Page 12 - LRCC November 2020 FOCUS

COLEMAN ROAD

EXTENSION

“When we finally came together as a group, we were able to convince the
appropriate legislative people that funding that project would enhance the
region in terms of economic opportunities as well as additional means of
travel around a very congested area,” said Robert Showers who serves on
CAPCOG and the Clinton County Board of Commissioners.

The final piece of the process was a bipartisan effort led by the legislative
members of the Capital Caucus and local leaders to finally secure the
needed funding. Former House Minority Leader Sam Singh was a driving
force behind those efforts.

“Because it was a project that was a priority for so many local units of
government, it became something we could work on collectively,” said Singh,
CEO, Public Policy Associates. “I know I spoke with Governor Snyder on
several occasions and we all wrote letters and made phone calls to help push
this through.”

“It wasn’t easy, but we got it done,” said former State Senator Rick Jones.

In addition to the traffic issues that the Coleman Road extension will
help alleviate, the corridor is ripe for development. There is a great deal
of prime undeveloped land in the area that will draw considerable interest
from occupiers and developers, according to the Van Martin, CEO, Martin
Commercial Properties.

“I’ve always looked at that as a corporate headquarter row with MSU Federal Beyond
Union, GreenStone, American Cancer and others, said Martin. “We could
see a major office building, possibly another hotel and perhaps some
mixed-use at the corner of Coleman and Coolidge Road. We could also see Energy
restaurants and additional retail in that area.”

Martin also sees the potential for housing development on the east side of
Coolidge across from MSUFCU.
A brighter future for
Completing the Coleman Road project is a model of how bipartisan people, the planet and
collaboration can benefit the entire Greater Lansing region. CAPCOG
was among regional groups that successfully lobbied for state funds to Michigan’s prosperity.
construct the new Heritage Center, a major tourism project at the State
Capitol Complex. CAPCOG was also instrumental in helping Lansing
Mayor Andy Schor receive permission to convert several two-way streets in
downtown Lansing to one-way streets, which is something leaders feel will
be a boost for business in the area. 331169

“Coleman Road was the first time in history that a group of municipalities in
this region came together, put aside party differences to accomplish a great
good,” said Showers.

“Working together is how anything gets done in this region,” said Meadows.
“This is a collaborative approach to improving the economic stability of our
community.”

Traffic is now flowing on the Coleman Road extension. The new corridor
is open for business. The collaborative efforts that led to funding for the
Coleman Road project are a model that should serve the region well for
overcoming challenges and advancing priorities that will have a significant Learn more at MICleanEnergy.com
impact on the region in the future. n

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