Southside : In the News

The Capital Area District Library’s South Lansing branch is open after $125,000 worth of innovation.

According to excerpts from the article:

The library, at 3500 S. Cedar St., closed for seven weeks for renovations and its success has been immediate. It’s almost unrecognizable to long-time patrons.

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The new grocery store coming to Colonial Village is Valu Land. 

According to excerpts from the article:

Valu Land, owned by Grand Rapids-based Spartan Stores Inc., is expected to open by late summer, spokeswoman Jeanne Norcross said. It will occupy roughly 20,000-25,000 square feet in the Colonial Village Shopping Center near the intersection of West Mount Hope Avenue and Boston Boulevard.

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Two hotels in south Lansing are undergoing changes, including new ownership and renovations.

According to excerpts from the article:

The renovation at the Causeway Bay hotel, 6820 S. Cedar St., has been more than three years in the making. Though its operators won’t discuss specifics, the project’s cost hit eight figures and included taking on the Best Western Plus name. Meanwhile, changes are just beginning to take shape at the Dads Inn, 6501 S. Pennsylvania Ave., which has been rebranded as the Magnuson Hotel Lansing.

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After spending some time in Hollywood as an aspiring actor, Lansing native Tim Holmes returned to the Capital region in 2003. Now, due to the state's film incentives, he's finding acting work here in Michigan.

According to excerpts from the article:

One day, Tim Holmes was trying out for one of the many movie roles that have reached Michigan lately. He had the tough-guy look, but there was also a complicated fight scene. Could he do his own stunts?

His response: "I said, 'Sir, I fell from burning buildings to save people's lives; I can do it for a movie.'"

The state's movie incentives have brought a lot of work for Michigan residents, Holmes said. They've also introduced Hollywood people to a world they'd never imagined.

So far, his roles have often been short, uncredited and quite combative. He said he gets beat up by Gerard Butler (in "Machine Gun Preacher") and his robot gets beat up by Hugh Jackman's ("Real Steel"). He does win sometimes: In the direct-to-video "Hostel 3," he beats up all the heroes; in the opening scene of "Street Kings: Motor City," he beats up and shoots Ray Liotta, then is promptly gunned down by others. For contrast, he's a cop with Patrick in "S.W.A.T.: Fire Fight."

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Symmetry Medical aims to invest $1.8 million into an expansion of its facilities on Lansing's Southside, bringing 160 jobs to the region over a span of five years. 

According to excerpts from the article:

The orthopedic implant manufacturer plans to invest $1.8 million in purchasing and expanding a building for its Lansing operations, said Andrea Ragan, a spokeswoman at the Lansing Economic Development Corp. City officials said the overall package will include $14.8 million in investment.

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According to Doug Stites, of Capital Area Michigan Works!, entrepreneurship is possible for nearly everyone, and the Capital region is emerging as a great place for people to start a new business, take risks and seek out their passion or innovative idea. 

According to excerpts from the article.

Entrepreneur Magazine named East Lansing one of the top 10 college towns to start a business, CNN Money named Greater Lansing one of the 50 most business-friendly cities.

And most recently, well-known financial news organization Kiplinger's named Lansing one of the top 10 cities in the country for young adults.

Incubator space such as the East Lansing Technology Innovation Center, NEO Center and the Hatch is making it easier for individuals with great ideas and solid business plans to put it in action without needing much capital to start.

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Lansing hopes to entice General Motors to invest $190 million in a Lansing plant to ramp up for production of a new vehicle.

According to excerpts from the article:

The city of Lansing could end up offering General Motors Co. $9.8 million in tax incentives if the automaker picks a Lansing plant for a new vehicle.

That is the amount of a personal property tax abatement Mayor Virg Bernero wants the Lansing City Council to approve to help persuade GM to invest $190 million to add an unnamed vehicle — and about 600 jobs — to its Lansing Grand River assembly line.

The abatement would be spread out over 25 years — or about $390,000 a year.

GM isn't saying what other sites it's considering for the work.

However, GM has said it plans to bring the work to an existing factory. In addition to Lansing Grand River, GM currently has assembly plants elsewhere in Michigan as well as in Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas and Louisiana.

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As Lansing kicks off its Common Ground Music Festival, the region takes stock of the myriad benefits of its growing concert and festival lineup.

According to excerpts from the article:

From city-sponsored events to events sponsored by arts councils and businesses, organizers say the main goal is to increase the quality of life in the community.

Businesses near free-concert venues also find themselves often benefiting, creating a mix that seems to make free concerts pay off for everyone involved.

The East Lansing Summer Concert Series helps draw people to the downtown business area. But it's also a way for the city to express how much it values community events, arts and culture, and bringing the community together, said Ami Van Antwerp, East Lansing's communications coordinator.

"One of the things people really value about living here is all of the festivals and events you can attend," she said.

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In addition to upgrading the new bird facilities and displays, the zoo is growing in popularity and moving ahead on much-anticipated upgrades to the rhino exhibit.

According to excerpts from the article:

The Wings From Down Under exhibit has reopened for the summer at the Lansing zoo with more than 600 birds in a vast, interactive display. It's a 50 percent boost in the number of eastern rosellas, parakeets and cockatiels, the cost of which is covered under an existing contract.

The expanded Wings exhibit is part of ongoing efforts at Potter Park to attract more visitors. About 167,000 people visited the zoo in 2009, up about 20 percent from 2008.

Construction also has begun on the Eurasian Eagle Owl exhibit, a roughly 1,000-square-foot enclosure of steel and mesh that is more than triple the size of the current exhibit.

And ground is to be broken by fall on the park's long-awaited rhino site improvements.

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About $260,000 in tax incentives could be given to two local businesses to encourage expansion and redevelopment projects.

According to excerpts from the article:

Spartan Internet Consulting Corp. is seeking tax incentives for the $1.8 million redevelopment of the former Holmes Street School, 1030 S. Holmes St.

The council’s eventual vote on a brownfield plan could permit Spartan Internet to apply for $223,800 in state tax credits.

The council also heard about Foresight Group’s application for $38,630 in local property tax abatements over 12 years under the Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act.

The company recently purchased Peckham Inc.’s former facility on North Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and wants to renovate the facility for its proposed headquarters.

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Young leaders in Lansing are on the cutting edge of Twitter innovation, applying the social media tool to a variety of local needs and entrepreneurial opportunities.

According to excerpts from the article:

Capital Area Michigan Works communications officer Kate Tykocki, 29, uses Twitter primarily to post Lansing job leads. It gives her a way to interact with local employers and job seekers in real time.

"It's been invigorating to connect with people and hear these stories and know we are making a difference," Tykocki said.

She said it took her a while to warm up to the idea of using Twitter.

"I was almost a little resistant to start," Tykocki said. "I didn't want to waste a bunch of time. I waited to jump on the bandwagon."

Brett Kopf, 23, didn't hesitate to dive in and start using Twitter—and now it's his job. The MSU graduate recently started Social Bonfire, a social media consulting company.

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