HOW COOL IS THAT?
July 21, 2006 Lansing State Journal

Lansing’s newly created Stadium District received a $100,000 boost Thursday in the form of a Cool Cities grant awarded by the state. Lansing was the only mid-Michigan municipality to receive a grant; 23 projects across the state were announced in all. “Winning these Cool Cities awards adds to
the tremendous energy and excitement we’re seeing in and around downtown,” Mayor Virg Bernero said.

The Stadium District - an 11-block area bounded by the Grand River, Pennsylvania Avenue, Kalamazoo Street and Oakland Avenue - recently was created as a marketing tool to sell downtown. The expected anchor of the district is a $12.3 million project across from Oldsmobile Park by developer Pat Gillespie. “When I first envisioned Stadium District, I thought we could create a unique identity for part of downtown Lansing,” Gillespie said. “This grant brings Lansing
one step closer to truly being a cool city.”