The city is moving forward with plans to redevelop the East Village area despite concerns from several major property owners in the neighborhood.
At Tuesday's East Lansing City Council meeting, representatives from DTN Management Co. — which owns the Cedar Village apartments — and Prime Housing Group expressed fears about the area's uncertain future.
"We are opposed to the expansion of the Downtown Development Authority, and we want our properties exempted from the area," said Colin Cronin, area director for student properties at DTN. "It's a bad use of our tax dollars."
City officials said the plan is moving at a steady pace, and the future for the area looks bright.
"Whenever I look at the master plan, I can only see property values going up," East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh said.
Nancy Kurdziel, who owns Prime Housing Group, was wary of the speed at which city officials seem to be approving parts of the project. The group owns seven buildings in the East Village.
"We are a little ahead of ourselves here," she said. "(Expanding the boundaries of Downtown Development Authority) wouldn't have a direct effect on the area."
Despite the property owners' concerns, the council passed plans to reform the zoning code and extend the Downtown Development Authority's boundaries.
Expanding the boundaries of the Downtown Development Authority allows property owners to take advantage of tax incentives and be included in the city's development discussions. This would help foster the vision for overhauling the area that is primarily occupied by student renters.
The East Village is bounded on the north and south by Grand River Avenue and the Red Cedar River, and on the east and west by Hagadorn Road and Bogue Street.
Reforming the zoning codes allows the city to regulate specific building heights, styles and uses. The area that is now home to buildings about four stories tall could one day be the site of buildings about eight stories tall.
"The zoning will provide the framework (for the redevelopment)," Singh said.
The city also approved Market Street Realty as the firm to handle property acquisition for the Virginia Avenue project.
Calling for the creation of 39 new homes and condominiums along the 600 block, the project is designed so families, especially those with children, can move into the area, which is near three schools.
