Lansing-East Lansing, MI Development - Page 22

LMich · #**421** Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 9:11 AM**

I had no idea this is what the orange barrels along Saginaw were for. I should have figured, but I've been on Saginaw since the bridge closed maybe twice. I thought it was weird that they were adding a bike lane on the bridge, but nowhere else. I see I was wrong. lol

Quote:

Saginaw Street bike lane opening event planned

Lansing State Journal

September 26, 2012

LANSING — A new bike lane designed to support revitalization efforts on the city’s west side will open to the public with a community biking and walking event next month.

The Coast with your Community event is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 to celebrate the new bike lane on Saginaw Street.

The bike lane was added during this summer’s Saginaw bridge construction project, after a study showed traffic congestion would likely not be affected if the street were reduced to one lane.

The bike lane runs from Stanley Street to the River Trail just beyond the bridge over the Grand River. The bike lane follows the non-motorized path for those looking to do a full loop along the River Trail, and reroutes bicyclists along Shiawassee Street to Osborn Road, and back up to Stanley Street. Those interested in continuing eastbound can follow Shiawassee Street.

The Westside Commercial Association hopes by slowing traffic on the recently-narrowed roadway, people will feel safer biking and walking in the area.

This is really kind of huge given that most of the city's bikelanes have been put along slower, smaller streets. Hopefully, they can continue the lane to the eastern city limit since they already have it halfway, now.

subterranean · #**422** Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 12:15 PM**

Good news. I wonder if they'll separate it with a barrier at some point? That's kind of a crazy road, to say the least.

LMich · #**423** Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 12:27 PM**

I doubt any bike lanes in the city will ever get physical barriers, but I'm glad it's an actual lane. I've seen in other cities where a trail or path includes little more than a sign asking drivers to share the road, no lane markings, no nothing.

I'd ride this with the lane in. I've seen a few folks ride along Saginaw, Larch and Cedar at night, and I just think it's crazy. The streets are way too fast for it and the culture not built up enough to where I'd trust drivers without bike lane markings. I generally ride the roads in residential neighborhoods and commercial streets with parking since the sidewalks are always so unpredictable in the city, but I've never been brave enough to try the major roads for more than a few blocks unless I have to avoid some obstruction on the sidewalks. The one-ways pairs (Cedar/Larch and Saginaw/Oakland) can definitely be intimidating.

LMich · #**424** Posted **Oct 1, 2012, 9:54 AM**

Maybe not that rare of a concept, for sure, but new to the area:

Quote:

Dawn Parker

Studio C!, pilot movie theater project, to open in Okemos in December

By Dawn Parker | Lansing State Journal

September 30, 2012

OKEMOS — Local residents will soon have another movie theater a short drive away – but one like they’ve never seen.

Studio C! is expecting to celebrate its opening night in December, hopefully in time for the Dec. 14 debut of the highly-anticipated “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

The six-screen building is being reconstructed from the shell of the former AMC Meridian Mall 6, which closed in August 2011.

The $3.5 million dollar project will create 60 to 70 jobs. Interviews are expected to begin in late October.

Studio C! is a pilot project of Grand Rapids-based Celebration Cinema, which has a larger multi-screen complex in south Lansing.

If it works here, says Steve VanWagoner, the Studio C! formula will be repeated elsewhere. “This is our test lab,” said VanWagoner, Celebration Cinema’s vice-president of marketing.

“If it’s successful, this could be something we branch out in. We call it, ‘the theater of the future’.”

The idea behind Studio C! is a mix of the two best parts of a night out: Good food and a good movie. Patrons can arrive early for their film and enjoy dinner at Oscar’s Bistro, with menu items designed to be taken into the theater when it’s time for the lights to dim.

There will be pizza from a wood-fired oven, which VanWagoner says confidently will be “the best in the Lansing region.” If pizza’s not your thing, choose from chicken wings or sliders, sandwich wraps and dessert pizzas – and yes, there will be popcorn.

An outdoor seating area will greet diners in good weather, with a café-style atmosphere indoors, and they hope to have a liquor license by opening night to provide beer, wine and mixed drinks.

The individual viewing auditoriums will feature stadium seating with comfortable high-backed chairs. Ticket prices will range from $8 for a matinee or other discounted showing to $17 for a “premium” seat, which gets the moviegoer service at their seat.

...

subterranean · #**425** Posted **Oct 1, 2012, 1:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMich

I doubt any bike lanes in the city will ever get physical barriers, but I'm glad it's an actual lane. I've seen in other cities where a trail or path includes little more than a sign asking drivers to share the road, no lane markings, no nothing.

Agreed, I'm glad there's a lane. Slow progress. But I guess there have already been major confusion and issues with this bike lane. I don't think they are done with the painting and signage, so maybe this will help. However, the car centric attitude in Lansing is pretty prevalent and it will take awhile for people to get used to it.

LMich · #**426** Posted **Oct 2, 2012, 7:46 AM**

Personally, I've had very few problems with lanes from drivers when I've been out. If anything, I find that there are lots of cyclists who seem confused. I see cyclists going the wrong direction on the lanes on Kalamazoo on a near daily basis. I mean, here we have lanes on both sides of the road, so it's not as if there aren't options, and they are traveling eastbound in the westbound and vice-versa. I mean, about as as much as an amateur as you'll find when it comes to cycling - I mostly do it to relieve street, clear my mind and discover, but even I know not to hog lanes like this.

LMich · #**427** Posted **Oct 5, 2012, 9:17 AM**

The Saginaw Street Bridge reconstruction is finally open. It will be formally opened later today (Photos Courtesy of LSJ):

Quote:

Rod Sanford | Lansing State Journal

BTW, here's a pic I took of the River Trail beneath the bridge before the reconstruction:

So, so glad this choke-point on the trail is finally gone.

LMich · #**428** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 8:44 AM**

The Lansing City Pulses take on the new bike lane:

Quote:

At long last love

By Lawrence Cosentino | Lansing City Pulse

October 10, 2012

Inside every Lansing bicyclist’s helmet-covered skull is an invisible map full of hate pins. Here’s where a van made a right turn into my left leg (Kalamazoo and South Cedar). That’s where a frat boy threw a Slurpee from a car and hit my girlfriend (Grand River Avenue and Harrison Road). Here’s where an irate man yelled “Get off the road,” jumped out of his car and ran after me. (Michigan and Clemens avenues). Where is the love?

Last week, the city and the state gave area bicyclists nine dozen roses and a juicy sandwich kiss.

The wide new bike lane along busy Saginaw Street and its deluxe link to the Lansing River Trail at the new Saginaw Street bridge over the Grand River is the most dramatic evidence yet of “complete streets” planning in Michigan.

It started out more like a turtle lane. Jessica Yorko, now 4th Ward Councilmember, and other west side residents began pushing for the bike lane in 2005. As a state trunk line, Saginaw Street is under the control of the Michigan Department of Transportation.

“It went back and forth from the city and MDOT for years,” Yorko said.

At first, MDOT showed little interest in answering phone calls or meeting with the community, according to Yorko. Bike lane supporters stuck it out through three MDOT transportation service center managers. The newest manager, Steve Palmer, applied the gearshift when he came on board in January. “He should get a gold medal,” Yorko said.

...

On a sunny afternoon last week, I eased onto the Saginaw Street bike lane at the west end, beginning at Stanley Street across from Fork in the Road. Riding a state trunk line with impunity, six feet of buffer to my left, I felt the breeze of a new transportation model for Lansing.

MDOT bicycle and pedestrian coordinator Josh DeBruyn said the buffered bike lane is the first in the state. Until now, buffered lanes have been confined to progressive cities like New York, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis and Boulder.

Now Michigan has two of them. The same week the Saginaw bike lane was finished, MDOT completed a second one, along a stretch of M10 (Northwestern Highway) in Oakland County.

...

From the Lansing Westside Commercial Association:

Quote:

Bicycle-Ribbon-Cutting_63 by lansingwca, on Flickr

Bicycle-Ribbon-Cutting_24 by lansingwca, on Flickr

Bicycle-Ribbon-Cutting_34 by lansingwca, on Flickr

Bicycle-Ribbon-Cutting_02 by lansingwca, on Flickr

Bicycle-Ribbon-Cutting_11 by lansingwca, on Flickr

Rizzo · #**429** Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 6:27 PM**

The buffered bike lanes will actually improve traffic free-flow. You now avoid motorists slamming on the brakes causing traffic confusion or erratic lane changing. Glad to see these are being implemented in Michigan.

Though I enjoy the lanes with physical separation here in Chicago, the buffer will do. The physical barrier is most important when there's parking. It keeps motorists from encroaching too far into the bike lane. But there's not parking in this instance. If a driver departs the travel lane into the bike lane for unknown reasons, the barriers wouldn't stop them. In fact, they're engineered to permit passage of emergency vehicles and even semis performing tight turns.

Frankenmuth once ran a test with a type of "lightweight" curb for a traffic study that might be employed in a permanent situation in this case

LMich · #**430** Posted **Oct 25, 2012, 9:37 AM**

Quote:

Two new Lansing-area breweries planned

By Lindsay VanHulle | Lansing State Journal

October 25, 2012

The owners behind popular Grand Rapids brewery HopCat plan to bring their concept to the Lansing area in the form of two new craft breweries.

BarFly Ventures LLC, the parent company of HopCat and other Grand Rapids bars, plans to open a second HopCat location in downtown East Lansing in the ground floor of The Residences, a new mixed-use apartment building under construction at the intersection of Albert Avenue and Grove Street. The building project is being developed by Cron Management LLC of East Lansing.

Company owners Mark and Michele Sellers also plan to open Lansing Brewing Co. inside the Stadium District building in downtown Lansing. It will fill the last vacant endcap in the building at Cedar Street and East Michigan Avenue that is owned by developer Pat Gillespie.

...

HopCat will expand on its home location in East Lansing and will serve 100 craft beers on tap, up from 48 in Grand Rapids. The site will be about 6,100 square feet and include a patio, Sellers said.

Lansing Brewing Co. resurrects a name Sellers said died with early Prohibition activities in 1914 and will brew a variety of beers in house. The location will be about 6,400 square feet.

...

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/a...nclick_check=1

uaarkson · #**431** Posted **Oct 25, 2012, 4:38 PM**

Baller!

subterranean · #**432** Posted **Oct 25, 2012, 4:44 PM**

Baller is right!

LMich · #**433** Posted **Oct 26, 2012, 9:30 AM**

Meh. A look at what they've proposed in place of the failed City Center II project at Abbot and Grand River:

Quote:

East Lansing gets look at revised project

By Dawn Parker | Lansing State Journal

October 26, 2012

EAST LANSING — City leaders have taken up revised plans for retail space and apartments on a prime downtown East Lansing corner that most recently had been part of a now-abandoned development project.

A mixed-use project that would combine retail space and 92 apartments in two four-story buildings is being proposed near the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Abbot Road in East Lansing. The real estate makes up part of the privately owned portion of the failed City Center II project, which dissolved in June amid concerns about financing.

The new proposed development extends from the northwest corner of Grand River and Abbot west to Peoples Church. One building would replace the Citizens Bank building at 100 W. Grand River Ave. and include 10,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor and 49 apartments on the upper three floors.

The second building would be on the west side of Evergreen Avenue. It would have 5,250 square feet of retail space on the first floor and 43 apartments on the second, third and fourth floors.

...

East Lansing continues to explore options for its piece of the former project, about 2.8 acres owned by its Downtown Development Authority and building authority.

City staff said they welcome public input on the new plan.

They have also sought and received residents’ opinion on the city-owned portion of the property. Residents who attended said they would like to see such amenities as a grocery store and a movie theater.

...

Huge, huge downgrade from the previous plans for the site, but they have to do something with a site that's been languishing for years, now.

uaarkson · #**434** Posted **Oct 26, 2012, 11:22 AM**

Far better than nothing. The more of these projects that get built, the bigger and bolder they'll get.

subterranean · #**435** Posted **Oct 26, 2012, 12:38 PM**

I sort of feel like the Red Cedar Renaissance/Capital Gateway project (old Red Cedar Golf Course site) is stealing all the wind from this site's sails. I participated in a charette/public input session for the Red Cedar site a couple weeks ago and they have major interest from a hotelier to put in two hotels (boutique and extended stay). I'm thinking this might be the same hotelier as originally planned for the Abbot site (Hotel Indigo?) Also, they haven't said it explicitly but I think everyone knows that a Trader Joe's is going on the site, too. They've also upped the density big time due to community pressure to make it a TOD due to CATA/possible BRT.

I was really looking forward to a theater being on the Abbot site, and the blight to be gone. But honestly, I do wonder if the old proposal might have been a little ambitious given the intersection. There is too much traffic there as it is. Unless they were planning on reworking the flow, this toned down version might be better suited to the site.

LMich · #**436** Posted **Oct 29, 2012, 8:08 AM**

I feel Capital Gateway is going to pull a lot of wing out of a lot of sails in the area, though, I'd rather it be there than Eastwood. Even though there does need to be a better connection between East Lansing and Lansing, and though this is on a major transit line, it's still building on open land where there is so much that could be done along Michigan Avenue to the west. You'd think that someone would have put up a small hotel around Sparrow Hospital or some apartment buildings around the hospital.

subterranean · #**437** Posted **Oct 29, 2012, 12:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMich

there is so much that could be done along Michigan Avenue to the west. You'd think that someone would have put up a small hotel around Sparrow Hospital or some apartment buildings around the hospital.

I definitely agree. My hope is that it just keeps pushing westward with more ambitious projects. I was quite surprised by the project on MI Ave. at the old printing shop site. I think maybe developers are starting to "get it", sort of, LOL. New streetscape work, resurfacing, painting, and BRT I think would raise the profile of the corridor so much that developers will be fighting over the land. Or maybe that's just me being hopeful.

LMich · #**438** Posted **Nov 9, 2012, 11:04 AM**

The Broad opens, tomorrow...

Romain Blanquart | Detroit Free Press

ColDayMan · #**439** Posted **Nov 9, 2012, 3:33 PM**

What in God's hell...

uaarkson · #**440** Posted **Nov 9, 2012, 4:43 PM**

That thing is stunning in person. It beats anything UofM has built in the last 10 years, imo.