The Lansing Housing Commission is slowly but surely
chipping away at a renovation on the 38-acre former School for the Blind
property.
The property, which is just west of Lansing's Old Town neighborhood, includes several buildings that will be renovated one by one. The Housing
Commission wants to turn the old administration building into senior housing, a
project that would cost $11 million. Plans to convert the old high school into
lofts are also on the drawing board.
“When all of this materializes, this could be quite a
shot in the arm for the neighborhood,” says Chris Stuchell, executive director
of the Lansing Housing Commission.
The city plans to keep the majority of the green space on
the property intact so the neighborhood can continue to enjoy it. Old
Towners treat the green space like a public park, playing sports and strolling
through the area.
“If you go there on a Sunday in June, you’d think it’s a
big public park,” says Stuchell.
Eventually, the Housing Commission will move from its 310 Seymour location in Downtown Lansing to the renovated property. The City of Lansing
would like to demolish the Seymour tower and build a library and science center
on the site.
Source: Chris Stuchell, Lansing Housing Commission
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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