501 replies to this topic

[hood]

Everyone else seems to have an "off topic" forum, so I figured it's about time. I'll let one a you guys from Flint start your own off topic, I figured it's best to keep the cities seperate.

[wolverine]

I should create one for the Tri-Cities too.  But then again, I'm the only one from the Tri-Cities here, so I'd be talking to myself.

Edited by wolverine, 21 August 2005 - 02:46 PM.

[hood]

Allan seems pretty active in the tri cities, and while I don't know much about them, I try to keep upon anything significant. I'm big on Flint's music, thats the perfect kind of thing to talk about in an off-topic forum

[hood]

Does anyone know anything about these three projects? They are from the same archtect as the 101 S Washington rennovation and the Stadium District. There are only these three renderings, nothing else listed on the site. I'm not even a sure if the first one is in Lansing, I was thinking it may be the West Village in EL though. I vaguely remember seing the rendering for that on the news, it kinda looks like it. The other two I'm completely clueless on.

[Lmichigan]

Project #1 looks like the West Village development that is soon to go up on the west end of downtown Lansing.

Project #2 looks like the retail building going up just a block or two from where I live at the corner of Monroe and Cedar Street a block west of Prudden Place.

Project #3 I have little idea about, but may be a piece of a proposal for the former Shcaefer Bakery site on MLK between Mount Hope and Holmes.

Do you have a link to the archtiects website?  Where'd you find these?

[hood]

There are plans to put some refugees from New Orleans in closed schools in Lansing and Detroit, check out the full story here: Recently closed Lansing schools could house hundreds of refugees

I think that many of these refugees, especially the poorer ones, will likely stay wherever they are put up at. Maybe they will be less likely to stay if they are housed up here because they won't like the weather, but maybe some will just choose to stay anyways.

[jaredw]

Replay Sports is closing it's doors on Michigan Ave near Frandor.  What do you think about this?

Here is the article:  http://www.statenews...=city&sec_num=3

[hood]

It's always sad to see bussiness' closing, although I don't know about this one in particular. It is just one more name to add to the evergrowing list of closing business' in the Lansing area, we need to work on a way to preserve business' in these tough economic times.

Another business that recently closed were the Famous Taco resturaunts, one my favorite resturaunts in town. The one on Waverly re-opened soon after it closed and the one on S. Cedar is supposed to be reopening any time, thankfully.

[statedude3]

hood, on Sep 7 2005, 03:37 PM, said:

Another business that recently closed were the Famous Taco resturaunts, one my favorite resturaunts in town. The one on Waverly re-opened soon after it closed and the one on S. Cedar is supposed to be reopening any time, thankfully.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I always claimed that Famous Taco was my favorite resturaunt in town.  I think they opened too many locations (6 at one point).  I think the same owner re-opened the wavery location, and soon the cedar location.  Those two locations were always busy, and I'm not sure why they would close for financial reasons.  My fiance told me it was probably the health department, and I'm not sure I could dispute that.

[hood]

I beleive it was because of too many locations also. The one on Cedar and the West side one were always busy, right up until they opened all of those resturaunts. And I beleive they closed because of bankrupcy, thats what the sign said posted on the door of the one on Cedar. I think that poor health report also hurt business somewhat.

[Lmichigan]

I found an old photo of the Michigan National Tower in 1954, the year the bank bought the tower:

[dunveth]

Great pic, lmichigan!

I had no idea it had a life before MNB. Care to share some history? I know the Boji part, thanks...lol...

[Lmichigan]

Well, it began as Olds Tower, but was quickly renamed as Capitol National Bank Tower, a bank that is now no longer in existence, that R.E. Olds help create.  Then, as you can see, in 1954 it became Michigan National Bank Tower, and stayed that way until 2001 when bought out by Standard Federal Bank and they took the historic sign down.  The Bojis have been the owners since 1998, and don't plan to add a neon sign back to the top.

Now, the Standard Federal Bank, which was bought out by some other bank either last year or this year, is moving to the Capitol View Building (Boji Complex), a block to the west.  The tower is now officially the Boji Tower, and routinely posts over 90% occupancy numbers, and underwent a large scale renovation last year.

I know that was kind of hoge-podged but I hope it helps.  Here are some more interesting facts:

1. The 11-story annex on the front of the building was constructed in 1967.  This expansion also included the adding of the red elevator tower on the front of the building.

2. The tower portion contains 3.5 million pounds of structural steel, and 654,000 bricks in 17 different colors.

3. The letters of the historic "Michigan National" sign were made of porcelain enamel and lit with red neon. They were 4.5 feet tall and 200 to 300 pounds each.

[hood]

Have you ever been inside the bank part of it, its very nice, so is the Senate hearing room, also on the bottom floor. I have a pic of it under construction from Jult of 1930.

[Lmichigan]

Funny thing, I haven't been in there.  From what I heard the Senate hearing room IS the banking hall.  But maybe I heard wrong.

[hood]

They are not the same thing, they are virtually identical though, both take up about the same space and look very similar and have the traditional old look. Intricate tin celings with some wall detail, and the lobby is quite nice also, you should go in there and take a look before the bank moves. You did say the bank in Michigan National is closing to move to Capitol View, right, not just adding a location?

[Lmichigan]

I wouldn't call it closing. It's a relocation of the central Lansing office and downtown branch.  It's literally moving right across the street to the first floor of the Capitol View Building.  If you go by Capitol View at night, you can see them working on the small banking hall on the first floor.  It's on the Townsend Street side.

I'm sure the Boji's will quickly fill the Boji Tower banking hall with another bank.  That's the only thing the area in the tower can be used for unless they go the way of the Guardian Building banking hall in Detroit which was turned into an awesome little retail arcade.

[hood]

I thought it would also make for a very nice resturaunt, I'm not sure how they would do a kitchen, but I'm sure theres a way. Something like that has so many uses, I hope they do something other than a bank.
Also, they are going to be moving the first state workers into Capitol View on Monday, my dads working overtime today getting the final wiring done, I think it's for the 6th and 7th floors. For Emporis you may just want to call it completed.

[Lmichigan]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.  It's cool to watch the floors at night seeing some of them with their lights on and pretty much done, and some floors still needing construction.

[hood]

Since business closing's were touched on earlier here, I just thought I'd point out that Bozzo's used car dealership closed at Washington & Elm, 1102 S. Washington. Anyways, it's an insignificant business that in itself doesn't hurt the city or neighborhood by closing. But the building, a historic gas station, has been boarded up and is within a block of the new condos, REO Town just can't seem to shake it's past. This brings me to the point that Lansing cannot have 3 historic business districts, at least not until 2 become stable enough to not need constant extra money and tax breaks to be successful. As for REO Town, I don't expect it to succeed until both Downtown and Old Town do, if then.