Mayor Vic Loomis and Ted Staton, city manager for East Lansing, remark on the continuous talks of eminent domain, emphasizing the city’s refusal to use it, specifically in the East Village.
The East Village project.
It’s a name that brings skepticism among some students and residents. But the East Village project, which would redevelop areas around East Grand River Avenue, Stoddard Avenue, Bogue Street and the Red Cedar River, could be a misunderstood production, as East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis, City Manager Ted Staton and Councilmember Nathan Triplett told the State News Editorial Board Thursday. There are many potential benefits, even among the negatives.
The fact that these dwellings will also offer more amenities and will be in better condition than more rundown Cedar Village properties is a plus. This city could use a more entertaining downtown area, and East Village will likely provide that. East Village residents only will have to walk around the corner or down the stairs for enjoyment.
It has been commonly said that East Village will reduce the amount of student dwelling units, but officials said student residential units will increase by about 80 compared to Cedar Village, a number that seems unrealistically high.
There are questions Loomis, Staton and Triplett had trouble answering, though, mainly regarding the issue of affordability. Pierce Education Properties, the San Diego-based development company spearheading the East Village project, has said prices would be comparable to that of Campus Village Apartments. Most of the apartments in Cedar Village, however, are less expensive than those in Campus Village.
City officials said the market will dictate the price of the East Village apartments, but it seems unlikely that they will be competitive with current Cedar Village rates. First, property values will increase, necessitating a rise in prices. Second, the apartments will be modernized, meaning prices will increase. Staton mentioned, however, that Cedar Village and property owners have had their chances to redevelop and modernize their properties but haven’t.
This is a valid point, but it strays from the fact that people in Cedar Village often choose that location for financial reasons.
And while he said the market will dictate the price of the dwellings, it’s more believable that students who can’t afford the initial prices will be forced out of the area and to the north of East Lansing, where rent is cheaper. This northward migration could be exacerbated by other housing units being forced to upgrade and modernize to compete with East Village, thus driving up the price of other homes in the area.
But time is running out for the East Village project. There are 18 months left to acquire the property for the East Village project, and it seems that if the property is not ready for construction by then, the project will die.
This does not mean, however, that the city will use eminent domain, a way to take private property if it’s deemed necessary for public use, the officials said several times. The city has not used eminent domain to acquire property — not even for City Center II — and the contract with Pierce Education Properties requires the developer to acquire all land, meaning the city will not be involved.
Eminent domain is illegal according to the state of Michigan constitution, and East Lansing residents should not fear the city abusing its power or violating the state constitution, Staton said. There is much uncertainty with the East Village project, right down to whether it will even get started. But with 18 months to go, hopefully the realities of such a development become more clear.
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