Stadium District

[RustTown]

In a downtown area where space is, or will becoming a premium, it is not smart to build such housing. That is much more suitable for a high-rise penthouse. You're talking about effectively putting vertical mansions in a city center. The whole point of a city center is to pack as many people as you can in, in such a limited area, space-wise.

Regardless, I just hope to see some construction equipment on site soon.

[hood]

Construction is supposed to start next month, I just hope they keep with that. I would think the actual structure should start to go up around June, or maybe sooner. If all goes as planned there will be quite a bit of construction right there, the Stadium District, Abrams Lofts and Sparrow, that will probably make for more than 5 cranes in that area.

[Adieoz]

I know the 4 story "pro and con" discussion has sort of been closed, but I still wanted to add my two cents. I lived in London last fall on the 4th floor in a row home almost exactly like the picture posted and IT SUCKED! And I'm only 23 so my knees aren't even giving out. Anyway, if I was going to buy a home for $400,000+ it better include a personal servant to carry me up and down the stairs.

[hood]

I think most 3 floor homes, esecially in the price range that anything here would be, have their own elevators. I think what a lot of people missed is that I never really said to build a four story home. I said the four story should be a duplex, and if someone wanted, they could have a four story single unit. That would be the reason I beleive a project like this would be attractive, almost complete customizability. As long as the facade sticks with the general design, a person could build anything they want thats 3-4 floors and can fit on a 20'x110' lot. I myself would neve live in a rowhouse, the only way I'de pay premium prices to live downtown is if I were at least 10 floors and/or 100' up.

[GR8scott]

looks cool, I dont make it DT lansing a lot but when I am there it does seem to surprise me at how busy it is and seems to have a lot of potential, that midrise might look nice in the stadium district, but I have always thought Lansing would look really good with another 20+ story building between the capitol and the powerplant

[RustTown]

GR8, you're right about your last sentence. If you ever look at a pan of the Lansing skyline from north-to-south or vice versa, and make the capitol the middle of that panorama, you will see that there is nothing of enough height on the 100 north block the Washinton/Capitol corridor that balances or measures up to the Boji Tower (Michigan National Tower) on the 100 south block of the Washington/Capitol corridor.

Actually, if you take it by corners, you'd have to demolish the Michigan Legislative office building and put something of similar height to balance out the Boji Tower on the opposite side of the grid.

If downtown Lansing could capture just half of the people that are downtown on any given day (state workers, and students), it would be a whole different story. But that is actually happening, now. There was an article in the Lansing State Journal yesterday making note of how downtown developers have been able to capture the student market keeping more of them downtown after 5. Now, they need to make inroads on state workers. On any given day downtown there are 20,000+ students, and 30,000+ workers. There are few other cities Lansing size (and some even larger) in Michigan (if any) that has that many people downtown during working/school hours.

[LanCity]

If you look at urban housing development as a series of steps downtown has to feel good about the ease at which they've taken the first big one... getting students into the core downtown.

But thats also probably the easiest. Obviously the next step is getting some of the younger, fresh out of school legislative staffers living in those places and walking to work each day (which I know a few who are doing just that) then a few of the middle income people buying condo's downtown, I think you'll see some bigger loft apartments coming in on the 100-200 blocks of S. Washington, and the stadium district's condo's will be a very good barometer as to whether or not downtown lansing is at a level where they can be a viable home ownership option.

I'm excited to see how quickly the Prudden Wheel lofts go once they're ready, and the Abrams Aerial, Hollister, and maybe even Knapps developments sound promising.

I have a strong feeling that once these vacant buildings get near capacity we'll start to see new low-to-mid rises cropping up downtown due to the demand and thats when we'll really see a nice head of steam that could lead the way towards more "attractions" in the city.

[hood]

I think the simple fact that they have jumped right into some pretty large projects while downtown is not yet a hotspot or desirable is the best sign. Downtown is still dead on the weekends and after 5, most businesses dont stay open and there isn't that much to do, but developers are still building large projects in the hopes that downtown becomes a success. The fact that developers are so comfortable with downtowns fate is a very good sign. And I expect more than low and mid rises, I expect a high rise residential building to at least have some preliminary proposals by the end of the year, I'm talking at least 10 floors/113 ft tall.

[RustTown]

I'm glad about all of the housing because I expect it to bring nothing less than quality retail. Washington Square still (or downtown in general) needs a large anchor tenant to solidfy all of this in the form of a truly mixed-use development that would include something that would draw the general populace. What I mean by that is something that appeals to all demographics; some kind of entertainment where families could go, but that would also appeal to students and the like during late nights. I can't tell you how many times I wish I could get something on Washington Square so I wouldn't have to drive out to the suburbs, or the edge of city, or how many times I simply wished some of the downtown businesses would stay open later than 5 or 5:30. Going out to the Meridian, Lansing, or even Eastwood malls are really the last thing I want to do.

[LanCity]

I agree and there is a lot of people saying there is a need for a downtown grocery store. I'm mixed about this idea because I look at a city like GR and see how much more housing they had before they went towards an urban grocery store, but maybe something of smaller scale with good variety would keep people happy. If there wasn't such a surplus of health food stores I think that would be a nice option.

Personally, I'd like to see a small bowling alley type of bar somewhere downtown, where the primary focus would be the bar but it'd have a few lanes just as more of a quirk (like shuffle board at stobers) but as for retail? I like Larimer Square in Denver as an example where they have mainly home furnishings and clothing stores and some outdoors type stores... cool stuff that people probably drive from the burbs to shop at. I could see women driving downtown to shop if there were stores like that, but of course, thats direct competition with Eastwood so what do I know.

[hood]

I have always liked the idea of a mix of "classy" resturaunts, night clubs and high-end retail being downtown. As for a grocery store, I think a moderately sized grocery store, something the size of the old L&L on Cedar would be perfect, I think that was about 15,000 sq ft or less.

[LanCity]

Have we seen a schematic of the condos yet? I was looking at the floor plans (being in the market myself) and noticed that on the CBRE site its listing 3rd and 4th floors as the same lay out... so either there are going to be 18 condo's on that 4th floor with 6 rentals or the one bedrooms on the third floor will be simlar to the condo's on the 4th (cept they will have 2 bedrooms)... maybe i answered my own question.

[RustTown]

I wonder what's holding Gillespie up? I ask because I'd been in email contact with the architect of the Stadium District as recently as a week or two ago, and he had informed me that the design is still not fully complete. I wonder what they are trying to workout that is providing them problems? It could very well be the 3rd and 4th floor layouts.

[hood]

In an article in the City Pulse this week Gillespie said they were modifying plans to be more suitible to empty nesters, he said they had underestimated the demand in that market.

[RustTown]

That's still pretty ambiguous. What does this mean? Putting handrailings in the bathtubs? lol

BTW, is there a link to this, or is this only in the print version of the City Pulse?

[hood]

It's the same story I posted in the Off-Topic forum: Picking up our things and coming back home

This is the quote I'm talking about:

[GaryP]

It's the same story I posted in the Off-Topic forum: Picking up our things and coming back home

This is the quote I'm talking about:

[RustTown]

It was originally supposed to have loft units on the upper floors, but that was changed quite some time ago, I believe.

[LanCity]

It was originally supposed to have loft units on the upper floors, but that was changed quite some time ago, I believe.

as far as I can tell there aren't, the original plans had those big corner units with 3 bedrooms and I think two floors but I think under the latest plans those were scrapped... maybe they're expanding the project???? (though I heard that printers row got 300 inquiries right after it was announced but they've only sold a handful thus far)

I'd love to get one of these condos but after talking with their office a couple days ago it could be tough.... when you consider the tens of thousands of state and city employees that work downtown, and then all the lawyers, lobbyists and other organization workers that need to be by the capitol it doesn't seem like finding 18 condo purchasers was that far fetched... so I'm not surprised by the high demand.

[hood]

If I was in the downtown market I would be looking to get into the Abrams lofts that are to be built. They will be much nicer than the Stadium district, the developer comments here sometimes.

[kissinger]

I wonder what's holding Gillespie up? I ask because I'd been in email contact with the architect of the Stadium District as recently as a week or two ago, and he had informed me that the design is still not fully complete. I wonder what they are trying to workout that is providing them problems? It could very well be the 3rd and 4th floor layouts.

I work in the construction supply end of all this. The redesign of the project has something to do with. Gillespie is paying a lot of attention to the Beaumont Project at Lake Lansing and Abbott. The site is being cleared and infrastructure is going in. Nothing is clearly speced yet on the Stadium project. I don't expect to see any progress on the stadium project until maybe mid to late summer.

[kissinger]

I wonder what's holding Gillespie up? I ask because I'd been in email contact with the architect of the Stadium District as recently as a week or two ago, and he had informed me that the design is still not fully complete. I wonder what they are trying to workout that is providing them problems? It could very well be the 3rd and 4th floor layouts.

Who did you e-mail at Studio Intrique?

[RustTown]

A Mr. Vanderklok. Why do you ask, just wondering?

[hood]

Nothing is clearly speced yet on the Stadium project. I don't expect to see any progress on the stadium project until maybe mid to late summer.

What do you mean that nothing is clearly speced? What I was looking at appeared to be final plans. I really don't beleive that startup will be mid to late summer, he's been saying March all along and pushed hard to get city approval quickly. It would be a huge mistake for him to wait much longer, people are anxious to see these projects completed as it is.

[RustTown]

How would you know more than him about a project he's envolved with? I've been wary since news stop regularly coming about this project.