We've said it a hundred times, but we'll say it again - there would be no East Lansing without MSU. That said, we're disturbed by the blatant attempt by city officials and some residents to push students away from campus. Because unlike Ann Arbor, which is a city with a campus in it, MSU is a campus with a city in it.
The newest attempt to change East Lansing from a college town to a classy, bedroom community revolves around the proposed Cedar Village overhaul. The initial plan for the overhaul includes tearing down Cedar Village, as well as other apartment complexes, rental houses and businesses and replacing them with - get this - condominiums and parks.
Right, because students can afford to live in condos, and young professionals and families really want to live in a postage stamp of land between campus and fraternities.
The city has proposed building new student housing and businesses in the area, but we still have a feeling that these locations will be priced sky high and not geared toward students.
But even if they are, there will certainly be a time period - likely years from now- when about 2,000 students living in the Cedar Village area will be displaced. Don't expect the city of East Lansing to feel for them. City officials are likely banking on the notion that students will head to the Northern Tier area of East Lansing. Don't look to the university to protect our off-campus interests either. The bulldozing of this student mecca will just mean more students who will be forced to "Live-on."
The city has made an offer to community members - and believe it or not, that does include students - to put their concerns into writing regarding the overhaul.
Hopefully the city is really interested in what community members have to say and will actually heed some recommendations or listen to the concerns. Although it's unfortunate the city chose to set this deadline during the summer with only a fraction of students around, students still have a tremendous opportunity.
Students, if you care about the East Village area (we're talking co-ops such as Atlantis, apartments such as Cedar Village and Woodmere and a slew of your favorite places to spend money), now is the time to speak up. There will be no opportunity for voicing your concerns after the 90-day deadline to give feedback. So do it now.
Although the Cedar Village area has a reputation of being dirty, rowdy and crazy, it can't just be removed. This city was built because of students and has a responsibility to them.
East Lansing is not and will never fully be a family-oriented city, geared toward young professionals and the affluent. That's what Holt and Okemos are for. East Lansing will never become a bedroom community. It's important to support what a city has, not what it can never attain. And what East Lansing has is MSU.
