Go Green Lansing

The green building movement is something relatively new on the American scene. Most people know the term green but do not know exactly what the standard is. In the residential housing industry, you can have the five star energy rating for a home, which means it is energy efficient. This is kind of the beginning standard, then you can get into the types of glues used, renewable finishings, such as bamboo flooring, and many other features that can be used to save energy and be more environmentally friendly. In Commercial buildings, I am aware of Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, or LEED. It is the standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Here is the link if you are interested in finding out more about the standard, www.usgbc.org/LEED/. The National Association of Homebuilders announced that it is going green and is really pushing its new green building courses. In Lansing Gene Townsend announced his new project on the Corner of Kalamazoo and Cedar with its retail shops, condos, and apartments as a green building. I am really excited about this, and I think Gene is going to make a real impact on this town with this. As far as I am aware, this it the biggest green project that Lansing has ever seen. This may be the only true “Green” building in Lansing. This type of project is something that Lansing really needs. I hope that it is a great success for Mr. Townsend, and shows the other developers in the area that Lansing is ready to “Go Green.” (Hopefully that last line does not infringe on any copyright of any certain University)

10/19/2007 Regional Changes in Lansing

As we are constantly reminded of budget deficits, tax issues, and the automotive industry doldrums in the State of Michigan, under the radar Mid Michigan has seen a lot of small start up growth.
Lansing has had an exciting week of announcements. Accident Fund is working on finally coming up with a solution for the vacant Ottawa plant building and bringing it back to a community asset. Pat Gillespie has yet again shown that Lansing has the potential to really shine as an urban core with reclaiming more of the riverfront and turning it into a destination spot for the tri-county area. The entire region has seen some real changes for the enhanced quality of life. Old town just received national recognition from Ikea thanks to the support of the entire Lansing community getting together and voting. The festivals located there are packed with people and activities. REO town has started their Labor Day festival that brings in local and national bands that was truly a great time.
Many of the smaller communities in the area have events that attract hundreds to thousands of people. DeWitt has their Harvest fest coming up and the next few months will be full of Chili cook-offs and holiday celebrations across the region. Over the past decade people have really began to realize how important the fabric of the community is to the quality of life for all of its members. As you drive into the downtowns of our local cities, the streetscapes are being improved and many of the towns are very walk able and full of many exciting small businesses. I am sitting in the downtown Mason coffee shop and bookstore, looking at the town square and admiring the building facades that are all being renovated and the ones that are already restored. Even though its raining, people have been coming in and out of the coffee shop, and quite a few people are walking in and out the of the businesses and shops here.
Right now, downtown Lansing is hard to get in and out of due to the road construction. Next time you go down Washington though, notice how almost every building on the street is either restored, or in the process of being so. All of those second and third stories that were sealed in a metal shell for decades are now being re-utilized into lofts for residents and small businesses. As little as two years ago when you went downtown after five, you would be one of just a few people walking in what looked like a ghost town. Now, there are lines in front of the clubs to get in, the restaurants are starting to get busy, and the coffee shops have people enjoying a cup either before or after they get on with their days. Our region has seen our quality of life enriched with so many different types of activities and the towns all working to make their shopping districts more pedestrian friendly.
I am excited that this doesn’t seem to just be a trend, but a change in our daily lifestyle. As the world becomes more connected economically and many companies are competing for market share in regions and countries that it may not have been possible to do even 5 years ago, people are also realizing how important it is to support and build the local economies, to make sure that we keep the quality of life that we have created here. We have a great balance of businesses that compete on the international, regional, and local level. I hope we continue to see the business growth in the region, and the continued improvement of our cities and towns as we move forward. I really enjoy being a part of the tri county community, and want to know about what you find enjoyable here. Please email me the highlights of your experiences here in Mid-Michigan. What events, festivals, and businesses do you enjoy that adds to your quality of life here? Let me know at brent@lansingrealestate.com and I will get the answers posted. You can also post a response immediately at www.lansingrealestateopportunities.blogspot.com. Have a great weekend, and I look forward to reading what experiences you enjoy in Mid-Michigan.

Give Us Your Feedback - Potential Condominium Project!

Forsberg Real Estate Company is looking at a potential project in a town that is a suburb of Lansing. We are looking at restoring a building that would have 1, 2, and 3 bedroom condominiums ranging in price from approximately $99,000 to $139,000. These would be within walking distance of this suburb’s downtown which features a coffee shop, restaurants, a salon, convenience store, a bank, and other types of businesses. Downtown Lansing would be approximately a 15-20 minute drive.

I am curious to get feedback if there would be any interest in this type of home? If you were going to purchase a loft type condominium, what types of finishing’s and amenities would you want inside the condominium? What types of businesses would you want surrounding you? Until the live post is activated, please email your answer to brent@lansingrealestate.com. Thank you for your responses and time in answering our survey.

-Brent

Fall activities

What a change a week has made in the feeling of Mid Michigan. It seemed for a while that summer was going to never end. Fall has definitely set in, bringing with it many great outdoor activities, including donut and cider mills, fall festivals, hometown football games, and many other activities that can only be enjoyed this time of year. Over the weekend my wife and I were in Ludington. The fall colors were absolutely beautiful as most of the trees had completely turned. Hopefully with the cool weather we will get a spectacular show here by this weekend. If you are looking for fall activities, please visit www.lansingrealestate.com and click on the news/events button. We are constantly working to update this, so if you have any events that you think should be added please feel free to email the events to brent@lansingrealestate.com. We will do our best to get them added. Enjoy the crisp air, and have a great weekend.