city and Downtown Lansing Inc have made some really stupid moves, and the majority of residents are apparently too blind to vote out the people we can.
I'm still bitter about all the city services being moved out of downtown. As a "downtown adjacent" resident, I'd of course love downtown to have more going on. Over the 20 years I've been adjacent, downtown seems like it went from, I wouldn't call it a high point, but a better point, to pretty dismal. At least for what I enjoy, and I know that's different for everyone. We've only got a handful of good restaurants that are open for dinner, if even that, and the same goes for retail options. I keep hoping these newer big project will bring some better options downtown. As we get more people with expendable income living downtown, I'm hoping that will help keep the money downtown. The affordable housing projects aren't going to do it. The Meijer was a huge plus for my household...I will give them that one.
Sorry, always get carried away when talking downtown development. As I do, I'm reminded of just how much has happened downtown but also many of the problems.