Michigan Development News
WLNS: Economic Development Corp. Helping Keep Businesses Afloat. The economy is struggling right now, but economic development funds are still available (check out our lending page here):
When businesses want to build in Lansing, they usually go to the bank for a loan, but there’s another place in town that offers help with financing- the Lansing Economic Development Corporation.
Bob Trezise, Economic Development Corporation: “We are literally a bank and we literally look at the request for the money in a way the bank does.”
Bob Trezise runs the Economic Development Corporation. He says they have a 1.4-million dollar fund to draw from, but few have taken advantage of it until now.
Bob Trezise: “My three years here, there’s been no request for a loan because the money was so easy to come by, frankly from banks, but now in the last six weeks, we’ve had at least five businesses approach us for loans.”
And Tresize says that’s all because of the credit crisis.
Model D: Cass Community to green, improve 50-unit apartment building. It’s nice to see that sustainable building practices are starting to catch on:
Green building has the reputation of being great — if you can afford it. But Cass Community Social Services is out to disprove that notion in the redevelopment of a 50-unit apartment building on Elmhurst near its administrative headquarters, the Scott Building.
Board chair Laura Beachum says the agency was motivated to buy the building after it deteriorated in recent years. It will be developed into transitional housing for homeless men, women and families in an environmentally-sustainable manner. The agency will install low-flush toilets, energy-saving lights and solar panels; rainwater collection and water recycling will also be employed. [...]
Beachum credits executive director the Rev. Faith Fowler with taking the agency in a greener direction. “It is a personal passion of hers to not only take care of people, but to take care of the earth that we live in.” She estimates the Elmhurst building project will cost $3 million-$4 million.
Capital Gains Radio: Magic Johnson Talks City Building In Lansing. Follow the link to hear what Magic has to say about urban redevelopment:
As a former basketball star, Magic Johnson has plenty of experience shooting hoops. But, with a net worth of $500 to $900 million, he also knows a little bit about money: how to get it, how to make it grow and how to use it to lift up communities.
The former MSU Spartans and Los Angeles Lakers star returned to his hometown of Lansing to talk about what the region can do to bring create jobs and financial stability. Johnson is adamant that the rebuilding of cities plays a major role in both.
Capital Gains: ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” Racing to Finish New Home for Holt Family. In case you missed it, ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” came to Holt a couple weeks ago:
The entire “Extreme Makeover” team is building a 3,300 square foot home for the family. According to the project’s main contractor, Lansing-based Mayberry Homes, the 1860 farmhouse the family lived in had deteriorating walls, floors and foundation.
It generally takes less than 100 hours to build an “Extreme Makeover” home. Volunteers have been working on the house since Sept. 29 and need to finish it by Oct. 3. The home is located at 2376 Eifert in Holt.
Michigan State University (MSU) students and faculty are part of hundreds of volunteers working around the clock to finish the home. Students have created landscape designs for the family, helped with interior decorating and helped with construction.
“It’s a chance of a lifetime that the university, the faculty and the students can contribute and work with the community in this way with a venture that’s so huge,” says Pat Crawford, MSU professor in Landscape Architecture. “And the show is just what makes this possible. And it’s very rare that we get to participate with our professions. How often do you need a landscape architecture volunteer?”
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