I am an East Lansing homeowner excited about the proposed City Center II development. There needs to be more residential units and other offerings in the Valley Court area of the city. However, the question is how much more, and what type of development?
In a public-private partnership, the city needs to give and so does the developer. As currently proposed, the balance is too heavily in favor of the developer. The size of the development is concerning, relative to our quality of life, our tax base, and the future economic climate of the region. Concerns that must be addressed:
1. A 10-story building is too tall, reduces the “open” appeal, requires lots of parking, and may lead to unrented or unsold residential units. Six to eight stories is more reasonable.
2. The openness of Valley Court Park — “green space” — should be maintained as much as possible, better than what is proposed.
3. Parking structures are visually unappealing and smell. Reducing the size of the proposal will reduce parking needs and reduce the size and visibility of the proposed structure.
4. The traffic study was purely quantitative and incomplete. It concluded by noting there were limited solutions to reduce traffic problems caused by the development, but did not consider traffic in the most proximate neighborhood and did not include resident comments.
5. The developer’s questionable relationship with developments in Ann Arbor and Bear Creek Township should raise red flags about how they would treat East Lansing.
Place these concerns in an economic context. The Mid-Michigan housing market has lost 27 percent of its value in the past year. There is a 15-month housing glut. Consider other developments: Stonehouse Village III in East Lansing, Eastwood Towne Center’s $100 million-plus expansion with hotel and water park, the urban lofts, Stadium District, and future retail improvements in downtown Lansing. Where is the money coming from to support all of this new development, and at what cost to current homeowners and businesses? Is there to be a population influx or a redistribution of current residents’ income from one place to the next?
The city of East Lansing needs the residential, cultural and business mix from City Center II, but this project needs to be as flexible as it is dynamic. After considering the current economic and housing situation, all the future developments in the region, and the quality of life for East Lansing residents, I conclude this project, as currently proposed, leans too heavily in favor of development.
City Center II needs to be reigned in to maintain green space and to reduce the liability to the city and current residents. Let’s develop it, but let’s do it the right way with better balance than currently proposed.
Scott Hirko
Doctorate student, higher, adult, and lifelong education
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