ASK ELi: Redevelopment Ready Properties?

Image: From the first page of the "redevelopment ready" properties list

A reader asks: “The City of East Lansing is listed on the MEDC website as a Redevelopment Ready Community.  What properties in East Lansing are considered ‘Redevelopment Ready’?”

Background: The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is a public-private partnership that seeks to boost Michigan’s economy. MEDC’s “Michigan Redevelopment Ready Communities Program” is, according to its own materials, “a state-wide certification program that supports communities to become development ready and competitive in today’s economy. It encourages communities to adopt innovative redevelopment strategies and efficient processes which build confidence among businesses and developers.”

Is East Lansing really a designated MEDC Redevelopment Ready Community? No. I spoke to Kathy Fagen at MEDC and she told me that East Lansing is working towards that goal but has not yet achieved it. See MEDC’s 2014 announcement, which lists East Lansing as working towards that goal.

Which properties does East Lansing’s Planning department consider “redevelopment ready”? You can see this PDF to see which properties the City has on a “draft” redevelopment ready list. The properties included are:

• "Trowbridge Village," which is now being redeveloped
• 300 West Grand River, now being planned as "The Gateway"
• the former Taco Bell building, now proposed for redevelopment according to the LSJ
• the former Pontiac-Sawyer dealership
• the commercial corner that includes the Harrison Roadhouse
• Parking Lot 1, the big surface lot between HopCat and the stores along Grand River
• the triangle formed where Grand River Ave. meets Michigan Ave. (where Jonnas-to-Go is)
• "No Name Park," sometimes also known as "Faces and Fountains Park," next to Black Cat Bistro (this is not legally a park, and the document suggests it be redeveloped with a building)
• City Hall's parking lot
• East Village
• the Bailey Community Center

This version of the "redevelopment ready" list, which I believe to be the latest version, is dated December 2014. The idea behind this list is to encourage developers to consider redevelopment of these properties.

Why does the Bailey Community Center appear on the list? This has been somewhat challenging to ascertain. The Bailey Community Center (BCC) presumably was identified by the City’s Planning staff as a potential site for redevelopment prior to December 2013, because that was when, in response to calls from members of the Bailey community, Councilmember Ruth Beier asked the Planning staff to the take it off the list.

An email from Mullins to Beier dated December 16, 2013, indicated the BCC was taken off the redevelopment ready list.

I asked Mullins in October 2014 why it was still on the list if she had told Beier it was off. Mullins replied, “There is only a draft list.  Council member Beier did ask me to remove that Bailey Community Center from the RRC list and my intention was to make that change, however, after consulting with the City Manager, I was asked to leave the draft in its original form. There were two reasons for not using an updated draft. First, a change to the document should reflect the consensus of a majority of the City Council. Second, including the site on the list opens the door for conversations about the appropriate future use of that site, but it does not mandate a different use. Any proposal for a different use would go to the City Council for extensive discussion and they would then be able to consider those proposed alternatives.”

This year, City staff asked Council to close the daycare at the BCC, effectively also closing the BCC. City staff has named two reasons for this closure—primarily cost, but also the desire to get out of the daycare business. (Readers are reminded that there are two “collaborative dialogues” being hosted by the City on the future of the Bailey Community Center, including one this Monday, April 27, and a follow-up discussion on May 4. Read more at the City’s website.)

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