Should Lansing City Council approve tax incentives for downtown redevelopment projects?
Downtown Lansing has several large mixed-use and residential proposals moving through City Council, many requesting Brownfield or Renaissance Zone tax incentives. Supporters point to a shrinking downtown tax base and the need to convert vacant office space to housing; critics question whether the city is giving away too much revenue for projects that would likely happen anyway.
Overview
Several proposals for downtown Lansing housing and mixed-use conversions are before City Council, most requesting Brownfield Redevelopment or Obsolete Property Rehabilitation tax incentives. This placeholder topic tracks the debate over how much public revenue the city should forgo to spur downtown investment.
The Two Sides
- Downtown office vacancy has left a real revenue gap the city needs to fill
- Converting empty office space to housing adds residents and foot traffic downtown
- Many of these projects likely pencil out without public subsidy
- Forgone tax revenue means less funding for other city services
What to Watch
- City Council Committee of the Whole: incentive requests typically get a first public airing here before a full Council vote.
- Downtown Lansing Inc.: the downtown development authority tracks project pipeline and can be a source for what's coming next.
Should Lansing City Council approve tax incentives for downtown redevelopment projects?
Yes — the tax base needs this investment to recover
No — incentives should not subsidize development that would happen anyway
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