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Old Capitol Reconstruction Plans?

Jasoncw

By Jasoncw
in Lansing

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  • 2 months later...
RustTown City

RustTown

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No, I'm not kidding. They were going to "modernize" capitol square, demolishing the capitol with an 'egg' like building. This was around the time in most of the country when 'modernizing' was seen as an improvement, and people had got sick of older structures even more than they already are. This modernization led to the construction of the Capitol Complex, which is behind the capitol which took out multiple city blocks for many blocks to the west of the capitol creating an elevated monumental plaza flanked by the 'modern' state office buildings you see, today, that look at outdated as sin.

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tracer1138 Whistle-Stop

tracer1138

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I remember seeing images of the proposal in a book on Michigan's history I was perusing once a long time ago and remarking to myself how awful it looked. I suppose the plan was to make the space as sublime as possible at the expense of any sense of welcoming. I think I recall seeing 3 Massive boxy structures arranged asymmetrically in the space and each box was greenish and tapered to the bottom. I'll see if I can find some pictures

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  • 3 weeks later...
RustTown City

RustTown

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They just completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the underground parking garage under the complex, not to mention it seems as if the complex is under perpetual renovation. It's not going anywhere.

What I think the larger problem is is that the state is so irrepsonsible with its parking in downtown Lansing. The westside of downtown little more than a wasteland of HUGE state parking lot after HUGE state parking lot. Why they don't consolidate themselves into a few parking garages and free up land for downtown Lansing to develop is beyond me. The state has really been a bad neighbor holding western downtown hostage.

This is about as 'good' as I can get the area to look in pictures

805304977_a2d5a41d0c_o.jpg

805305005_860b5889a6_o.jpg

Put, the real story is from the air, a complete planning disaster.

806352584_4659e938c6_o.jpg

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statedude3 Hamlet

statedude3

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I agree Lmich. The parking lots around the library/museum and all along Allegan are really disturbing. I'd be all for the state building a few ramps to consolidate parking...if they had the money for it, that is.

Do you know how much parking is underground in the state complex? I've never been inside, but looking through the gate at the entrance it looks massive.

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hood Burg

hood

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It is massive, around 2500 cars on two levels. There is parking under the area bounded by Ottawa, Allegan, Sycamore and Walnut, the parking goes under the plaza and the streets (on the second level). Besides the Mason Building, the buildings have two floors of office/utility space underground, there are also tunnels connecting most of the state buildings around downtown, some workers walk and/or jog in the tunnels during the winter.

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statedude3 Hamlet

statedude3

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As a kid I remember riding my bike downtown with a friend to visit his mother who worked in one of the buildings. She took us all throughout the underground labyrinth of the state complex. I'm sure much of that has changed since 9/11 though. I know you cannot even go pas the lobbies of those buildings now without an escort.

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hood Burg

hood

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Then a developer should present a plan to the state for one of their lots, the state, I'm sure, would consider any deals that were good for the state. The state has little or no incentive to market a development opprotunity to developers.

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Surazeus Crossroads

Surazeus

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I was working as web designer for State of Michigan in 1999 when I was assigned the task to redesign the governor's website. Part of the project included getting my hands on images of that awful proposed redesign of the capitol. I posted them on the website at the time, though that whole site is gone now. I have the images on a disk somewhere and will dig them up when I have time. It was Governor Romney, whose son is now running for president, who proposed destroying the existing capitol. Lucky for Michigan, Nixon gave him a cabinet position in Washington which saved the capitol.

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sparky05 Burg

sparky05

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I was working as web designer for State of Michigan in 1999 when I was assigned the task to redesign the governor's website. Part of the project included getting my hands on images of that awful proposed redesign of the capitol. I posted them on the website at the time, though that whole site is gone now. I have the images on a disk somewhere and will dig them up when I have time. It was Governor Romney, whose son is now running for president, who proposed destroying the existing capitol. Lucky for Michigan, Nixon gave him a cabinet position in Washington which saved the capitol.
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