Five developments to watch in Meridian Township
MERIDIAN TWP. — Meridian Township officials are expecting to add some much-needed housing stock in 2024, along with other developments that is expected to include a Trader Joe's grocery store and more of a walking and biking trail that has been planned for decades.
Tim Schmitt, community and planning development director for Meridian Township, said residents and people who shop or work in the township should notice some major changes as several long-awaited developments are expected to open or make major steps in 2024.
A mild winter could lengthen the construction season, which should quicken the pace of development, Schmitt said.
Here are five developments we're watching in Meridian Township this year:
Trader Joe's
A Trader Joe's project seems to be moving forward on a 2-acre site at Grand River Avenue and Northwind Drive, across the street from the Whole Foods Market in East Lansing.
Construction that stalled for seven months resumed in the fall after the township issued a new permit, allowing for a 13,500-square foot building on property now owned by Trader Joe's East Inc.
Schmitt has said construction for a "specialty grocery store" is happening and that the township has been asked "not to disclose" the name of the property's end user. Trader Joe's also has not confirmed plans to open a store in Meridian Township.
In a September email to the Lansing State Journal, Nakia Rohde, a Trader Joe’s public relations manager, said the California-based retailer doesn't announce store openings early in their development.
"We typically announce new stores a couple months before opening the doors for customers," Rohde said.
Store openings are posted at the company's website. The latest opening listed was for the November opening of a New York store.
Across the street from the potential Trader Joe's site, is a Consumers Credit Union branch. It would be around 2,100 square feet.
Schmitt said he expects that project to finish roughly around the end of spring or early summer.
Haslett Village Square
A former strip mall at the corner of Haslett and Marsh roads has been leveled with vertical construction expected soon for a sweeping development with both housing and retail space, Schmitt said.
The site has concrete pads in place which can allow workers to do more in the winter than they could otherwise.
The Haslett Village Square project is a proposed mixed-use development with 290 residential units and 21,750 square feet of commercial, restaurant and community center space. Work is expected to continue on other phases through 2028.
The $65 million, mixed-use development has been in the works for nearly a year and a half at what was an underutilized property near the corner of Marsh and Haslett roads. Built in 1980, the now-bulldozed retail development lost businesses in waves over the years, including its anchor, L&L Food Center, in 2011.
Along with the Copper Creek housing development, Haslett Village is one of the first big new housing developments in the area.
American House Meridian
A senior living center, the American House Meridian, is expected to start the process of getting an occupancy certificate and open soon, Schmitt said.
The project will be a four-story, 132-unit mixed-use independent living facility with around 9,000 square feet of commercial space.
Schmitt said the construction has finished on the project, which is next to and part of the Haslett Village development.
According to its website, American House Meridian is now inviting people to schedule tours at the property.
Newton Pointe
A new housing development is under construction near the corner of Saginaw Highway and Newton Road.
The development would be on about 24 acres and include 239 housing units. It's being built by DTN Management Company.
A main four-story, mixed-use building has been constructed on the property.
Schmit said there could be additional houses built this year as the project fills in the acreage over time.
It will have single-family homes along the southern property line and a mix of stacked units and walk-up apartments on the property, Schmitt said.
MSU To Lake Lansing Trail
The long-anticipated trail connecting Michigan State University to Lake Lansing could be completed by 2025.
The first mile of the trail opened in late 2023, bringing a vision that began decades ago closer to completion.
Construction began on the second of three phases in August and is scheduled for completion in June, township officials recently said in an update. Depending on delays, access to the full trail could happen in 2025.
Phase II trail work will go from near the Grand River Avenue and Campus Hill Drive intersection to near the Okemos Road and Gaylord C. Smith Court intersection.
Phase III will stretch from Marsh Road, just south of Haslett Road where the Inter Urban Trail ends, to Green Road and connect users to Lake Lansing Park North.
The trail will ultimately connect the university to the lake in a non-motorized trail spanning 6.75 miles.
The trail began to become a reality in 2014, when Ingham County voters approved a millage for trails and parks. The trail's path was set in 2016.
The county millage, which has raised $42 million so far for a variety of projects, was renewed by voters in 2020.
Parts of the mid-section of the trail, including overlaps with the existing Inter Urban Trail, were built in 2021.
Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Five developments to watch in Meridian Township
