Wednesday, April 17,2013

What's next for Whitmer?

Checking in with City Pulse readers' favorite politician: Grateful to serve and unsure of the future

by Kyle Melinn

About 13 years ago, 28-year-old Gretchen Whitmer knocked her first door in East Lansing and Meridian Township as a candidate for the 69th state House district. The eager first-time candidate had a law degree. She had a couple of years' experience as an attorney. She served on the staff of former House Speaker Curtis Hertel, Sr., father of Ingham County Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel, Jr.

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Wednesday, April 17,2013

Eye candy of the week

by Amanda Harrell-Seyburn

East Lansing's residential neighborhoods are fairly traditional when it comes to architectural styles, a good mixture of Tudors, Colonials, Side-Halls, Craftsmans and Cape Cods, to name a few. Every once in a while, the block is punctuated by something unexpected, like 605 Butterfield Drive.

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Wednesday, April 17,2013

New GM, same old corporate partners

by Andy Balaskovitz

Outside Corina Slaughter's front door, beyond a 10-foot-high wooden fence across the street, is a lifeless stretch of concrete extending past Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, appearing to become one with the Grand River. It's a massive reminder of good manufacturing years gone by. And it'll stay that way for the foreseeable future, despite the property owner's potential $38 million investment into the property.

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Wednesday, April 17,2013

GM: We’ll take your concerns to management

Council committee approves GM tax abatement request; talks updates on Stadium District developments

by Andy Balaskovitz

Wednesday, April 17 — General Motors representatives told four Lansing City Council members today that they will take concerns about large vacant parking lots at its Grand River Assembly site back to plant managers.

Wednesday, April 17,2013

The fix isn't in

The tepid response of Walnut Neighborhood residents to a proposed redo of Niowave Inc.'s pole barn has once again placed the company's request for a $550,000 tax break on hold. Niowave says there's not enough money to budget for more changes.

by Sam Inglot

Walnut Neighborhood residents see "major flaws" in a plan to fix the façade of their corporate neighbor's research facility because it does not go far enough in blending the building with its surroundings.

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Wednesday, April 17,2013

MLive hub drops Mackinac Center service

No comment from editors, promise of more details in the coming days

by Sam Inglot

Wednesday, April 17 — Well, that didn’t last long. The Bay City MLive hub has dropped from its website an online legislative tracking system run by the conservative Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The decision came after two days of criticism from progressives and some MLive readers.

Tuesday, April 16,2013

Kids in the Hall

Budget hearings round 3: Police, finance and IT

by Sam Inglot

Tuesday, April 16 — A police union official says there is no way the Fraternal Order of Police will reopen its employee contract with the city before it expires in 2015, which could put a kink in the Bernero administration’s plan to save $700,000 through concessions in the budget year that starts July 1.

Monday, April 15,2013

Creating a community vision

The future of the Michigan/Grand River Avenue corridor

by Sam Inglot

Monday, April 15 — The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is looking for citizen input to develop a community vision of the area’s busiest thoroughfare: the Michigan Avenue and Grand River Avenue corridor.

Friday, April 12,2013

'Shut up already'

Dems offer a t-shirt to counter Agema’s comments

by City Pulse Staff

Friday, April 10 — The state Democratic Party has found a way to capitalize on former state Rep. Dave Agema’s anti-gay attacks: It is selling pro marriage equality t-shirts.

Friday, April 12,2013

Lansing’s declining property values

Over a five-year period, the city’s property values fell by over 34 percent

by Sam Inglot

Friday, April 12 — Lansing is on par with the city of Detroit when it comes to declining property values, according to information compiled by the state and recently published by Bridge Magazine.