Seeing as how massive a project this is, I'll give it its own post. I'm glad like their newly renovated headquarters, Christman will be shooting for LEED certification.
Video:
- Animated rendering of new Accident Fund building
- Ottawa before: A recent look inside the power station
Redevelopment proposal would retain look of Ottawa Power Station
Jeremy W. Steele • jwsteele@lsj.com • July 2, 2008 • From Lansing State Journal
For years, visions of a bustling Ottawa Power Station existed only in the imaginations of those who could see beyond the barren skeleton of the idled electric plant.
That changes today as two Lansing companies roll out the first public drawings of the riverfront landmark, including a 2 1/2-minute animated video of what the site will look like after a planned $180 million redevelopment.
"When you go into the power plant and take a look at it, you really have to have a creative eye to see its potential," said Elizabeth Haar, chief executive officer of Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, which in October 2007 announced plans to move its headquarters to the building. "Now, having it come together and to see some pictures and diagrams, it's actually even better than I thought it would be."
Developer Christman Co. would oversee the work and own the building. The vision, which is expected to become a reality by 2011, would turn the 200-foot-tall power plant into a nine-story office building. Except for the addition of a few windows, the exterior of the structure would remain largely intact.
The more dramatic changes occur inside the building, where a new steel floor structure would be built, and immediately to the north of the plant, where a 101,000-square-foot, four-story building sheathed in glass would be built.
The two structures would be connected by a 5,000-square-foot, four-story atrium that would serve as the main entrance to the complex.
The modern addition is designed to contrast with its historic neighbor, said Steven Roznowski, Christman's president and CEO.
"We were looking for an addition that makes a different, but harmonious statement with the power plant," he said.
The design still must be approved by the National Park Service, which signs off on federal historic tax credits for such projects.
The plant, hailed for its architecture, was built in 1940 and idled in 1992. The coloring of the exterior of the building - from its black granite base to red, orange and yellow brickwork - is designed to symbolize coal combustion.
Christman to lease building
Christman, which will lease the building to Accident Fund, is expected to close on its $275,000 purchase of the power plant from the Lansing Board of Water & Light this fall.
The building is expected to eventually house some 1,100 workers, including Accident Fund's current Lansing work force of about 650 and another 500 employees to be added over 10 to 15 years.
Accident Fund, which sells workers compensation insurance, is a for-profit subsidiary of Detroit-based nonprofit health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Construction on the new headquarters is slated to be completed by early 2011.
Christman's Roznowski said initial work should start this fall, with activity picking up in spring 2009.
Among the first tasks will be razing the Grand Building to the north of the power plant, where the glass office building and a 1,000-space parking structure are to be built. The parking structure, initially planned to be built by the city, would be owned by Christman and leased to Accident Fund with the rest of the campus.
Roznowski said architects have worked to make sure the ramp is "cohesive with the architecture of the rest of the buildings."
"It's all integrated into this urban campus setting," he said.
The complex also includes a patio area on the river side of the buildings for Accident Fund workers and an extension of the city's river trail system along the waterfront.
Tax breaks
The project is aided by a host of local, state and federal tax incentives, including a state Renaissance Zone designation that abates most state and local taxes for nearly 15 years.
Planning also is under way to replace the cooling towers atop the Ottawa Power Station's west roof with new equipment on state property at Allegan and Pine streets, said Mark Nixon, spokesman for the Lansing Board of Water & Light.
"They are moving along," he said.
The cooling towers provide cold water to downtown area buildings for air conditioning systems. It's hoped a new chiller plant will be open by fall 2009.
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Aerial
Ionia Building Addition as seen from Grand Avenue
Atrium between old and new buildings
Ground floor cafeteria off the river
Riverfront Patio
Ionia Building Addition
Linear Mode
