Lansing - When Keith Jones decided to move to Lansing, he hoped to occupy a unique living space.
He now lives in a loft-style apartment in a building that once housed a sewing machine shop and tobacco store in 1870.
"I was looking to move to Lansing, and I didn't want a regular apartment," he said. "I walked downtown, looked up, and I found my loft."
While loft apartments might be a fresh idea for Lansing, the buildings themselves are anything but new. Lofts usually are large, studio-style apartments built in renovated buildings, and in Lansing, they date back to the 19th century.
Jones, who moved into his Washington Square loft in February, was one of the first people to live in the newly developed downtown residences.
Jones said he knew he needed to find something that was different. He wanted to enjoy a bigger living space and still be in a city environment, so when he noticed the lofts, he signed a two-year lease without hesitation.
"I like being able to get up in the morning and walk to Beaner's," he said. "And obviously the bars are all in walking distance."
Jones lives in a European-style loft developed by Stockwell Real Estate Group Inc., which is based in Okemos. Ken Stockwell, the company's owner, said before becoming homes, his lofts once housed everything from beer breweries and private clubs to pool halls and even liquor bootlegging spots during Prohibition.
In the past year, Lansing has been working to become a more lively city, and one element in that quest has been the development of the alternative living option of residential lofts.
Lansing City Councilmember Carol Wood said the lofts bring a lot to Lansing.
"The fact that you have people living in the downtown area generates a necessity for businesses to serve them," she said. "I always use the example that McDonald's doesn't open in the middle of a cornfield with no houses."
Wood said she is seeing some revitalization in the downtown because of the lofts.
"There are more people downtown after dark," she said. "I just saw someone today who wants to sell their home in Grand Ledge and move into a loft in the city. We are hearing from more people that are looking to that type of lifestyle."
As a Detroit native, Jones was wary of the possibility of a boring scene in Lansing.
"It was a little different, but you have to find the interesting areas Lansing has. You kind of stumble upon them," he said. "I think it's more interesting to find the places to go, the little nooks and crannies."
Prospective residents choose from modest to luxury lofts ranging from $750 to $1,400 per month. They each come with stainless-steel appliances and finished wood floors, as well as high ceilings and bar-style kitchens, designed to give the lofts a modern feel, Stockwell said.
But Stockwell Real Estate Group Inc. is not the only company to see the opportunity for developing new downtown housing options. Mark Kerrins, Jerome Abood and Doug Nylander also have built lofts in Lansing.
Kerrins owns a luxury loft above the Curves For Women gym on South Washington Square, and like many of the downtown buildings, his loft was a store almost 80 years ago.
"It was rebuilt in 1927, and it was an SS Kresge, like a Kmart now," he said. "It was a state-of-the-art store."
Kerrins said he is optimistic about the future of loft-style housing. He said he gets calls from people about his loft availability daily.
"I have had pretty good luck with this first loft," he said. "I am looking for the right building to develop 10 to 20 more units; the demand is definitely there."
The Lansing Economic Development Corporation and Business Resource Center also played a role in the establishment of the lofts.
"We have offered incentives on the behalf of the city of Lansing to encourage the development," said Marchelle Smith, an employee with the corporation.
Smith said a loft grant available for property owners is $25,000 per building and has a 2-to-1 payment ratio, meaning their cost must be $75,000 or more to get the grant. There is no limit to how many grants developers can receive.
To date, more than $93,000 in grant money has been awarded, and more than $5.2 million has been spent by property owners in private investments for development, Smith said.
She said it might take time to see if the lofts will succeed enough to impact the area.
"It's a slow process, but I think the more people you actually get to live and be downtown will create a need for products, which will have a phenomenal effect on the downtown district," she said.
Alessa Thomas can be reached at thoma470@msu.edu.
