Development plans emerge for the Genesee Street School

Developers are looking to breathe new life into the long-shuttered Genesee Street School.

Plans call for the 1912 building, at the corner of Genesee Street and Butler Boulevard, to be transformed into 36 loft-style apartments and for the gymnasium to be reopened as a neighborhood gathering and event space. A zoning hearing is set for next month.

“We thought it might be an opportunity for that neighborhood,” said Julian Darden, a Lansing resident and one of the investors. “It sat vacant for at least the last 10 years. We haven’t thought everything all the way through at this point, but it’ll be nice to put that building back to use.”

Darden, managing director of DCI Financial Services, and his wife, Juel, owned 621, an upscale nightclub and martini lounge on Michigan Avenue that closed in 2013.

The old school has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2014. “I think it’s a very good re-use of an old building on that block,” said Mike Markey, another principal in the project. “We won’t be changing the facade at all — from the windows to the brick. It’s just a grand, old beauty waiting for some much-needed investment. I think this will become an exciting project for that neighborhood.”

The neoclassical brick building remained part of the Lansing School District until the late ‘80s. Community organizations for decades since have since tried and failed to make use of the former elementary school. And local residents have grown tired of its long-standing vacancy.

New World Flood — a nonprofit launched by former NFL player Todd “TJ” Duckett — sold the building to Darden in March after conceptual plans to renovate the space into a community center failed. Duckett previously told City Pulse that he was struggling to fund renovations.

Calls to Duckett weren’t returned. Ingham County records confirmed the parcel is registered to 835 Genesee LLC., formed this year by Darden and Markey. The Planning Board zoning hearing is 6:30 p.m. June 4 at the Neighborhood Empowerment Center, 600 W. Maple St.

“I know the community really wants something done with that building and I also know the developers want to bring the local neighborhoods into the plans,” said Councilman Brian Jackson, whose ward encompasses the school. “I’m glad to see someone is trying to make use of that building. It really needed some investment.”

Specific site plans haven’t been made available, but the rezoning request indicates the project will include “loft style living” for no more than 36 apartments while maintaining the “unique architecture” of the building. Another request looks to reopen the gym to local residents, possibly to create a new performing arts space.

“The gym really doesn’t fit the overall footprint for our plans for apartments,” Markey explained. “Maybe we’ll just tear it off or maybe we’ll make it into some type of neighborhood center. We’re really open to anything and everything at this point, but we’d rather have some type of neighborhood group be able to utilize that space.”

Genesee Neighborhood President Hazel Bethea said neighborhood children have been known to trespass and vandalize the vacant site. Her motto: Find a new use for the space or tear it down.

Darden said neither he nor his development team has floated their ideas past local residents, but they plan to meet with neighborhood leaders soon. In the meantime, Bethea has her doubts about the plans. The neighborhood doesn’t need more apartments, she said.

“I have no idea what’s going on over there because nobody has talked to me,” Bethea added. “I think we’d all rather have this open up as a community center or some type of recreation center for the neighborhood. Ain’t nobody, 36 people, going to live out there. They’d be lucky to find one person to move into those apartments.”

Developers, however, insist that demand for more housing options are driving their plans forward.