Michigan & Benson Development

[GRDadof3]

Lacati Development is looking to renovate a building at the Northwest corner of Michigan and Benson, and demolish a house and garage next door to provide for parking and a drive through. Shows space for three retail tenants, with the drive-through side labeled as a coffee house.

I don't know if it's technically a part of Midtowne Village, but the developers are the same and the style mimics the other building under development at the opposite corner of the development. I like it guys! It's too bad that Eastern wall couldn't be a little more decorative though.

PPlanning Commission Agenda

[DJL3CDP]

For the record, this project is NOT part of Mid Towne and the developers are not the same. Third Coast Development and Mid Towne Village LLC are not related to Lacati in any way.

My issues have to do with the fact that it only MIMICS the style of our buildings in Mid Towne. In fact, there are a lot of alternate materials (read "not brick"). The siding is all that cement board stuff and the panels are stucco. The only brick are the posts and the lower level (and that is thin brick veneer I think). I also have a concern that the drive-through is going to be dangerous due to poor sight lines and the sidewalks are still too narrow. They are not being widened at all.

We'd like for these guys to be successful as it only confirms our original assertions about the "spin-off" benefits of the Mid Towne development. But I hope they make a few changes to be more consistent with the standards we were held to.

DJL

[quoteme3]

we're all turning into coffee addicts

[GRDadof3]

For the record, this project is NOT part of Mid Towne and the developers are not the same. Third Coast Development and Mid Towne Village LLC are not related to Lacati in any way.

My issues have to do with the fact that it only MIMICS the style of our buildings in Mid Towne. In fact, there are a lot of alternate materials (read "not brick"). The siding is all that cement board stuff and the panels are stucco. The only brick are the posts and the lower level (and that is thin brick veneer I think). I also have a concern that the drive-through is going to be dangerous due to poor sight lines and the sidewalks are still too narrow. They are not being widened at all.

We'd like for these guys to be successful as it only confirms our original assertions about the "spin-off" benefits of the Mid Towne development. But I hope they make a few changes to be more consistent with the standards we were held to.

DJL

[concretepoem]

For the record, this project is NOT part of Mid Towne and the developers are not the same. Third Coast Development and Mid Towne Village LLC are not related to Lacati in any way.

DJL

[Veloise]

Existing:

Proposed:

[Veloise]

Same block, and directly across from Union: two old buildings are gone. Saw the rubble Saturday.

[joeDowntown]

I saw that too. Is this part of Midtowne Village? It is a couple doors down from the Lacati redo.

Joe

[DJL3CDP]

Yup. The corner of Michigan and Union is Mid Towne Village (the old lock shop)...we had to take it down reluctantly to make Union wider and to add the street light.

DJL

[john_denver]

What is going on with the house right next to the one that just came down...the one with all the windows missing?

Is that coming down or being refurbished?

[joeDowntown]

Does anyone have an ETA for when the Lacati development will get started?

Joe

[Veloise]

[GR Jackson]

[DJL3CDP]

What is going on with the house right next to the one that just came down...the one with all the windows missing?

Is that coming down or being refurbished?

[Veloise]

Wow, when did that happen?

[joeDowntown]

DJL,

That seems like a lot of buildings for streetwork. Does this include an entry lane? Will there be a light at the intersection?

Also, Is there any space for a new building fronting Michigan with the space leftover after street improvements?

Joe

Coming down but there is a hold up with the demo permit. Hopefully it will get dropped in the next few days. We could not wait on this one as we need to get the street work done.

DJL

[DJL3CDP]

DJL,

That seems like a lot of buildings for streetwork. Does this include an entry lane? Will there be a light at the intersection?

Also, Is there any space for a new building fronting Michigan with the space leftover after street improvements?

Joe

[GRDadof3]

Looks like they have a tenant:

Blowing out the walls to make windows:

[Prankster]

Hope this isn't a replacement for the downtown location.

[mgreven]

Hope this isn't a replacement for the downtown location.

[john_denver]

Yeah, it's not. One of the managers from the downtown cafe will move to this new one to manage.

[Eridony]

Is that house to the left still coming down so they can build their drive through?

[Veloise]

Tuesday:

[john_denver]

I drove past last night and saw the house has been taken down.

They are moving pretty fast.

So, how many houses remain on that block? Three or four? Is the house on the far west of this block still scheduled to be taken down?

Last I heard they were waiting on a permit.

What do you think will become of these last 3 or 4 houses on this block facing Michigan?

Do you see them being fixed up as homes or will they also fall soon for development?

Just wondering if they are still owned by homeowners/landlords or development companies...?

I find the transition in this area very interesting.

Is that house to the left still coming down so they can build their drive through?

[joeDowntown]

Wow. No matter what you think about the eastern wall, this looks much better than the piece of crap building it used to be. I did some computer work there in the early 90's and it was the kind of building you knew needed a mercy killing.

Joe

Tuesday: