The East Lansing City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the City Center tax increment and increasing restrictions on smoking in restaurants.
To fund the City Center, an ordinance would raise taxes of East Lansing residents in small increments.
The project, with a price tag of about $30 million, will be home to an array of new shops and restaurants in East Lansing. The City Center is a new vision the city is working on, said Jim van Ravensway, city community and economic development administrator.
The proposed building will be constructed where the University Mall is, forcing businesses such as BW-3, 220 M.A.C. Ave., and Gina’s Hallmark, 301 E. Grand River Ave., to relocate. Many businesses, such as Splash of Color Tattoo & Piercing Studio, 515 E. Grand River Ave., and Jersey Giant, 529 E. Grand River Ave., have already found new homes along Grand River Avenue.
BW-3 is set to move in November. Jacobson’s, 333 E. Grand River Ave., which was potentially going to anchor the project, is moving to Meridian Mall later this fall.
Another issue to be discussed is the Clean Indoor Air Resolution. One of the strategic priorities and goals of the council for the 2001 year is to “improve community amenities within neighborhoods to assure aesthetically pleasing, safe and well-maintained public areas,” which includes cleaning up air quality at indoor facilities. Nothing will be decided Tuesday, there will only be discussion.
Also Tuesday, residents of East Lansing will vote on the East Lansing School District bond proposals. The proposals, totaling more than $66 million, will renovate and remodel the existing high school, MacDonald Middle School and rebuild the high school pool.
If the proposals are passed, a tax increase of about 3 percent will take effect. Students living off campus and East Lansing residents would be subject to the tax hike.
Even though Tuesday is a work session for the council, a special meeting and public hearing must occur because the hearing is required to take place during September.
Tuesday’s meeting will be at 7 p.m. in Conference Room A at City Hall, 410 Abbott Road, and the work session will begin at 7:15 p.m. in the same room.
