Former National Guard building comes down so Lansing public safety HQ can rise up

LANSING — The city's plans to construct a $175 million public safety complex took big step forward Monday with the start of demolition of a former National Guard building that features a large mural facing the road.

The former National Guard hall was deeded to the city years ago and has since housed the city's elections office and the Lansing Public Media Center for more than 14 years.

In October 2023, city officials broke ground at the site, 2500 S. Washington Ave., where Lansing Police Department's new headquarters, its lockup facility for short-term prisoners, a relocated fire station and the 54A District Court will be located.

There have been hundreds of thousands of votes counted in the elections office, which helped spread out polling locations during the pandemic, said Chris Swope, the city's clerk.

While readying for the demolition, construction workers found a sealed copper time capsule box, which will be opened later by conservation experts, said Scott Bean, a spokesperson for the mayor's office.

Another aspect of the building's past officials hope to preserve in some manner is a large mural on its side.

In 2019, a mural festival, Below the Stacks, created nearly a dozen new murals in the city. The first completed work was by Chicago-based muralist Max Sansing; he spent three days at the former building, crafting a mural on a Washington Avenue-facing front wall.

The mural features a Black female astronaut looking up at a rising golden key, "rediscovering their voice through technology and media,” he said in 2019.

Dominic Cochran, the former head of public media for the city, who worked at the site, said he's going to miss the mural.

"I always saw it as the key to knowledge and freedom and expression and here is what they need to tell their stories," Cochran said.

The mural has been preserved with high-quality photos and it will likely be reproduced somehow at a new music and entertainment venue in downtown, said Cochran, who is now supervising that under-construction venue, the MSUFCU Ovation, which is expected to include space for public media in addition to bringing bigger concerts and events to Lansing.

Cochran also said he will miss the building itself because it was fairly unique. The site had 10,000 square feet of open space, without pillars, a rarity that was exploited by the media center when they built sets.

For member of the public who would like a piece of history, officials said they plan to put bricks from the site out near trailers, so anyone can grab one as a memento.

Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-041

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Former National Guard building demolished in Lansing for new public safety complex