East Lansing City Council will vote on a proposal to form a committee for the City Center II project Tuesday.
If passed, the City Center II Project Development Committee will coordinate the project’s development and inform the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority and the Planning Commission of any progress.
City officials say there are interested developers and businesses for the project, but have not made any official commitments.
Councilmember Vic Loomis developed the proposal and will serve as liaison to the planning commission for the committee.
He said both city center projects involve the public and private sector and the committee was developed with that in mind.
“It will define the nature of the project, how large it will be, what will it entail and how to go about attaining the retail,” Loomis said.
Loomis said if the council ratifies the proposal Tuesday, then the committee will meet on Wednesday or Thursday.
“I think it is going to be ratified Tuesday night, at least at our work session, everyone was comfortable with it,” he said.
Mayor Mark Meadows will serve as liaison to the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority for the committee. Meadows said the downtown development authority originally handled the City Center I project after the city sold the buildings to the group.
“They have a broader mission, the DDA is really our downtown oversight group,” he said. “They are sort of a mini-government.”
Jim van Ravensway, director of planning and community development, also will serve on the committee.
“It creates a sort of an oversight, how the project is going, so there is sort of a public review built into it,” he said.
Councilmember Bill Sharp said the committee might help speed up the progress of the project.
“We will get some different aspects on it other than council or staff,” he said.
But Councilmember Beverly Baten said she has concerns about councilmembers being involved.
Baten said she is hesitant over the influence the council should have with the project.
“My concern is that we not put a council member where they have any kind of leadership,” she said. “If there were any problems there could be finger pointing.”
