Eyesore of the week

Property: 1113 N. Washington Ave., Lansing Owner: Saboury Old Town LTD

If a single building is removed from a cohesive streetscape, the result can be surprisingly severe. The effect is multiplied when several structures are demolished, as seen at this building at 1113 North Washington.

Apart from this short section of the street, this block is home to numerous tidy buildings within a successful commercial district. While this building exhibits some maintenance concerns, the state of the block is equally troubling. This building is isolated and abandoned by its immediate neighbors. An adjacent building would be the best way to hold the front property line and return some continuity. In the interim, that line could also be held by a transect-appropriate fence, an urban garden or pocket park.

Mayor Virg Bernero announced in August 2013 that the building would be renovated as part of a $3 million mixed use development. Efforts to reach the owner for comment were unsuccessful.

“Eyesore of the Week” is our look at some of the seedier properties in Lansing. It rotates each week with Eye Candy of the Week. If you have a suggestion, please e-mail eye@lansingcitypulse.com or call Berl Schwartz at 999-5061.