The owners of the Student Book Store downtown are proposing their site be transformed to a massive 14-story, approximately 325-unit apartment complex that includes space for commercial businesses.
The Ballein family – which has owned and operated the Student Book Store since 1960 – is proposing the development. Greg Ballein said the complex would be named “The Howard” after his late father. Ballein said the development is needed to house the growing population of Michigan State University students and the additional tax revenue generated at the site would help address the city’s ongoing financial challenges.
City policies, however, may prevent the proposal from materializing.
The city adopted Ordinance 1384 in 2016, creating special use standards for the downtown area. In the ordinance, the city mandates that 25% of all mixed-use housing complexes be dedicated to low- and moderate-income housing or another audience “that would add diversity to the area.” The criteria is common in communities like East Lansing, as similar policies exist in college towns like Madison, Wisconsin, Ann Arbor and Columbus, Ohio…