Thursday evening, the East Lansing Citizens Concerned, or ELCC, group met in the East Lansing Hannah Community Center to discuss the status of both the private and publicly owned portions of the former City Center II site.
The group also expressed concerns that city officials might be moving too fast with the project, which is the same site where the original City Center II project was deemed financially infeasible this past June and the entire project fell through.
The site’s ownership is split between the city and CADA Investments, LLC, and City Center II, LLC. Roughly 25 percent of the site is privately owned.
Now that the public comment period for the RFQP for the publicly owned portion is over, the draft is undergoing an approval process with city officials before any proposals can be considered.
“Proposals have to pass muster on the qualifications (in the RFQP) to even have their proposal read,” ELCC group Co-chair Chris Root said.
The site plan for the privately owned portion involves two four-story buildings with room for retail on the first floor, but the current site plan doesn’t integrate adequate parking for residents.
The draft request for qualifications and proposals for the publicly owned portion of land suggests mixed-use structures, with housing for both students and residents. It also calls for pedestrian accessibility and retail.
The parking issues, as well as any other existing problems with the private site plan, will be discussed at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting, where it currently is undergoing an approval process.
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