The old saying is that Michigan only has two seasons — and we’ve all just survived another winter.
Yet beyond roadwork, spring also signals a different kind of construction. The kind that represents a renewed recognition in the commercial development taking place around Greater Lansing. Make no mistake; it has been ongoing since the start of the new year, but it often goes unnoticed since we all tend to hunker down in our struggle to stave off the unpleasantness of the colder months.
This year, our skyline won’t just be a portrait of the past but a portal to the living, breathing progress of the future, as 2026 promises to herald some significant milestones in local development.
If you haven’t looked up lately, the Tower on Grand is providing a breathtaking reminder of our trajectory. As the flagship of the New Vision Lansing project, the 28-story beacon at 235 S. Grand Ave. in downtown Lansing is redefining our vertical limits. By the time the cranes idle, it will stand as the tallest skyscraper in the city, signaling a bold shift toward high-density urban living that many once believed Lansing was unable to sustain.
However, it’s not just about the scale of our longitude developments. There is plenty of latitude work that is reshaping the region, such as Gillespie Group’s Brick Row development kicked off late last year and will revitalize a wide swath of the 600 block of Michigan Avenue into an $8 million mixed-use hub blending upper-level housing with street-level retail.
In other positive news, a January report from Martin Commercial Properties indicated the office market in Greater Lansing is showing early signs of stability, while the industrial sector continues to be supported by historically high rental rates. The same recent market insights found that “retail performance remains strongest in established corridors, where consistent leasing activity, redevelopment of formerly vacant spaces and targeted new construction continue to reinforce neighborhood and necessity-based retail demand.”
There’s good reason why we’re celebrating commercial real estate and development in this issue of 517 Business. In these pages, you’ll meet some of the “rising stars” of 2026 who are helping to ensure our growth is as sustainable as it is ambitious. They may not be the faces you know … which is exactly the point. We want to spotlight the people you should watch for.
Although strategy and analysis play a significant role in what is to come, there is still a leap of faith and risk component to development. It’s the belief that the ground we stand on today can bear the weight of tomorrow’s visions.
As more and more faith is invested locally, Greater Lansing’s transformation keeps moving forward — and the view from here is spectacular.
Tiffany Dowling
Publisher
