Development and Planning

Last night, amid a tense and sometimes ugly scene, City Council decided which company would get the coveted right to open a retail marijuana operation along Grand River Avenue in East Lansing. ELi's Alice Dreger reports.

Will East Lansing’s DDA vote to keep working with developers Royal Vlahakis? Or will they decide to move on now, and let other developers propose projects for the area just north of Peoples Church? ELi's Alice Dreger explains the big decision coming this week.

New revisions to East Lansing's Center City District project's design mean that the public spaces won’t be constructed as they had been designed and advertised during the approval process. ELi's Alice Dreger explains with illustrations plus a report of what was said at Council this week.

In a recent Council debate, Shanna Draheim challenged Erik Altmann's idea that taller buildings are the only way to achieve the goal of a more diverse downtown. ELi's Chris Root explains the debate as well as the decision processes.

Why would any sane person want to own a house restricted by East Lansing's historic district regulations? ELi's Alice Dreger, who lives in the Oakwood Historic District, explains some of the common reasons given.

Historic District Commission leaders past and present and homeowners in the Oakwood Historic District asked for preservation of the district this week. What were their reasons?

Local landlord/developer Matt Hagan won’t sell his property on Evergreen Avenue to the Royal Vlahakis development team. Hagan tells ELi why, and we explain the significance.

Developers Royal Vlahakis are hoping to change their proposal to satisfy decision-makers. But will the DDA now open up bidding on the publicly-owned properties to see what other developers might offer? ELi's Alice Dreger takes a look at what we know.

Changes to site plans of both the Graduate Hotel and Center City. Talk of the demise of the Royal Vlahakis proposal. Questions dodged (again) about that million-dollar eBay land sale. ELi's Alice Dreger brings you news from Tuesday night's Council meeting.

Is it time to eliminate historic districts in East Lansing? Some City Council Members are asking, and a decision on one district may happen this Tuesday. ELi's Alice Dreger takes a closer look at the issues.

At the suggestion of Mayor Pro Tem Erik Altmann, Council has voted unanimously to require private property owners to install electric vehicle charging stations in some parking lots. The decision comes not without controversy. ELi’s Brad Minor reports.

City Council has now approved applications for three medical marijuana provisioning centers in East Lansing. Where would they be located, and are they a sure thing? ELi's Ann Nichols reports.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Shanna Draheim was the sole "nay" vote on an ordinance that cut the necessary distance between marijuana dispensaries from 1000 to 500 feet in three of four areas where they are legally permitted. Ann Nichols and Mark Meyer have the story.