WHO are you? Diane Goddeeris, mayor
WHAT is the current state of downtown East Lansing? “Right now, we’re in a transition period in some areas because we have room for growth, and some (are) in the process of being built. But we also have a comprehensive plan to continue to build mixed-use developments.”
WHY is East Lansing in the state it is? “It’s because there are three different types of areas: long time businesses, empty properties and developing buildings. They’re all mixed together, so it’s not set up as one block is this and one is that — all with the same goal of trying to attract regional visitors, have a market that’s unique and service those who work and live in East Lansing.”
HOW will the city continue to develop? “(By) trying to build unique businesses, whether it’s a business or a food establishment. That draws people to come downtown. People are destination-oriented, but when they get there, they stop and look around.”
WHERE do you start? “Our community development and planning department is very active in trying to recruit businesses and talk about what we can and can’t do. Not just inviting them in, but actually soliciting them to bring businesses to East Lansing.”
WHEN could East Lansing start to see some change? “They’re active, they’re working on it and I wish overnight we can change things, but we’re in a recovering economy, and it will take some time to get there. But it hasn’t stopped us from aggressively chasing down these leads.”
WHO are you? Nathan Triplett, mayor pro tem
WHAT is the current state of downtown East Lansing? “I think there’s a great deal of potential, and you see some exciting things happening, but clearly there’s more work to be done.”
WHY is East Lansing in the state it is? “East Lansing’s proximity to MSU has a tremendous impact on the businesses we can attract and maintain. So one of our challenges is finding businesses that can apply to all people in the community, not just students.”
HOW will the city continue to develop? “Really, the city’s focus needs to be on attracting more residents into East Lansing’s downtown. Having a higher residency in the downtown area attracts businesses, improves vitality and allows the downtown to thrive.”
WHERE do you start? “You already see infrastructure improvements that show progress. (We) work with the private sector to attract good tenants for storefronts in the downtown and talk to developers that will bring interesting properties.”
WHEN could East Lansing start to see some change? “We’ve already seen the beginnings of that. The St. Anne’s project, the residences to the west of that, and we’ve seen successes in the downtown of attracting mixed-use development. Those are all steps in the right direction.”
WHO are you? George Lahanas, city manager
WHAT is the current state of downtown East Lansing? “These things are not a sprint, (they are) a marathon … I think it’s kind of in a midpoint at the journey, but we’ve got a ways to go.”
WHY is East Lansing in the state it is? “When these things redevelop, they do so for the next 60 years. So you only get one shot at this, and you have to make sure it goes right. So with City Center II and other projects, you have to make sure you have the right fit.”
HOW will the city continue to develop? “We’re going to be talking to the community in what I think will be very well-attended meetings where we can announce to the community that we want to hear from them before we put a (request for proposal) out.”
WHERE do you start? “Where possible, we want to take all the input from our citizens so we can move forward with development and really get something that is exciting and a great complement to our downtown.”
WHEN could East Lansing start to see some change? “It starts July 24. We get a chance to start over on our property and talk to our residents. Hopefully there’s a lot of good ideas, big thinking and exciting ideas. Some may not work, but hopefully we get something that sticks that we can put into a RFP. Three years from now, it could be a completely different story down there.”
WHO are you? Don Power, councilmember
WHAT is the current state of downtown East Lansing? “I think the downtown has pluses and minuses, but more importantly, the question is where do we go from here and what do the citizens of East Lansing want?”
WHY is East Lansing in the state it is? “I think it’s three things; some are localized conditions that happen, like construction. The second is the economy in general, and the third is not having a distinctive direction from the citizenry.”
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HOW will the city continue to develop? “I don’t think government can do this. It has to be driven by the desires of the citizens of East Lansing — and that includes those on the campus side.”
WHERE do you start? “The process is already underway. It started with the vote for City Center II that sent a clear message that the city is not against development, but we approach these operations carefully.”
WHEN could East Lansing start to see some change? “We have good potential; it’s there, and we just have to start believing in it. With a new city manager and the direction we’re headed, I think we can hit that potential, and I feel very confident about it.”
WHO are you? Kevin Beard, councilmember
WHAT is the current state of downtown East Lansing? “I think it’s a status quo. We’ve had businesses open and businesses close. We’ve lost a couple anchor businesses, but I believe we will fill those spaces.”
WHY is East Lansing in the state it is? “Our downtown looks this way because we’ve got over 50 years of unfettered growth in the towns around us, and retailers and changing retailing models have changed the way people look for goods and services.”
HOW will the city continue to develop? “If we’re going to revitalize a downtown, we have to lead with residential (development). But the one we build and the offerings we have need to attract a very diverse group of residents.”
WHERE do you start? “City Center I was a start. That equation changes, to a small degree, the type of people living in the downtown. Encouraging more of that is the challenge for us.”
WHEN could East Lansing start to see some change? “If you’re looking for some magic pill that will suddenly and dramatically change the downtown, it won’t happen. Downtowns change slowly — we didn’t get here in the last decade, and we won’t get out of it in a decade. But we’ve started some projects that bring something unique to the area, and that’s a start.”
WHO are you? Tim Dempsey, planning and community development director
WHAT is the current state of downtown East Lansing? “I think we’re going through a period of transition. Primarily from a physical standpoint with construction, but also the loss of Barnes and Noble and the need to replace those retail spaces. But with that comes great opportunity.”
WHY is East Lansing in the state it is? “It’s a function of the fact that we’re in a college community, and it’s a function of the overall economy in the state and nation. And I also think it’s a function of competition and trends in retail.”
HOW will the city continue to develop? “If you really start to look at the retailers we have, we have a good collection of independently owned, unique businesses. And we need the community to support those and spend money there rather than in chains. And the more we do that, the more we can show this is a vibrant retail market.”
WHERE do you start? “It’s already begun by adding a lot of people downtown. We’ve had a number of projects in recent years, (and) all of these projects are going to create Class A retail space and create what retailers want.”
WHEN could East Lansing start to see some change? “We are taking steps in that direction. In a lot of ways, we’ve grown significantly in the past decade, but like any downtown, it’s a constant evolution. You’re always trying to improve yourself, so even the best downtowns are trying to improve themselves.”
