Eyesore of the week

Owner: CCPL Real Estate Group

Assessed value: $286,000

Owner says: Could not be reached for comment

Architecture critic Amanda Harrell-Seyburn says: It is highly likely that this vacant building is the victim of low visibility. Despite its size, it is easy to miss along the Trowbridge Road corridor. Hidden behind an intense amount of landscaping, the linear building blends in and out of sight, unseen by the hundreds of people who pass through the corridor daily and the thousands on game day. The building’s form is highly adaptable to a multitude of uses: Make the entry more visible from the street and refine the landscaping.

Among the diverse cuisine choices near the Trowbridge Plaza in East Lansing stands this shuttered behemoth that once contributed to the Trowbridge area’s eclectic food. Between Woody’s Oasis and Wendy’s is the old Oodles of Noodles/Bamboo Room Chinese restaurant — and before that, the Pretzel Bell, one of the area’s most popular restaurants. Peeling green and red paint, trash and dead leaves decorate the nearly 1 1/2-acre lot. Christmas lights still hang from the pillars, but a glimpse inside reveals little more than buffet tables.

Bamboo Room’s absence — which is one of the only vacancies around Trowbridge Plaza — isn’t exactly devastating for consumers. Nearby you’ll find anything from fast food, Korean, Mediterranean, pizza and pasta, Indian and crepes to three specialty food markets and a locally owned grocery store.