In yesterday's post about how the art community can help spur economic growth, we mentioned the Trust Fund's connection to the Williamston Theatre. Coincidentally, this same project was also featured on the Capital Gains blog yesterday. Here are a few excerpts from the piece:
“I went to L.A., and I think a lot of people go away, and see what it’s all about. Because you almost can’t be happy unless you go and see what’s going on there,” says Lepard. “So when our young talent goes away, I want them to be able to come back and have a home here, and be able to stay and do what they do.”
Lepard is back to stay, and is working to build just such a place as the founder and executive director of Williamston Theatre, an upstart venture now in its second season.
“Williamston today is much like Chelsea was before Purple Rose—a charming small town,” he says. “We saw that everything is here to make this place into the kind of spot that Chelsea is. All we need now is a ‘movie star,” he grins—a reference to Daniels, patron saint of PRTC.
When the group left the coffee shop, Lepard recalls, they knew what they needed. “The first thing was a theatre,” he wryly notes. “But when the downtown antiques market pretty much disappeared, there was space available. And thanks to Steve Zynda of Midwest Homes we have our building—122 S. Putnam—for five years for $1 a year. That was the breakthrough.”
With that commitment, the community rallied around the effort. Mayor Ken Zichi and others in Williamston city government understood the theater was a key to their downtown revitalization strategy.
The team invested over $13,000 in a new façade, with support from the Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund. Additional investments in interior remodeling were done for another $20,000, thanks to generous contributions of time, lumber, seats, and lights.
Go check out the whole article when you get a chance.
We just wanted to take a moment to give a nod to the folks at Capital Gains for doing such a great job of highlighting stories like this, which so often get overlooked by more traditional publications.
We're proud of the work our borrowers are doing to help rejuvenate different areas across the state, and it's always nice to see that their efforts are getting the attention they deserve.
The Williamston Theatre is located in the heart of historic downtown Williamston, just one-half block south of the main Four Corners intersection of Grand River Avenue (M-43) and Putnam Street and two miles north of the I-96 exit 117 interchange. For more information about the Williamston Theatre, be sure to visit williamstontheatre.org.
Part 3 of Bill McGraw's "Driving Detroit" series ran in today's Free Press, and the focus was art:
Art is one of the last things outsiders associate with Detroit. But drive the streets and you quickly realize the city possesses an energetic, grassroots creative class that not only spreads color, whimsy and provocation across the landscape, but also serves as an engine of redevelopment.
True, not everyone considers all of it art, especially when it comes to graffiti.
And the underground nature of some of the work helps keep it off the radar of many people, even art lovers.
But it's evident that the city's far-flung artistic community extends many levels beyond the Detroit Institute of Arts, which reopened in November after a $158-million renovation.
Last year, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) opened in an abandoned car dealership on Woodward Avenue and received praise from the New York Times for its "guerrilla architecture ... that accepts decay as fact."
This year, the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID) expanded in a variety of directions from its 3-year-old home in an 1889 grocery store-turned-billiards-hall-turned auto-parts-outlet in a deserted area of Rosa Parks Boulevard.
People may not think of the connection right off the bat, but a thriving artistic community can be a crucial stimulus for a city's economic development initiatives. The Russell Industrial Center is a great example of this concept:
"This place is like a sanctuary," he said. "This is my family. I'm among like-minded people. There is nothing but positiveness."
The Russell is home to 120 tenants, about 80 of whom are artists, said Eric Novack, the center's leasing agent who writes novels in his spare time.
The tenants are attracted by an authentic industrial design of thick concrete and mammoth elevators, plus rents that run about $550 a month for 1,000 square feet -- considerably cheaper than in much of suburbia. The artists and others occupy about 650,000 of the Russell's 2.2 million square feet.
"You can do whatever you want as long as it's legal," Novack said. "We have two rules: Respect the community and respect the building."
"People from out of state say, 'There's nothing going on in Detroit,' " said Mark Arminski, who rents space in the Russell and is a well-known designer of posters for rock bands. "I tell them, 'Come here for a summer. Go to galleries and festivals. Even clubs. A lot of clubs are hanging art these days.' "
Said Jeannette Strezinski of the Detroit Industrial Projects: "If you're in the suburbs and you're only paying attention to the big galleries, you're kind of going to miss a lot."
We've discussed how the arts community affects economic development on the blog before. The Russell Industrial Center sounds like it has a lot in common with Jackson's Armory Arts village, which is a unique creativity-focused neighborhood being developed on the site of the historic 19th century Jackson State Prison. While both ventures are relatively new, one would hope the early buzz from these projects could be transferred to similar developments in other urban areas.
You can read more about our own work with the Williamston Theatre, which is already re-shaping the landscape in downtown Williamston, in this newsletter article from October.
We'll be keeping tabs on McGraw's series throughout the week. Updates will be posted on the Free Press' Metro page.
One of our board members, Harriet Saperstein, pointed out this series in the Detroit Free Press today, and we wanted to share it with our readers. Bill McGraw launched a pretty ambitious project earlier this year, and the first two installments of this series ran in the Free Press over the weekend:
The assignment sounded extreme, even preposterous: Take a 2,700-mile road trip and never leave Detroit.
Starting in late May and finishing in late September, I drove all of the city's 2,100 or so streets -- from 7 Mile Road, which is 261 blocks long, to Detroit Street, which is only one.
The idea was to get a unique view of Detroit, a short-term, street-level survey of Detroit's 138 square miles, a once-in-a-lifetime snapshot of the city Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and others insist is coming back.
From downtown -- where the comeback is evident -- through the immense territory of Detroit's neighborhoods -- where the future seems less certain -- the trip was never boring.
Well, since we're among the people who are insisting that the city is making a comeback, we couldn't possible ingore McGraw's five-part series. Here are the first two entires:
• Part 1: City's hope often trumps its troubles
• Part 2: Elite neighborhoods try to stay that way
The first installment takes a look at the neighborhood at Buchanan and 24th, which is showing signs of life:
Gradually, though, you can see signs of change along Buchanan, and along 15th, 16th and 17th streets, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and West Warren.
The reason for hope: Churches, nonprofit organizations and Habitat for Humanity are gradually transforming the neighborhood by building housing. There are hundreds of new units: Simple, sturdy single-family homes, senior-citizen centers, town houses and apartments. Next month, the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Dentistry will complete a long-planned move to the area.
In some places, you can hear the shards of a burned-out 19th-Century home flapping in the wind at same time as the mechanical groans of construction equipment preparing another site.
"I'm thrilled and fascinated with what's happening," said Marguerite Hite, 72, who lives in a cozy new apartment in the Alberta W. King Village complex, named after Dr. Martin Luther King's mother. "This whole area is changing. It's just mind-boggling."
Of course, this process hasn't come along without various bureaucratic struggles. Willie Campbell, executive director of former Trust Fund borrower Core City Neighborhoods is highlighted in the extended piece, which is definitely worth reading in its entirety.
Part 2 of the series takes a look at "elite neighborhoods," which have not gone unscathed from the region's foreclosure crisis:
George Galster lives in Palmer Woods. He's also an expert on neighborhoods and has a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a professor at Wayne State University.
Galster said the housing crisis hitting Detroit in 2007 is "fundamentally different" from the long-term problem, which has occurred mostly in marginal areas of the city and which he attributes to metro Detroit building more housing units over the years than it can fill.
It's a regional problem, but Detroit's older housing stock bears the brunt of it, and the city is powerless to control the situation, Galster said.
He added: "It's like playing a game of musical chairs in reverse."
Instead of taking away chairs -- or houses -- "we keep adding chairs, so there's a whole lot of chairs that people are not sitting in at the end of each round."
Said Galster: "All of a sudden, neighborhoods that are well up the food chain in Detroit are subject to the same desperation, or desperadoes -- the insurance burning, the stripping, the mortgage scams, the occupancy by inappropriate individuals."
Mr. Galster is a former Trust Fund board member, so we're inclined to trust his judgement of the economic situation these neighborhoods are facing. Again, if you have time, the entire column is worth reading.
We'll be keeping tabs on McGraw's series throughout the week. Updates will be posted on the Free Press' Metro page.
Michigan Development News is a weekly series that features affordable housing and economic development-related news stories from across the state. Feel free to submit a story suggestion by leaving a note in the comments section.
LSJ: South Lansing closer to having center
Lansing City Council seems likely to pass a resolution that would further negotiations for a new southside community center to appear at Lansing School District's Hill Center for Academics and Technology, 5815 Wise Road.
Community Centers are a great way to bring folks together and establish active neighborhood participation, which is essential for local development. Hopefully southside residents will have a new center to enjoy in the not too distant future.
Capital Gains: Swedish Designer Has Big Plans for Old Town Lansing Business District
Old Towners made a persuasive video of their corner of the world, as did dozens of other communities across America. The top videos were put on IKEA.com, and the voting began. On September 12, representatives from the Canton, Michigan IKEA store came to town and announced that Old Town Lansing had won.
“I think that what really clinched it for us was that they saw the huge outpouring of public support for us, not just from Lansing, but literally we had votes from around the world,” says Jamie Schriner-Hooper, OTCA executive director. “They said they saw that this would just be a great community to work with.”
The ten lucky Lansing businesses? OTCA, Portable Feast & Friends, Such Video, The Sierra Club, Elderly Instruments, The Headroom Salon, Gone 2 the Dogs, Preuss Pets, Vernadine’s Soul Food, and Pablo’s Panaderia.
A nice follow-up on a story we've been following for a while. OTCA is a former Trust Fund borrower.
Saavy brides- and grooms-to-be are already booking their January 2009 weddings at the Westin Book Cadillac, the earliest date for which reservations are being accepted. However, if construction continues at its scheduled pace, it is likely that guests will actually begin checking into the hotel a few months earlier.
"We are on time and on budget for this project to open late September or early October," says Chris Ferchill of The Ferchill Group. "There's no reason we can't be right in middle of that."
Workers have enclosed the rear addition, which was necessary to the project for three reasons: the pool and jacuzzi, an accessible loading dock and a larger ballroom than the existing building's floor plan would allow.
More than 50% of the copper roofing has been installed, and most windows are in. "This building will be completely enclosed by the end of the year and will have permanent power by the end of the year," says Ferchill.
As we've noted before, Motown is becoming a popular travel destination, and the Book Cadillac Hotel is a great symbol for Detroit's economic revitalization. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this project.
Rapid Growth: Grand Rapids metro ranks as one of nation's most affordable housing markets
Although the housing market across the country is in a recession, the Grand Rapids-Wyoming metro area ranks as one of the most affordable housing markets in the US.
According to excerpts from the story:
Indianapolis retained its standing as the most affordable major U.S. housing market for a ninth consecutive quarter in the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI).
"The third-quarter HOI reading indicates that 42% of all new and existing homes that were sold during the third quarter were affordable to families earning the national median income of $59,000," said NAHB President Brian Catalde. "This reflects a slight improvement in affordability from a year ago, when only 40.4% of homes were within reach of median income-earners."
The foreclosure crisis is certainly bad news for our economy, but the one silver lining is that it is finally bringing the issue of affordable housing to the forefront of national debate. We're glad to see some areas in Michigan are among the most competitive in the country, in terms of affordable housing.
Well, it took us a little while, but we're finally ready to share the pictures from the 2007 Evening for Economic Justice. You can check out the photo album here (the album will be available permanently on our photo page).
In case you missed it, this year's dinner was another big success. Many thanks to everyone who was able to join us that night, and a special nod to Jim Wildermuth of ArTech Photography for generously donating his services.
Just under a month ago Quicken Loans announced its intention to move its corporate headquarters from Livonia to downtown Detroit. As we noted back in November, the ripple effect of this relocation is great news for local Detroit businesses:
"Any type of business that moves downtown is going to help retailers ... and attract other retailers," said Luciano Gonzalez, the owner of Salad Creations, which opened six months ago on Woodward near Campus Martius. The restaurant benefits from being near Compuware and Ernst & Young and is doing well, he said.
Rob Remdenok, owner of the Computing Express store in the Penobscot Building on Griswold Street, said having Quicken's headquarters downtown will make the area more vibrant.
"It will bring people downtown who are potential customers for us and everyone else," he said. "It's a nice thing to have more people here."
Well, add Health Plan of Michigan to list of suburban-based companies moving back into the city:
Health Plan of Michigan (HPM) announced today that it will relocate its corporate headquarters and staff of 111 employees to downtown Detroit from Southfield.
The company's new headquarters will be located at 777 Woodward Ave. in the Campus Martius Park area. The 44,000 square foot space will accommodate HPM's 111 employees, and will allow for future growth. HPM CEO and President David B. Cotton made the announcement at a press conference. He was joined by Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, Wayne County Executive CEO Robert Ficano and George Jackson Jr. of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp.
So, not only is Detroit becoming a popular travel destination, but now it's also apparently the place to be for major business investments as well. Both are great news for a city that has struggled with its image for the better part of four decades.
Of course, the Trust Fund is proud of its Detroit Headquarters, located at 2727 Second Avenue, and our organization remains strongly committed to the City of Detroit. That's why it's so exciting to see so many other businesses moving back downtown. Hopefully this will be the new trend.
The New York Times Travel Section has had a pretty well-documented love affair with the State of Michigan this year, and while tourism isn't really our thing, it's still great to see that one of our state's most important industries has gotten such lavish attention from the "Paper of Record."
Detroit rang in at #40 on the Times' list of the "53 Places To Go in 2008," ahead of San Diego, London, Las Vegas, and even New York. Here's the write-up they had for Motown:
Historically crime-ridden Detroit may not spring to mind as a hot tourist spot, but don't tell that to the city's bullish hoteliers. Newcomers include the MGM Grand Detroit (www.mgmgranddetroit.com), the MotorCity Casino Hotel (www.motorcitycasino.com) in an old Wonder Bread factory and the historic Book Cadillac Hotel, being transformed into a Westin (www.westinbookcadillac.com). Plus, the Detroit Institute of Arts (www.dia.org) just reopened after a $158 million renovation.
We're not ready to start hawking casinos just yet, but to the extent that they help draw in out-of-state travelers, we're just glad that Detroit's new casinos seem to be helping the city attract this kind of positive press.
While Michigan clearly has a long way to go before we can really get this economy rolling again, there are good things happening here, and it's just nice to show off every once in a while. Take that, Vegas!
Michigan Development News is a weekly series that features affordable housing and economic development-related news stories from across the state. Feel free to submit a story suggestion by leaving a note in the comments section.
LSJ, John Schneider: It’s not Chicago yet, but...
Admittedly I’m no expert on nightlife these days, but, finding myself at Kelly’s, on Washington Square, one recent Thursday night, I was amazed at all the action downtown.
The last time I was downtown after dark, the only things I saw moving were two tumbleweeds and a buzzard. Is it possible that, after all the promises, all the plans, all the hopes, downtown Lansing is actually poised to start jumping again?
Is it possible? You bet. For folks living in the Lansing area, there is life downtown after 5 p.m.
LSJ: Downtown Neighborhood Association to hear developer's plan Monday
The Downtown Neighborhood Association is slated Monday night to hear from developer Gene Townsend about his plans for a nearly 5-acre site at Ottawa Street and Butler Boulevard.
Townsend expects to buy the state-owned parcel by Jan. 13. He's working on a plan to build about 65 housing units at the site. Most of those would be owner-occupied.
The property is within both the Genesee and Downtown associations' boundaries.
The developer has said it would take until at least 2011 to finish the project, depending on sales.
Looks like more housing will be coming to the downtown Lansing area. If this project gets approved, it looks like there could be even more going on downtown over the next several years, which would certainly be good news.
Model D: Java Exchange celebrates one year of bringing coffee and financial literacy to TechTown
Ramone Crowe is not your typical coffee shop owner. He is interested in not just the success of his business, but also in seeing others prosper. Which is why the name of his cafe, Java Exchange, is so apt: It acts as a place for people to meet, network and exchange ideas.
Java Exchange just celebrated its first anniversary in its TechTown location. Crowe counts Henry Ford Health System employees and NextEnergy and TechTown staff and visitors among his regular clientele. "The building as a community has really been growing," he says. "I've watched companies start from one or two employees and grow to five or six or seven -- and some even up to 15 or 20!"
The Java Exchange hosts entrepreneurship forums with brokerage firm Edward Jones as well as group viewings of "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch. After watching the struggles of now-successful entrepreneurs, the group discusses issues and solutions for their own businesses.
If the foreclosure crisis can teach us one thing (besides the fact that this country needs more affordable housing), it's that most consumers could stand to learn more about financial literacy. That's why it's nice to see a local business like Java Exchange taking the lead in this area.
Newsweek: Makeover For a Motor City Gem (link via Model D)
What is helping the museum to tap into that diverse community is the quiet renaissance of Detroit's downtown. "There's a burgeoning revival," says Reed Kroloff, director of the Cranbrook Academy in nearby Bloomfield Hills. "There's a developing design district, a huge number of condo conversions, people moving into lofts." The symphony hall has been renovated, restaurants and clubs are beginning to thrive, and the sports stadiums are bringing in big crowds. Two years ago attendance at the museum surged as thousands of visitors descended on downtown Detroit in the days before the Super Bowl.
This wonderful feature is definitely worth checking out. It's great to see the DIA getting such great coverage in one of the big weeklies like Newsweek. Having just toured the newly-remodled DIA this weekend, we can confirm that the museum is better than ever (and cheap – only $8 for adults). If you haven't paid a visit to the DIA in a while, it's worth the trip.
The Downriver city of Taylor is getting into the real estate business.
On Wednesday, the city took possession of 11 houses previously owned by the federal government. The price tag: $1 each.
In the "Taylor Cares" program, 11 houses will be rehabilitated and then sold to low- to moderate-income individuals or families.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's underused dollar program enables local governments to purchase for $1 homes that have been on the market for at least six months. Most of the HUD homes have been acquired through foreclosures.
"We wanted to combat blight, revitalize the neighborhoods and reduce the number of vacant homes in the city," said Jon Belanger, Taylor's community housing coordinator. "Our plan is to sell them at a low market rate and not hold on to them for very long. Our goal is to help people become proud homeowners."
That last quote from Jon Belanger basically sums up everything the Trust Fund is trying to achieve through our various loan programs.
It's great to see the City of Taylor is doing the right thing with these homes by making sure there is an ample supply of affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families in their community.
If there is a silver lining to found in this whole foreclosure crisis we're currently experiencing here in Michigan, it's that it will bring affordable housing issues to the forefront of public discourse. Then, hopefully we can learn from the mistakes that contributed to all these foreclosures and take steps to prevent more from happening in the future.
If you get a chance, go read the entire article.
Back in September we brought you the story of Old Town Commercial Association's Ikea makeover. Well, the Lansing State Journal had a nice update in Saturday's paper:
There were a lot of smiles Friday as business owners from Lansing's Old Town got their first glimpse at how much a $50,000 makeover from Ikea would change their stores.
"They're just looking after me," said Vernadine's restaurant owner Verna Whitfield as she looked through the Canton store with Atlanta-based Ikea designer Trenton Jones. "They're going to do a beautiful job. It's going to be a new place."
Owners from 10 Old Town businesses met with Ikea designers from across the country. Each business will get about $5,000 in merchandise and design work for its space.
For Whitfield, that will mean new tables, chairs and counters for her soul food restaurant at Clinton Street and Grand River Avenue.
"This is sharp," she said as Jones, who helps set up new Ikea stores across the country, showed her a red Ingolf chair and long Norden table in a clear birch finish.
The work is the result of Swedish retailer Ikea's "Small Businesses, Big Dreams" contest. Old Town had won out over 50 other communities in the contest, which sought to honor the nation's most creative business districts.
"I can promise some of them a very dramatic change," said Mats Nilsson, Ikea's chief designer on the project.
The cool new Ikea furniture should obviously be a nice feather in Old Town's cap –– not to mention a great way to attract customers –– but the most exciting aspect of OTCA's victory is what it says about the strength and creativity of this business district.
For folks who aren't from the Lansing area, here's a quick crash course in the history of Old Town:
By the latter part of the twentieth century, Old Town had become a fragmented shell of the bustling area it once was. Buildings were abandoned or burned out. People lost interest in local downtowns across the country, and Old Town was no exception.
Some very dedicated people, including the late Robert Busby, decided that the decay of Old Town was unacceptable. For the last 30 years, these “urban pioneers” have been working hard to revitalize Old Town to make it a better place to live, work, and shop. In 1996, the Mainstreet program was established in Old Town. Since then, crime rates have fallen to the lowest in the city, building vacancy has dropped from 90% to less than 10%, and Old Town is proud to be a home to some of the finest art and entertainment venues in Mid-Michigan. In 2006, Old Town was named a Michigan Main Street program area under Governor Granholm’s Cool Cities Initiative and continues to operate under the Main Street’s four point approach.
Through hard work and determination, Old Town has prospered and grown into one of the finest areas in Mid-Michigan. Old Town may have not yet reached its full potential, but thanks to the support of the community, it is on its way.
Active community participation and partnerships from numerous civic organizations have made Old Town the successful business district it is today.
For other Michigan cities looking to revitalize downtown shopping districts and completely revolutionize their image, Old Town is a great example of what it takes to make this happen.
Kudos to all the folks at OTCA –– keep up the great work!
The City of Lansing and the Ingham County Treasurer's office recently launched "Hold Onto Your Home," a free website designed to help consumers fight foreclosures.
Some of the useful features include information on the stages of foreclosure, alternatives to foreclosure, a brief Q&A on taxes, a budget worksheet, tips on improving your credit, resources for seeking out financial assistance and tips on avoiding scams.
Making sure consumers have access to affordable housing in the first place is obviously a major component of what we do here at the Trust Fund, but for folks who may be struggling to stay in their homes, holdontoyourhome.org is a great resource that's definitely worth your time.
Michigan Development News is a weekly series that features affordable housing and economic development-related news stories from across the state. Feel free to submit a story suggestion by leaving a note in the comments section.
NYT: Detroit: ‘Most Dangerous,’ or Most Disrespected
A publishing company that each year ranks the “most dangerous cities” in the United States says it does so to encourage “local conversation” about crime prevention. But in the city that topped this year’s list, Detroit, people are talking only about how much they think the researchers manipulated and sensationalized the data.
Detroit’s police chief, Ella Bully-Cummings, made the rounds on local television and radio shows lambasting CQ Press, a unit of Congressional Quarterly, which publishes the rankings. Chief Bully-Cummings called the list “an injustice to society as a whole” in an interview with one T.V. station, and told another that the rankings have no merit other than “shock value.”
“After today, what people will walk away with is that if you set foot in the city of Detroit, you are going to get killed, and that is absolutely not true,” she told The Detroit News.
The city put out a news release containing criticism of the study from the president of the American Society of Criminology, and explaining that most shootings in Detroit are drug-related and not random. It also points out that some major cities, like Chicago and Minneapolis, were left out of the rankings because they do not report their crime data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where CQ Press gets the figures it uses.
CQ may have it out for Motown, but the news wasn't all bad last week...
Business Week: World's Top 100 Most Livable Cities (h/t Model D):
What foreign postings are most coveted by expatriate executives? To find out, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, which provides advice to multinational companies on international assignments, has come up with a global ranking of the world's most livable cities based on 39 key quality-of-life issues. They include political stability, currency-exchange regulations, political and media censorship, school quality, housing, the environment and public safety. Mercer collected the data between September and November of 2006 and considered 215 cities around the globe. Switzerland's main commercial and cultural center, Zurich, topped the list this year, followed by Geneva, and Vancouver and Vienna, which tied for third.
Guess what? Detroit came in at #64, up one spot from last year's list, ahead of Atlanta, Houston, Prauge, Athens and Buenos Aires. Not too shabby.
Meanwhile, over in the Lansing area...
Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) is a public/private partnership that works with Ingham, Clinton and Eaton Counties to help cultivate economic growth and bring new businesses to the tri-county area.
LEAP is indicative of Singh and Bernero’s desire to strengthen the region rather than squabbling over developments and innovations that will benefit their city alone. LEAP focuses on building the region, rather than an individual area.
“LEAP is really about promoting our region to the world,” Bernero says. “The more we look like that metroplex, then we win, because we will be sucking that vitality, that life into the central cities.”
Bernero points to housing developments, which are popping up in East Lansing and Lansing as one example of a growing economic sector the cities share. East Lansing can claim the West Village condos, the Virginia Avenue project, the Burcham Road development, Campus Village and Albert Place as new housing projects. Lansing’s not hurting for housing either, laying claim to the Stadium District condos, Prudden Place, Motorwheel Lofts, On the Grand condos, Printers Row and the Arbaugh.
“I call them the two major engines of the economy,” Bernero says about the two cities. “You have the state Capitol and Michigan State University on either end of Michigan Avenue, and some of the synergy just sort of happened naturally and some just didn’t.”
“That doesn’t mean that it’s one versus the other,” Singh says. “As long as growth is happening in both communities, both communities will be winners.”
Sometimes citizens and the media try to pit the two cities against each other, but the two mayors block this out and focus on the job at hand.
Regardless of your personal feelings about Bernero or (outgoing Mayor) Singh, it's encouraging to see both cities working together for the betterment of the entire Mid-Michigan region.