ASMSU officials decided in an emergency meeting last week to oppose the "blighted" - or deteriorated - status of a highly populated student housing area.
More than 20 Student Assembly representatives created a bill stating the area, East Village, is not decaying or deteriorating.
The bill says "ASMSU will work to protect the student housing in the area by any means necessary and that ASMSU refuses to support (East Lansing) City Council in its redevelopment efforts until they have promised to maintain the area as a primarily student neighborhood..."
Student Assembly Chairperson Andrew Schepers said there will be lot of discussion and planning.
"We just need to sit down at the table with students, the city and university officials to figure out what's going to work for everyone," he said.
The City Council declared the area as blighted in 2000, and when the label expired in May 2003, the area was declared blighted a second time on Dec. 21, 2004.
The 35-acre area being considered for redevelopment, which includes Cedar Village and about 700 rental units, is bounded on the west and east by Bogue Street and Hagadorn Road, and on the north and south by Grand River Avenue and the Red Cedar River.
City officials said they hope to use the blighted designation as a tool to help fund redevelopment efforts in the East Village, which includes about 2,000 people and more than 60 properties.
Schepers said one positive effect of redevelopment is that nontraditional students might be attracted to the area. But destruction of the historical area could be a negative, he said.
Andrew Bell, external vice chairperson of Student Assembly, said the redevelopment plan is unfair to the fraternities and student residents who reside in East Village.
"I understand the fraternities and some residents party a lot, but the conditions have improved," he said.
"These fraternity and sorority houses are the mansions of East Lansing."
East Lansing City Manager Ted Staton said the changes will only help the city.
"We're doing this to improve a blighted area in the city," he said. "All our records say that."
Interfraternity Council President Mahfouz Ackall said fraternities do not oppose improving the city but will not allow their houses to be destroyed.
"We just want to make sure we remain a vibrant part (of the city)," he said, adding that fraternity members plan to attend City Council meetings.
Bell said he agrees with the tactics the Interfraternity Council has planned to take.
"The best thing we can do is go to the meetings and help appeal," he said. "We do not want the area to be declared as blighted, and we will work as hard as we can."
