New Landmark apartments in East Lansing cleared for move-in; Hub still needs city OK

Sarah Lehr
Lansing State Journal
A man works up high around the windows of The Landmark apartment building on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019, in East Lansing.

EAST LANSING — The new Landmark apartment complex on Grand River has been cleared for occupancy, with move-in expected to begin on Saturday. 

Another downtown student housing complex, the Hub on Campus, still must pass a final safety inspection before tenants are allowed to move in.

Tenants are set to move into the 10-story, 347-unit Hub complex starting "later next week," Michael Gasperetti, regional manager of the Chicago-based Core Spaces development company, said.

The 12-story, 243-unit Landmark is located above the small-format Target store, which opened in July. The complex is marketed toward students and young professionals. That complex has received a temporary occupancy permit clearing it for habitation, city officials confirmed.

Move-in for Landmark residents will start Saturday and continue with staggered times through Sunday, Aug. 25, property manager Erin Mack said.

Tenants will leave their vehicles in the building's parking garage during move-in so that downtown traffic will not be disrupted, Mack said. The complex will provide tenants with carts to ferry belongings.

More than 96% of the units at the Landmark have been pre-leased, Mack said.

Move-in dates at the Hub will also be staggered prior to the first day of classes at Michigan State University on Aug. 28. The Hub complex is over 90% leased with only studios still available, according to Gasperetti.

Monthly rent for a studio apartment starts at  $1,050 at the Landmark and $1,119 at the Hub. 

Hub apartments need to pass final inspection

The city has inspected the Hub apartments several times, but the complex, located east of the Landmark site on Grand River Avenue, still must pass a final building inspection that addresses "fire and life safety issues," Thomas Fehrenbach, East Lansing's community and economic development administrator, said Thursday.

It's possible those issues could be resolved as soon as Monday, Fehrenbach said.

"Our inspectors have been working diligently to be accessible and to schedule those inspections," Fehrenbach said.  

Representatives of the Hub apartments said late Thursday they did not have the knowledge to answer questions about the status of the city's building inspection. 

The Hub building also includes retail space, which will be home to tenants including Georgio's Gourmet Pizzeria and a 7-Eleven convenience store. Both Georgio's and 7-Eleven occupied a building that was torn down to make way for the Hub.

Road closures not planned for Hub, Landmark move-in

The city is not planning any road closures to accommodate move-in traffic for the Hub and Landmark apartments as Michigan State University students return to town, Fehrenbach said.

"Certainly, there will be a lot of activity around the two buildings as people move in," Fehrenbach said. "We're hoping that staggered move-in times will help things run smoothly."

The Hub apartments have secured a right-of-way permit to use a nearby alleway for vehicles during move-in, Gasperetti said.

"No main road or sidewalk closures were needed," Gasperetti said. "By utilizing the alleyway we feel our plan will be safe for both the Hub residents and the surrounding community members."

Move-in dates for new MSU students are Aug. 24 and 25 at on-campus residence halls. Many returning students will be moving into university housing Aug. 26.

For updates on construction and traffic in East Lansing visit eastlansingbuzz.org.

Read more:

What MSU students should know before they move to East Lansing

Amid code dispute, Lansing says it's working to keep dozens of tenants in their homes

Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.

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