What to know about Lansing's newest city hall proposal

LANSING — A new city hall project has been announced but Mayor Andy Schor says there are few details, because it's early in the planning process, which he hopes to keep public for transparency.

With that in mind, here's what we do and don't know about the project.

What do we know about the proposed city hall?

Schor is planning a new city hall, with about 75,000 square feet of space including a first-floor service center where residents could pay taxes, bills, and fines and take care of other city business. The Capital Area Transportation Authority would consider adding onto the new city hall for its own new headquarters.

What don't we know?

There's no firm timeline yet and the city doesn't know which offices will go where or many of the key internal design points. There is no rendering or formal design work. The floorplan, which had been designed based on Schor's previous plans to transform the Masonic Temple into a new city hall, will need to be adjusted.

The current plans will build off the Masonic plans and a 2019 study by Ghafari Associates. That study looked at the parking lot site and determined it was viable for a city hall, Schor said.

Where will the new city hall be built?

It would be built at a surface parking lot called City Lot 1, 425 S. Grand Avenue, at the intersection of Grand Avenue and East Lenawee Street.

What's the deal with the parking lot?

Prior to the pandemic, the 115-car lot was frequently used by state workers and brought the city around $150,000 a year in revenue from parking, said Scott Bean, a spokesperson for the city. In the most recent year, it drew around $6,000 in revenue, which likely isn't enough to cover costs like plowing or maintenance, he said.

A new city hall would convert a portion of the city's surface lots to a better use, Schor said. The city has a reputation for having way too much surface parking, the mayor said, which he blamed largely on state complexes.

Who will develop the project?

The bid for a new city hall was awarded to the Boji Group back in 2021. That older bid for a city hall had been tweaked to accommodate the Masonic project, and some council members objected to the process. The other bidder in 2021, Granger Group, also sought a new bid process this year. The Boji Group declined to comment, through a spokesperson, for this story.

Following the mayor's announcement of the new city hall plans, Jason Granger said in a statement that "Granger is supportive of this decision."

"Mayor Schor has chosen the right direction for the City of Lansing and has made a common sense decision that is in the city's best interest," the statement said.

Can the city use the state money?

The new plan would likely be able to use $40 million in state money, which came with few conditions: There is a "tentative" deadline of Sept. 30, 2027, regarding effort made to work on a campus with other state or local organizations and there is language about "historic preservation considerations or evaluation of alternative options."

The new project would help bolster the city's historic Cherry Hill neighborhood right next door, said council member Ryan Kost.

What about local tax dollars?

The plan could be cheaper than the Masonic redo, which had anticipated a $2 million sale of the existing city hall to supplement the state appropriation and additional brownfield money to fix up the top floors for other tenants. Schor said the new city hall plan would aim at using only the state appropriation.

Does the mayor need council approval?

No. Schor and Kost said that the city owning the property means that a council vote is not necessary, since the council has already authorized accepting the state money and proceeding with a new city hall. Kost said the mayor has offered to work with council members for their preferences for the new city hall.

Why the switch?

The city hall project at the Masonic building was stalled with half of council opposing it, and neither the mayor nor the opposing council members were willing to budge. Schor said he could have explored other office buildings in the city but the time crunch would not permit a careful exploration of existing office buildings.

Timeline?

The project doesn't have a firm time line but Schor said he expects it will be roughly two years with design work being finished this year.

What are the problems at the current city hall?

The current city hall is dated and has been poorly maintained. There was isolated flooding on at least two floors in city hall in January after a heating part burst over a long weekend, requiring a few thousand dollars in staff time for cleanup along with some new ceiling tiles. Worse flooding in 2021 damaged some records kept by the city clerk, which had to be sent to a specialist for recovery.

What will happen to the current city hall?

The current city hall is in a desirable space, possibly the most valuable real estate in the city being right across from the Michigan Capitol building, Schor said.

The city plans to work with a Chicago developer to sell the current building for a hotel conversion, plans that have been discussed since at least 2018.

Many of those currently working at city hall in public safety roles will be diverted to a $175 million public safety complex that is under construction on South Washington Avenue.

Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: What to know about Lansing's newest city hall proposal