Lansing State Journal, MI
july 8 2004

Eastside property values outpace rest of Lansing

Development has been a boon to diverse area

ROD SANFORD/Lansing State Journal

Rehabbing the east side: David Muylle works on a property Wednesday
on Regent Street on the city’s east side. Muylle has rehabilitated
six homes during his 20 years as an eastside resident. His family, he
says, has a commitment to the neighborhood.

Sources: City of Lansing; Boys Training School plan implementation
committee

By Tom Lambert
Lansing State Journal

A bulldozer pushes earth aside at the former site of the Boys
Training School, clearing the way for an upscale condominium
development.

Two new restaurants take root along a busy stretch of Michigan Avenue
and another expands.

And a resident transforms a former drug house into a family home.

These are just three of many signs of steady progress on Lansing’s
east side, a culturally diverse area bordered by Saginaw Highway,
U.S. 127, Interstate 496 and Pennsylvania Avenue.

The changes have driven up housing values, helped shape a positive
perception of the area and given many residents a feeling of
ownership.

“We are progressing here every year,” Rufus Galvan, an eastside
resident of 22 years, said while doing yard work. “And I think we got
to this point because just about everybody takes pride in taking care
of their property. That goes a long way.”

>From 1990 to 2003, homes in the 25 neighborhoods that comprise the
east side have jumped in value an average of 98.1 percent, according
to a city analysis. That compares with an 89.8 percent increase for
the rest of Lansing.

The $28 million housing project at the former Boys Training School
will establish a collection of 177 condominiums called East Village,
said Rick Kibbey, chairman of the Boys Training School plan
implementation committee.

The condos will cost $130,000 to $200,000, depending on whether they
are flats, townhouses or single homes.

Buyers may start moving into some of the homes by next summer, but
the entire project won’t be completed until 2009.

High demand expected

The homes will go on the market at the end of the year and Kibbey
expects demand to be strong, especially since the east side is
already a destination for young families because of its central
location.

“You are five minutes from Michigan State University and downtown and
you can hop on your bike and are five minutes from a ride in the
woods,” he said.

A lot of little things are adding up to make the east side a better
place to live, residents say. Those include the House of Kabobs,
Irene’s Diner and the expanded Lopez Bakery, Deli and Cafe.

For years, Elmira and Gennady Gevorkyan have wanted to open a
restaurant in honor of their Armenian homeland.

They finally got that opportunity, along with Elmira’s cousin Arsen
Sarkisov, on May 10 with the opening of the House of Kabobs.

“We are living our dream,” Elmira Gevorkyan said of the restaurant
that features shish kebabs, salads and other Armenian foods.

“We are already having regular customers come in once or twice a
week. It’s been a good decision to open here so far.”

Just down the street, Suchart and Irene Sivavajchaipong opened
Irene’s Diner on May 5, serving food that includes Thai and Mexican
dishes.

Lopez Bakery, which serves traditional Mexican food, is adding three
lofts on the second floor of the building, and a DolEnx – Mexico’s
answer to Western Union – will open within the next three weeks.

Rehabbing homes

Another person doing his part to enhance the east side is David
Muylle. He has rehabilitated six homes during his 20 years on the
east side. He has pumped $60,000 into his latest project, 124 Regent
St., which was an eyesore.

He bought the home after seeing people go in and out buying drugs
while he worked nearby.

“My initial reaction was let the city close it down,” he said. “But
the more I thought about it, I figured why not buy it and do
something positive with it.

“We’ve committed ourselves to staying on the east side,” said Muylle,
who may move into the home along with his wife, Carrie, and sons
Austin, 5, and Andrew, 9. “We aren’t just neighbors here. There is a
certain attitude about overcoming any obstacles in our way.”

Nancy Parsons, president of Eastside Neighborhood Organization, said
she believes the work on the east side gives prospective home buyers
confidence.

She points to the Michigan Avenue corridor improvements made in the
past year using a $100,000 grant from the Capital Region Community
Foundation that subsequently attracted more than $300,000 in private
investment.

Fixing up

Moriarty’s Pub used $2,500 for a new awning, Theio’s restaurant got
$2,700 for a new patio, and Ambs Message Center received $5,000 for a
new front.

“It’s impacting the whole city,” Parsons said. “Yes, it benefits us
moreso, but overall it shows the whole city is growing, which is a
good sign for our future.”

David Wiener, executive assistant to Mayor Tony Benavides, said there
is no doubt the east side is flourishing.

“They are a model for neighborhood development work for the whole
city,” he said.

By the numbers

98.1% -The average increase in home values on Lansing’s east side
from 1990 to 2003

89.8% -The average increase in home values for the rest of the city
during that time

$28 million -Cost to build 177 condominiums at the former Boys
Training School site

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress