A Grand River Avenue building is in the clear for demolition. A plan to construct a mixed-use facility on the Bailey Street site near Taco Bell was approved by the East Lansing City Council at its meeting Tuesday.
"This has been a long process," said David Krause of Corey Partnership, the project's developer. "It goes back almost a year."
The council reviewed a similar plan from the partnership last November, but turned it down because it was targeted at the student rental market, according to city documents.
"We have had numerous meetings with the planning department, City Council and the planning commission," Krause said. "Throughout the course of all these meetings, the building plans were revised due to the input from all these sources."
The plan for the area includes retail space and apartments targeted at young professionals or families.
Although deemed acceptable by the City Council and the planning commission, some people have reservations about the construction plan.
"We like the fact there is a lower occupancy level, but they eliminated the whole idea of condos," said Sally Silver, chairwoman of the Bailey Community Association. "This new proposal also reduces the amount of business space from the previous two proposals."
Also approved by the council was the West Village development, which includes the creation of 15 townhouses and a building that would house retail space along with 19 condominium units.
"It makes a transition from the single-family residences," said Darren McKenna, the project's architect.
Some do not view the project as an improvement for the area.
"I'm always with the belief that the city of East Lansing does not do enough to support students," international relations sophomore Ashly Jordan said. "I would support something like apartment complexes off campus."
Various neighborhoods also sought approval of applications to limit new rental licenses in their respective areas across the city at the meeting.
Requests to completely restrict new rentals from the Chesterfield Hills Neighborhood and the Harrison Meadows North Subdivision were reviewed and approved by the council.
"We like balance," said Mary Lindemann, vice president of the Chesterfield Hills Neighborhood Association. "We like a nice comfortable mix so we have a culture that is appropriate to all of us."
Lindemann said a change in the number of owner-occupied homes has been noted by the association.
"What we see on the perimeter of the neighborhood is a very steady conversion from owner-occupied units to rentals," she said. "We would just like to see the neighborhood preserved as it is."
Despite an overwhelming response from permanent residents to the rental ordinance, some felt it could have the potential to push out student and greek housing.
"When you keep it so renters can't come in, (residents) are more likely to complain," said Ryan VanStone, vice president of Sigma Phi Epsilon. "We bring all the business to this town - without Michigan State students, this town would not exist."
Kris Turner can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.
