- Lansing residents can provide input on five potential locations for a new tiny modular housing community.
- The city purchased 50 tiny housing units to provide shelter and support services for people experiencing homelessness.
- The five proposed sites include four parks and the former Shabazz Academy, with varying preparation costs.
- A final site selection is expected at a meeting on December 18.
LANSING — Lansing residents have about a month to weigh in on five potential locations for a city-funded tiny modular housing community to serve struggling and homeless people.
Two advisory boards announced the possible locations Nov. 20 during a joint meeting at Letts Community Center, and about 30 people in the audience immediately shared both criticism and praise for the possible sites for the four parks and former Shabazz Academy.
Those eager to review information about the sites and provide input should contact the city’s Human Relations and Community Services Department by visiting its website, emailing HRCSgeneral@lansingmi.gov or calling 517-483-4477.
The Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Board and the city’s HRCS Advisory Board will host another joint meeting at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at Foster Community Center, 200 N. Foster Ave., to gather more input.
They hope to select a site at a 5:30 p.m. Dec. 18 meeting tentatively scheduled to happen at Letts, 1220 W. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing City Council members unanimously approved in August the purchase and temporary storage of 50 modular tiny housing units for $640,000 for a community that would stay for months at a time and receive wrap-around services to include job assistance, housing support, health care and mental and substance use counseling.
The locations and accompanying details are as follows for the modular housing community that could welcome residents next year.
Debbie Stabenow Park
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Developing a former warming house and ice skating rink on 10 acres at 2516 S. Washington Ave. into a community of modular housing units would cost about $360,000 and make use of the existing warming house and concrete pad, according to a document that the advisory boards provided at Letts.
Pod utilities are estimated to cost $225,000; additional showers to the existing bathroom, $75,000; fence repairs, $10,000; and warming house work, $50,000.
Three other sites have prep costs of $500,000, and another has a prep cost of $800,000
This site received the highest score of 95 for grading categories that included location, infrastructure readiness, zoning and licensing, and parking.
Former El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Academy
Board members said the former school at 1028 W. Barnes Ave., south of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard’s intersection with Moores River Drive, would cost about $500,000 to prepare for modular housing units.
Pod utilities are estimated to cost $225,000; pod foundations, $50,000; fencing, $50,000, and showers, laundry and community center operations, $175,000.
The building is for sale and listed at $650,000 but there is potential for both expansion and purchase and lease options, according to the advisory boards.
The 2.3-acre location received an overall score of 91.
Comstock Park
An 8.3-acre parcel in the park northeast of the Oakland Avenue and MLK Jr. Boulevard intersection has an available structure in poor condition, requiring an expansion with updates.
Prep costs are listed at $500,000 – $50,000 for parking, $75,000 for pod foundations, $225,000 for pod utilities and $150,000 for shower, laundry, and community center operations.
“Most of the area where the pods would be placed sits within a bowl-shaped section of the site,” the advisory boards’ document said. “However, it was confirmed that the drainage is sufficient and flooding is not expected to be an issue.
“Additional funds may be available due to the site’s location.”
The overall score was 81.
Hunter Park
A 13.8-acre site at Hunter Park, 1400 E. Kalamazoo St., received an overall score of 75.
Its prep costs mirror the Shabazz site’s – pod utilities, $225,000; pod foundations, $50,000; fencing, $50,000, and showers, laundry and community center operations, $175,000.
“Would need to completely build and add another parking lot,” the advisory boards’ document said. “Also has large trees that may need to be removed. Has pool that is active 3 months of the year. Would be very close to services and programs.”
Reasoner Park
This site would involve a 6.8-acre lot at the 1801 N. Washington Ave. park and less than a West North Street acre now owned by the Ingham County Land Bank.
This site had the lowest overall score of 65 and the highest prep cost of $800,000 – $175,000 to regrade one-third of the site, $125,000 for curb cuts and parking, $75,000 for pod foundations, $250,000 for pod utilities, and $175,000 for shower, laundry and community center operations.
Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.
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