The old Taco Bell building, at the corner of East Grand River Avenue and Bailey Street, may finally be replaced after remaining vacant since the early 2000s.
A proposal to replace the vacant restaurant with a five-story apartment building is being reviewed by the East Lansing City Council’s Planning Commission, who met Wednesday evening.
Located at 565 E. Grand River Ave., the restaurant was constructed in 1972 and remained in business until Taco Bell moved across to the northwest corner of Bailey Street.
At this site, David Krause from the Stonehouse Village development company is proposing a five-story building featuring 30 apartment units designed for students on the upper floors. The ground floor would be designated for commercial space.
The city’s planning department is currently reviewing the proposal, and will be further discussed during the Planning Commission meeting on April 22. If approved, construction would begin this summer with the goal of being completed within 12 months.
At Wednesday’s meeting most of the planning commission’s time was focused on a Site Plan and Special Use Permit Application staff report, brought forward by Lingg Brewer, for a revised proposal previously brought forward in the fall of last year. It detailed a four-story building at 500 Albert Ave. and 122 Division St.
The building would be constructed between existing apartment buildings and require bulldozing the house on the corner of Division Street. The proposed development would include six studio apartments and seven two-bedroom units on the upper floors. The first floor would be entirely commercial in use.
Apartments in the new building would be marketed towards upperclassmen and graduate college students, with rent expected to remain similar to the current level of the apartment building at 500 Albert St.
There were concerns from members of the commission regarding the proposed demolition of the house at 122 Division St. While the proposal has existed for several years, no progress has been made to modify the property.
“I assure you the building will be torn down if you ever approve the project,” said Jack Davis, counsel of Lingg Brewer, who spoke at the public hearing. “We have worked with your council, your staff and the fire marshal to accommodate all concerns.”
However, members of the planning commission remained worried about the building’s compatibility with the currently existing properties, including existing windows, doors and designated bike parking. Al Bay, owner of the a neighboring property, the Wild Goose Inn Bed and Breakfast, was present and spoke out against the development.
“I am worried about the height of the building disrupting other houses and especially the trees,” Bay said. “To build such a towering structure among one and two-story properties is concerning. It doesn’t make sense.”
Commission members once again sent the application back to review, requesting a revision with approval from the fire marshal and updates to the modification of adjacent properties. The original plan had scheduled for construction to begin immediately after MSU’s spring semester, with the building ready to be lived in by the fall.
