Lansing-East Lansing, MI Development

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by LMich

...I've seen people (rightfully) complain about the architecture of their developments before on their social media, and their excuse couldn't be more patronizing: "Milennials like colors." More accurately it's that people don't generally care about architecture either way, or at least will tolerate bad architecture. Truth be told, as bad as Studio Intrigue is, whoever does Gilbert's stuff in Detroit also has a similar concept, at least as it relates to interior design. The only thing I'll give Studio Intrigue is that their work on smaller, commercial buildings is often inoffensive. Their stuff seems to work better on a smaller scale; the problem is scaling upwards...

That "Millennials like colors" comment really grinds my gears whenever I hear it. And it's not just that the target occupants are unaware of good vs. bad architecture, it's that the Developers and Architects are too. This is a bigger industry-wide issue, especially on projects that don't have limitless budgets. So much of building today is based on this kit-of-parts, shop-and-save, slap-it-together, value-engineering philosophy, that instead of achieving good Architecture with thoughtful detailing, skilled labor, and quality materials, the Architect and / or Developer simply end up creating the illusion of something fresh and brilliant with splashes of color on cheap metal or fiber-cement panels. And as more projects do it, it becomes more acceptable.

[LMich]

All of this. You can do great architect on a budget. There are quite a few Lansing developers who do smaller scale projects without all of this "lego-looking" bull the Gillespie's and their ilk do. In fact, you can even make cheap-looking materials look tolerable. I look at Gillespie's stuff and cringe to think what it'll look like even a decade down the road.

Anyway, looks like Red Cedar Renaissance on the old Red Cedar Golf Course at Frandor my finally begin this year. They are asking less money from the public, which has resulted in a small-if-signifcant downgrading of the project, but it's still multiple buildings and hundreds-of-millions of dollars. The big change is that the developers were originally asking the city to issue $35 million in bonds; the city was didn't want to to do it because of their credit rating, so they asked the county and the county balked at the price tage. They are not only asking for $10.7 million for the public portion of the project and putting in +$60 million of their own toward the public portion, which means they have to do less on the private development side of things.

Developers plan to pitch scaled-back Red Cedar Renaissance project to Lansing City Council

By Haley Hansen | Lansing State Journal

February 23, 2018

LANSING — The developers of a $242 million project proposed at the site of the former Red Cedar Golf Course are asking the city to kick in more than $10 million to the scaled-down project.

The development group that hopes to build on the city-owned property near the East Lansing border has submitted a proposal for a purchase agreement with the city, asking for $10.7 million in general obligation bonds to pay for the public infrastructure portion for the project. A brownfield plan would collect property taxes to pay off the bond.

“This will be another shot in the arm in the Michigan Avenue corridor growth," Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said. "That’s a good thing for the city.”

The group will give a presentation to the City Council Monday night. The council would need to approve the purchase agreement.

https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/...hor/359136002/

What's made this project so difficult is that it's a massive public project and private project. First off, it's not only in the floodplain, but a huge chunk of it is in the floodway. Some Michigan State Police aerials from a few days ago showing the land in the background:





So, what is being required for the private part of the project is a plinth to lift the entire thing above the floodplain. Twenty acres of this will remain parklands which will clean run off into the Red Cedar River, which the county is required to do in one way or another. Anyway, the requirements of the project in the development agreement include:

1. Hotels: A full-service hotel on Michigan Avenue not less than 5 stories and 80 feet tall containing no fewer than 130 rooms, meeting facilities, and at least one commercial space. A select-service hotele on Michigan containing not less than 5 stories and 80 feet tall containing no fewer than 120 rooms.

2. At least 40,000 square feet of commercial space.

3. Residential: Not less than 115 two-bedroom units and 55 one-bedroom units of market rate housing. Not less than 1,248 beds (in at least four stories) of student housing. An assisted-living facilities of at least four floors and 112 units at Clippert and Michigan.

4. A boardwalk across the entire length of the park portion of the property.

5. Walkways connecting the project to the Brody Complex dormitories.

6. A development-wide parking plinth, and "aesthetically appealing" streetscape designs.

Additional requirements include:

1. All buildings fronting Michigan Avenue must be at least two stories, and the primary usage of the first floors must be commercial. All buildings of the entrance drive must have their first floors dedicated to retail and restaurant space in particular and have offices or residential space above.

The plinth is going to take up quite a few months of the initial construction. The good thing about this is that the developers have said they already have hotel tenants kicking down the door to get in here, and they have some of the retail still interested in the site. As for the massing on the site, it sounds like the hotels will probably be similar in height to the SkyVue Apartments across the street.

[deja vu]

^ What is the plinth going to be? Compacted earth, maybe with geogrid reinforcement?

[LMich]

As far as I know it's a simple garage with concrete piers. What exactly it will be topped with I'm not sure. I'm not sure it's all been worked out as specific materials are concerned.

While the flooding has come down, it looks like there are still quite a few roads out as of this morning. The killer here as traffic is concerned if Pennsylvania Avenue; that's forcing a lot of traffic on Mt. Hope.


Flooding by NewCityOne, on Flickr

Poor Urbandale. I'm trying to figure out how they let them build 496 without putting multiple culverts in to drain the area. The freeway effectively acts as a levee keeping water from rolling back down to the Red Cedar south of the freeway. Fortunately, the city and township have been planning for a flood just like this and has slowly had the land bank buy up property as it becomes available and making them vacant lots. But as you can imagine it's a slow process.

[subterranean]

Speaking of flooding and urbandale, here was my first try at a documentary on the subject. I did it in planning school almost 7 years ago.

https://vimeo.com/14666949

[LMich]

We're getting some initial renderings and plans for this down-sized portion of Red Cedar Renaissance.









Another view of what the site looked like last week to understand why the plinth is so important:



This is a massive undertaking; the whole site has to be raised over 6 feet. Everyone is a bit disappointed in the reduction in the quality of the project, but that's because the developers nor the city were willing to spend as much on the plinth.

Oh, deja vu, one of the graphics speaks to your question about the specific construction of the plinth: post-tensioned concrete and foam fill.

[subterranean]

And where does all that displaced water go during the next flood when the plinth is in place? There's a reason why many parks and golf courses are sited where they are, and it's generally due to floodplains.

[LMich]

Under the plinth, of course. That's why they are building it, to raise it above the 100-year flood data.

[subterranean]

Ah, that makes a lot more sense. I was thinking of this as some sort of solid podium.

[LMich]

Center City District in East Lansing looking south towards campus on March 1:


City of East Lansing


Andy K. Hahn | Spartan News Room

Apparently, the foundation at the 10-story, 144-foot The Hub down the street has also begun construction. Picture from late-February when they were still doing site prep:


Anthony Sandoval | Spartan News Room

[LMich]

The state is taking another crack at selling off the old state Senate office building. The city envisions are refurbishment of it as a hotel with views of the capitol.

Developer sought for old state Senate building in Lansing

By Annalise Franks | Crain's Detroit Business

March 8, 2018

The state of Michigan is seeking a developer to remodel the Senate's old downtown Lansing office building into something eye-catching and useful.

The 10-story Billie S. Farnum Building housed the state Senate's offices until late 2016 and has been vacant since, according to the state's request for redevelopment proposals.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ing-in-lansing

The building is 93,000 square feet and has open floor plates. They could conceivably carve a atrium/courtyard into the middle of build the core in the middle and sheer off the back if they need to make it residential or hotel.

Responses are due back May 1 for the RFP, and the winner will be chosen on June 1.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by LMich

Under the plinth, of course. That's why they are building it, to raise it above the 100-year flood data.

The 2 feet of foam fill is interesting. Makes sense - lightweight, cheap, works well in compression, and has insulating attributes to boot. I'm guessing this is a common approach for designs like this that are trying to get above flood plain in an economical way, I just haven't seen it done in our region before.

To be honest, the renderings look alright to me, but I can't get over the fact that they spelled Commission wrong on the site plan, in the wetlands area (missing the second 'S'). I've worked with the Ingham County Drain Commission - they might take offense to such carelessness!

Originally Posted by LMich

[LMich]

A few more pieces from the development agreement for Red Cedar Renaissance:





I think I may have forgotten originally when talking about this to say that this is primarily an environmental project, and the private development came later. The area has been facing down a requirement to stop storm run-off into the Red Cedar River from the Montgomery Drain, which runs through the site and Frandor to the north. This could either be accomplished by sewer projects or by this more natural approach of using the former Red Cedar Golf Course to clean the run-off before it reached the river. Ingham County's long-time Drain Commissioner has been really big on using nature to clean storm water run-off, so of course this is the option he chose. At the same time, the previous mayor was really big on connecting Lansing and East Lansing more closely along Michigan Avenue and saw this as an opportunity so he pushed the site for development above the public drain commission project. So this is what you got. I want to some better architecture, here, but it's really a miracle they are developing anything above the flood plain at all.

[LMich]

Marketplace Phase II officially opens, today. Now GG can devote the full attention to the next endeavor.


Gillespie Group

In other news, the 2017 Census estimates are out. Population is up to 477,656, up from 464,036 at the 2010 Census and growth is accelerating. At this rate, the tri-county region will end up with its fastest growth since the 1970's, and what's more is that the growth is not much more centered in the urban area of the metro than in decades past. For the second year in a row, Ingham County grew at an almost identical rate to Washtenaw and both just a bit less than Kent County so the area is finally generally matching these two faster-growth areas after having trailed them significantly in decades past. Growth has slowed way down in Eaton County, and picked back up in Clinton County, which was the fastest growing county in Michigan between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.

[LMich]

Center City District, East Lansing - March 29


EastLansingBuzz


EastLansingBuzz

They expect to start pouring the second floor by the end of this week.

[deja vu]

^ Looking good

[LMich]

The local paper got around to doing up a write-up on the recently completed second phase of Marketplace. The Gillespie Group actually saved a bit of surprise for the end: The building will have a bar/lounge with a restaurant that will be open to the public and will have access to the riverfront patio.

Matthew Dae Smith|Lansing State Journal

Cool Spaces: Rooftop patio, fitness center make Marketplace Apartments Phase II stand out

By Vickki Dozier | Lansing State Journal

April 3, 2018

LANSING — Half of the units overlook the Grand River, the others overlook the Cooley Law School Stadium.

From the colorful, rooftop patio, views of downtown Lansing abound.

The $11 million second phase of Gillespie Group’s Marketplace, Marketplace Apartments Phase II, are now open.

The five-story, 68,784 square-foot, riverfront building already has more than 50 of its 79 urban flats leased.

Marketplace's first phase was built in 2014, and with Phase II now open, it brings the total number of flats to 158 on the four-acre riverfront property.

https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/...out/473677002/

More photos from LSJ photographer Matthew Dae Smith:

15 units are micro-units of 405 square feet. Gillespie Group's two remaining projects in the Stadium District include a large, mixed-use development at Larch and Michigan kitty-corner to the southeast of the stadium, and the third phase of Marketplace fronting Cedar Street to enclose the parking lot, which unlike the first two phases will be mixed-use.

[LMich]

Ha! Speak of the devil. The Lansing City Pulse has a juicy rumor on Larch & Michigan: A name-brand grocer is in talks for the project. Dis gone bee gud, y'all.

Food desert no more?

By Todd Heywood, Lansing City Pulse

April 4, 2018

Another mixed use development is in the works for Michigan Avenue — but this one has a potential star tenant: a name-brand grocery store for downtown Lansing.

The city is in process of rezoning the 600 block of East Michigan, across the street and a block east of Lugnuts Stadium, at the request of developer Pat Gillespie. But all the players, from Mayor Andy Schor on down, are being tight-lipped about the identity of the supermarket.

They fear the grocer might bolt if the deal is announced prematurely. The best anyone would say was, as one source put it, “The grocery store is a big deal and people will be very excited.”

Those who confirmed the negotiations did so on the condition they not be identified for fear of scuttling the deal.

http://lansingcitypulse.com/article-...t-no-more.html

The thing is that this is a direct result of Mayor Schor's recent history. His last piece of legislation he got through as a state legislature, last year, before he became mayor allows municipalities to use economic development funds to attract grocers to downtowns and commercial corridors in urban cities to combat food deserts.

[LMich]

The Lansing State Journal did an update on a few key projects in East Lansing. We get an update on when the Target in Center City should be open:

The project will have multiple phases, Dempsey said. The Target should be operational by the spring of 2019. The parking garage should be accessible around the same time, he said.

The entire project should be finished in August 2019, Dempsey said.

EastLansingBuzz

Another shot from March 27:


City of East Lansing

East Lansing Buzz is finally starting to also carry regular updates for the construction of The Hub going up down the street. From April 5:


EastLansingBuzz

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by LMich

Ha! Speak of the devil. The Lansing City Pulse has a juicy rumor on Larch & Michigan: A name-brand grocer is in talks for the project. Dis gone bee gud, y'all.

Trader Joe's? Or maybe Meijer? I'm guessing not Whole Foods.