8 replies to this topic

[wolverine]

Here's an interesting article about a few of the vacancies along the Bay and Tittabawassee corridors.  

http://www.mlive.com...ll_in.html#more

While I agree they will be difficult to fill in this economy, I'm not buying a lot of the other excuses.  Many of these vacancies are the result of their occupants constructing larger buildings across the street.  The rest are stores that have gone out of business, not related to the local economy.  It's more an issue of overbuilding, not population decline.  The area also has this obsession with building new as opposed to modifying existing structures to suit.

Since the damage has been done, some of these structures need to be subdivided or even demolished.  I'm going to bet the former-(former) Builders Square converted to what was once Media Play and likely soon-to-go Circuit City will eventually be demolished.

Edited by wolverine, 29 December 2008 - 03:09 AM.

[Lmichigan]

Ha!  We've got a 106,000 sq ft former Builders Square here in south Lansing that's been empty for many years, now.  It sat empty for years, got a Farmer Jack for a few years, and then went vacant again.  It's been through so many bank's hands.  It's currently owned by LaSalle, who actually bought it at a Sheriff's auction.  **sigh**  

I'm surprised it hasn't been torn down.  It's down-right spooky at night as the lights under the overhang are still turned on in a totally dark parking lot.  Former Big Boxes are all over the country.

Edited by Lmichigan, 29 December 2008 - 05:10 AM.

[coolbrezze]

Not only the Saginaw building may be empty due to the economy, but also the local area. From Flint, Saginaw and other local areas I've havent heard anything good ( just crime etc...) so maybe on this thread I will.
________________________________________________________________________________
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The building been empty for sometime in Lansing, and always wonder why farmer jack left ( heard rumors it was due to expired meat). Although now it seems like we will get another vacant building by Wavery Rd. Value city is now closing down ( including their furniture store), and seems like everything has been cleared out already.

[coolbrezze]

(Wolverine do you know why Lansing is not represented/ have own forum on mlive.com like most of Michigan other cities)

[Raildudes dad]

coolbrezze, on Dec 29 2008, 05:01 PM, said:

(Wolverine do you know why Lansing is not represented/ have own forum on mlive.com like most of Michigan other cities)

The Lansing Sentinel is not a Booth newspaper.

[LA Dave]

Raildudes dad, on Dec 29 2008, 02:42 PM, said:

The Lansing Sentinel is not a Booth newspaper.

It's actually the Lansing State Journal, but Raildudes is right, it is a Gannett paper, not a Booth paper.  The Booth papers are the Grand Rapids Press, Flint Journal, Ann Arbor News, Muskegon Chronicle, Jackson Citizen-Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Bay City Times and Saginaw Journal.  The Booth papers are in turn owned by Advance Publications, an arm of the Newhouse publishing empire.

[Raildudes dad]

LA Dave, on Dec 29 2008, 07:20 PM, said:

It's actually the Lansing State Journal, but Raildudes is right, it is a Gannett paper, not a Booth paper.  The Booth papers are the Grand Rapids Press, Flint Journal, Ann Arbor News, Muskegon Chronicle, Jackson Citizen-Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Bay City Times and Saginaw Journal.  The Booth papers are in turn owned by Advance Publications, an arm of the Newhouse publishing empire.

Thanks Dave, looked up an obit in it a couple times this weekend, can't believe I blew the name

[DiamondDave]

Raildudes dad, on Dec 29 2008, 07:30 PM, said:

Thanks Dave, looked up an obit in it a couple times this weekend, can't believe I blew the name

Wolverine, I'm not 100% positive, but I think media play/circuit city building was something else. As long as I can remember, builder's square was behind little ceasars and is now (part of it is) burlington coat factory. I had plans to turn that store into a retirement community (I posted on a bix box thread elseware on this forum). Handy andy turned into Lowes, and home depot is in their original building.

We need to think outside the 'box' to redevelop these big boxes.

[wolverine]

Circuit City/Media Play was once a builders square.  I still remember the "moving sale" they had.  It was back during the mid 90's.  Media Play moved in and the other end of the building sat vacant for a few years until Circuit City came.  The new Builders Square further down Tittabawassee only sustained itself a few more years because Handy-Andy was a dump, and Home Depot was the only other big box H-I store in the area.  When Lowes came, they officially sealed the coffin.  

Not sure if I remember this correctly, but I always recalled Builders Square having a much bigger store than Home Depot and Lowes.