Lansing · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lansing public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Renaming E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue
The committee continues its quarterly review of the street renaming, including a resident survey of affected parties and a budget priority to reimburse street name change costs.
Mod Pod homeless housing delays
Council Member Nevarez Martinez pressed staff on why the mod pods slipped from this winter to 2027, citing conflicting explanations about site location and costs. Mayor Schor said Clark Construction found significant site work needs, including sewer and water crossings across Cedar.
PILOT Tax Incentives for Affordable and Workforce Housing
A $37 million project would bring 124 affordable apartments to a underused parcel on S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; the tax-break proposal gets its public hearing Monday.
Brownfield Plan #87 (New Vision) agreements
The New Vision project's reimbursement agreement and interlocal agreement determine how and when the developer gets repaid using tax increment dollars captured on the brownfield site. The board got a status update scheduled on where those agreements stand.
South Lansing Roadmap and Neighborhoods of Focus redevelopment
The LEDC board was scheduled to receive presentations on targeted redevelopment work in South Lansing, including the South Lansing Roadmap and the Neighborhoods of Focus initiative. These efforts shape which neighborhoods see new investment and development opportunities.
Mural sponsorship at 221 West Saginaw Street
M3 Group gave a detailed update on the launch of the mural district marketing campaign, promoting the corridor as an arts destination.
New City Hall opening and sale of old building
Spadafore gave a history sendoff: 300 people have served since 1859, and the new building puts the council chamber on the ground floor — 'democracy is coming back down to the ground floor.'
César Chávez Avenue renaming
The long-running street renaming debate continues. The committee heard from community members, plans more outreach including possible surveys and door-to-door contact, and will revisit quarterly — with holiday season off the table for timing.
OPRA tax abatement for 2231 W. Willow Street renovation
Two properties — on S. Washington Ave. and W. Mt. Hope Ave. — are getting Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act certificates, which cut property taxes to encourage rehabbing old buildings. The upside is more likely redevelopment; the trade-off is reduced tax revenue during the abatement period.
Kiosk removal and downtown streetscape art
The old kiosk spots are a tripping hazard and the first art proposals came in over budget and off-theme. The board is spending up to $60,000 to get a redesign from a local artist that fits streetscape standards, and wants the Lugnuts' spare concrete baseballs considered for Michigan Avenue.
Rental property regulation update (Ordinance 1350)
EDP staff updated the committee on the new tag system for rental properties. A landlord said the system hinders good-faith repairs and inspection waits are too long; a committee member asked for a public dashboard showing compliance timelines.
Safe and Secure Housing Initiative Ordinance
Board members discussed the housing ordinance that was on a recent City Council agenda. Questions remain about how it would be funded and how it could affect the HRCS department and the agencies it funds. Council took no immediate action.
Vacant & Blighted Property Replacement fund
A proposed $300,000 fund would tackle vacant, abandoned and blighted residential and commercial properties through stabilization, demolition, site prep and environmental assessment, getting tough parcels ready for redevelopment.
Home Repair & Aging in Place Program funding
Lansing seniors can get daily meals and fitness programs at Alfreda Schmidt, free vaccination clinics through Kroger, and a summer property tax deferment if they're 62+ and earn under $40,000. The committee wants to keep tracking what services seniors actually use.
New ownership progress at 1218 Gordon Avenue
The new owners of this blighted house have pulled permits and cleared the home out. They got 90 days to show EDP real progress before any demolition order moves forward.
Tax-foreclosed blighted properties headed to second auction
Five properties that already came out of committee didn't sell at August's tax auction and go back up October 26. If they don't sell then, the city could step in with a first right of refusal.
Grand Tower parking deck over South Grand Avenue
New Vision Lansing wants to bridge its 28-story tower and parking ramp with a private deck over a public street, using city air rights and right-of-way. Sidewalks narrow slightly and three trees are removed, but the city gets new downtown residents who should support nearby businesses.
Brownfield redevelopment of former University Motor Mall site
Brownfield Plan 91 would use tax increment financing to reimburse GTZ Properties roughly $709,000 for site cleanup at 6420 S. Cedar, a nearly six-acre former car dealership site with a Chick-fil-A already operating. The site is pad-ready with potential for 80 new jobs and several additional tenants.
Brownfield Plan #91, 6420 S. Cedar Street
A brownfield plan for a cleared, pad-ready site at 6420 S. Cedar Street would use tax capture for cleanup/reimbursement, seeking local-only reimbursement due to state timing rules. The property is being marketed to multiple retail and restaurant tenants. A public hearing is set for August 10.
Grand River corridor streetscape design
The corridor makeover is moving forward with new 3D visuals from consultants, and the board wants even more renderings to picture what streetscape improvements will look like.
Temporary Moratorium on New Data Centers
The budget tentatively allocates about $1 million in anticipated data center revenue to fire, housing, facade, and neighborhood grants, plus $2.2 million for Project NOVA homelessness response. Some council members want these needs funded regardless of whether the data center deal happens.
CDBG Federal Funding Allocations
Lansing's federal grant plan funds housing, homelessness services, home repair, and down payment assistance. Numbers are placeholders until federal allocations arrive; public hearing is April 20.
Lansing Shuffle building sale ballot question
The city is considering selling the Lansing Shuffle building and the dedicated parkland it sits on at 325 Riverfront Drive, with the question headed to voters. Opponents want an updated appraisal and Park Board input first, warning the $953,000 price undervalues riverfront property and that the city loses control of the site forever. Council delayed action to April 20.
Sale of Lot 49 to Deep Green (ACT-7-2025)
The city would sell Lot 49 and conditionally rezone 220 S. Larch for a $120 million, 24-megawatt data center. Unions back the construction jobs; residents oppose it over noise, water, utility rates, environmental risk, and whether it fits downtown plans. Public hearing is February 9.
New Hope Community Center Relocation to 332 S. Townsend
The council rezoned 332 Townsend and approved a permit so the N.E.S.T. can move its day, family, and veterans shelter downtown, close to mission services. No opposition surfaced at the hearing.
Capitol Walk Apartments Brownfield Plan
A $38.8 million, 124-unit downtown apartment project on the former YMCA parking lot, using the new housing brownfield TIF with up to ~$26.6 million in tax capture over 30 years. The developer commits $100,000 to nearby Reutter Park.
Shelter for homeless families at 500 S. MLK
A church that started sheltering homeless families during freezing weather needs a rezoning and special land use permit to legally keep operating; it houses about 50 people now on a month-to-month temporary permit.
Causeway Bay Motel housing for former Dietrich Park encampment residents
Former Dietrich Park encampment residents are in hotel rooms at $60/night, but city funding runs out in early February and only two people have housing vouchers so far. Ingham County's $76,000 buys roughly two more months.