What’s Happening in East Lansing? MSUFCU’s Downtown Project Is Still Stalled.

East Lansing’s City Council will be holding a pretty unusual meeting this week, one involving no specific items for discussion in advance of votes. Normally, with such a thin agenda, Council wouldn’t bother to meet.

But this week they must, lest the agreement to sell parking lot #4 to MSUFCU run out without being renewed – and MSUFCU needs yet another extension.

As ELi has been reporting since November, the owners of the Dublin Square property, directly to the north, have warned the credit union that they don’t want their property impacted in the construction of the approved new office building, and that’s thrown a wrench in the process. MSUFCU wants to build all the way to the property line, making it challenging to do the construction without occasionally interfering with the property next door.

Apparently, the dispute between MSUFCU and the Dublin Square property owners, including developer Paul Vlahakis, is still not resolved. Last month, the credit union’s President/CEO April Clobes told ELi, “we are still working through options with the property owner to the north of our property. So, no start date yet.”

Vlahakis had previously wanted to develop that same land parcel, but attempted it without success. Now, the credit union hopes to build a seven-story building with a solid brick wall facing Vlahakis’ property.

This marks the third time the contract to sell the land to MSUFCU has been amended and extended.

Also on the Council’s agenda for Tuesday, the East Lansing Fire Department is asking Council to approve the expenditure of about $62,000 to cover four years of maintenance on EKG/monitor defibrillators, devices which, staff say, “dramatically increase the effectiveness and resuscitation rates for individuals found in full cardiac arrest.”

300 W. Grand River Ave., called “300 Grand,” as seen across Valley Court Park.

Meanwhile, the owners of 300 W. Grand River Ave. have asked for more time to come to Council to ask permission to convert first-floor never-occupied retail space to rental apartments. That request – which has been in process an unusually long time – will likely come back to Council on Jan. 19.

See Tuesday’s full Council agenda here.

On Wednesday (Jan. 6), East Lansing’s Human Rights Commission’s meeting will include discussion of commissioner priorities for 2021 along with recommendations to the Study Committee on an Independent Police Oversight Commission on the role of social workers at ELPD and on the use of force by ELPD officers.

The group will also discuss other policing reform measures. See the HRC’s full agenda here.

Tonight (Monday) at 6 p.m., East Lansing’s Transportation Commission will be electing new officers and talking about speeding concerns on Highland Ave. See the agenda here.

On Thursday, the Housing Commission will consider a rental license for 557 Bainbridge. See the agenda here.

There is no ELPS School Board meeting this week, and no Planning Commission meeting.