The intersection of U.S. 127 and Lake Lansing Road forms the northern gateway to the metro region, as well as to the cities of Lansing, East Lansing, and the DDA district itself. Given its access to downtown, the regional airport, the freeway system, and the Grand River Road corridor, the Township’s DDA district is well positioned to attract new employment and urban lifestyle housing in addition to more retail uses. It must be said, however, that these high quality uses rarely come to a location that does not offer an attractive and development-ready environment that accommodates high quality, private investment.

Currently, the presence of marginal land uses, inadequate infrastructure, and brownfields discourages major new development in the district’s interior. Much of the needed preparation to make these sites development-ready will require the actions of an aggressive and well financed DDA.

PUTTING THE “LIFE” IN LIFESTYLE CENTERS
Given the short history and untested staying power of the “lifestyle” format, these developments may prove to be as vulnerable to the whims of the market as the previous generation of regional malls, many of which now are vacant or struggling with high vacancy rates. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the most successful lifestyle centers are those that are conceived as part of a larger “New Urbanist” setting that includes:

• A wide mix of land uses

• A captive market of nearby residents and office workers

• An inviting public environment

Their role is both that of regional destination and local town center. The majority of lifestyle centers were developed as part of a public-private partnership involving some type of incentive from the local municipality.

It should be pointed out that urban-themed development in the Township is not intended to usurp or challenge Downtown Lansing as the cultural and commercial hub of the Metropolitan region. Rather, urban development in the Township will support the ongoing revitalization of Downtown Lansing and the continued growth of East Lansing’s Northern Tier. The Township’s proposed type of development should be compared to the original street-car suburbs of the early 20th Century that surrounded and helped sustain the urban core. As testament to this effect, regional retailers reported a noticeable uptick in business during Eastwood’s first year of operation.