A major project in downtown East Lansing is beginning to take shape after a year of construction and more than five years of planning.
The City Center Project is a $30 million revitalization of the downtown, which includes a CVS Pharmacy, condominiums that will bring the first owner-occupied housing to the downtown in at least 60 years and office space. A BW-3 and a 730-space parking structure have already opened.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, located at 333 E. Grand River Ave., where Jacobson’s was, is on the way.
The 216,000-square-foot brick and limestone project runs down the east side of M.A.C. Avenue and the south side of Albert Avenue to Charles Street.
“We wanted to use a style of architecture that makes it look like it has always been there,” said Jim van Ravensway, director of planning and community development. “We also wanted to create commercial space along Albert Avenue where there used to be parking ramp - livening up Albert with storefronts.”
Jim Cash, vice president of The Christman Co., the Lansing-based development company that is constructing the project, said it’s right on schedule.
The project is expected to be open and ready for business by spring 2002, but some aspects, such as the bookstore, will be open this fall.
“It is going to bring new retail shopping alternatives to the downtown, geared to the general population as well as students,” Cash said. “We want to diversify shopping and restaurants.”
Cash said there will also be a small amount of retailers in the Barnes & Noble building as well as on M.A.C. and Grand River avenues. Leases have not yet been signed for these spaces.
“We have several people that are interested,” he said. “We are just trying to find the most appropriate tenants.”
Carolyn Bennett, East Lansing community and economic development administrator, said the project will be very interesting.
“East Lansing is really exciting and a good place to have entertainment and shopping - City Center is really going to enhance that image,” she said.
But not everyone is excited about the downtown revitalization. Mike Price, an East Lansing resident for 58 years, said he remembers when the city was a vibrant community full of independent businesses.
Now, he said, most of those businesses are gone and East Lansing is creating a different type of shopping atmosphere.
But he said it will fail because of the parking fees.
“They’re trying to revive East Lansing retail and they are doing it by replicating a mall instead of bringing in small, independent businesses,” Price said.
“If you have your choice to shop are you going to go where you get a ticket?”
However, others say the project is a plus. Debra Williams, director of corporate communication for Barnes & Noble, said the store will be a two-story superstore - which means it’ll include a cafe, a music department featuring DVDs, CDs and a limited amount of cassettes, and a children’s department.
The store will have at least 150,000 titles.
“We have been looking for property in East Lansing for quite some time,” she said. “We feel that East Lansing is a great community.”
Williams also said the bookstore will bring a lot to the city, including store events that will reflect the interests of the community.
“For one thing, we will bring jobs to the community,” she said. “We will offer book lovers in East Lansing a comfortable environment in which to browse for books.”
