In this portion of my Lansing River Trail Trail (LRT) journey I start in Municipal Lot 56 in Old Town heading south along the east and then west bank of the Grand River into downtown Lansing and stop just north of the Michigan Avenue bridge.
Section Overview
My second portion of the LRT transitions from a mixture of mid-density residential near the Turner Dodge mansion, and urban retail in Old Town into the thoroughly urban core of Lansing. Municipal Lot 56 provides convenient parking though it is a paid lot. Although the trail requires a temporary bypass because of work on the Brenke Fish Ladder. I proceeded south along the east bank of the Grand River. The trail then snakes its way along the river bank tucked behind commercial and manufacturing properties. Eventually, crossed to the west bank of the grand river at the Adodo Park pedestrian bridge and proceeded into downtown Lansing. I concluded my walk at the former Ottawa Street Power Station building.
Section Commentary
Much of this portion of the trail runs along boardwalks or directly next to the river. As I’ve progressed further along the trail I’ve missed the river vistas. It’s also predominately an urban environment. Particularly around Adado Park you can see what a fantastic piece of land the park resides on, and why it is a great space for community programming. Inevitably because it is a public space I also encountered unhoused people. I was intrigued to encounter what I assume were sculptures created by people living in the park. Lansing, like many cities, can’t house everyone that looks to the region for economic security and belonging. This section of the LRT also featured some fun trail art (found in the pictures below). The Ottawa Street Power Station building, like several other Board of Water and Light (BWL) buildings stands as a towering Art Deco inspired structure. The opulence evoked by the art deco styling projects a confidence and comfort with visibility from a public utility that I find lacking in many of our current institutions that make civic life and prosperity possible.
As an introduction to Lansing’s urban core I am thankful that the city maintains pedestrian and bike exclusive pathways that make encountering the city a much more pleasant experience than from a hermetically sealed vehicle driving through town.
Section Photos
