Lansing plans to convert parking lot into new city hall

• After months of searching, Lansing has decided to build the new city hall on a city owned parking lot at the corner of Grand and Lanewee.
• The city will use $40 million it secured from the state to do this.
• Watch video above to see how people feel about the new location of city hall.

An acre long parking lot that sits on the corner of Grand and Lanewee.
“This used to be the old Boarshead Theater, which was torn down,” said Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.

Schor said the Lansing owned parking lot will now be built back up into a new city hall building with help from $40-million from the state.

But it was a long road to get here. The search for the right city hall location has been clouded with controversy.

“We had a proposal, we put out there for us to by the Masonic,” Schor said. “Council did some looking into it and we don't have the support.”

The back and forth went even deeper than that. Schor put out an RFP to recruit a developer to help with the city hall plan. After the Boji Group was chosen, there were allegations of unfairness in the process. City Council did an investigation.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE ON NEW CITY HALL :

Masonic Temple converted or new RFP? The future of Lansing’s new city hall still undecided

“Once we got all the information, it cleared up and doubts in the bid process for me,” Councilman Ryan Kost said.

Kost was one of the council members concerned with the RFP process. But now, he's getting behind the plan, and seeing the benefits it can bring.

“I think that this is going to alter this part of town,” Kost said. For years, this part of time has been cheap liquor stores its just kinda been beaten up in the press. But I see it being rebuilt up.”