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Developer pitches OPRA rehab for 418 Baker St.; council hears stability, timeline and abatement process
Summary
Developers and Lansing Economic Development staff presented an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act request for 418 Baker Street; the plan calls for a storefront office/commercial unit and three residential units and seeks stabilization work and a future abatement application before the OPRA statute sunsets.
Developer Leor Ron and Chris Klein of the Lansing Economic Development Corporation presented an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA) district request for 418 Baker Street at the council’s April 6 meeting.
Klein described OPRA as a two-step approach that establishes a district now and permits the developer to return later with an abatement application; the council’s action at this stage does not grant tax relief but authorizes the district that makes a future abatement possible.
Leor Ron said his team plans to convert the building into one ground‑floor commercial/office unit and three residential units (one one‑bedroom and two larger units upstairs), and to address extensive interior mechanical, ADA and foundation problems he said left the property functionally obsolete. “We’re planning a complete overhaul … anything basically from the basement all the way to the roof,” Ron said.
Council members pressed the team on structural conditions and timing. Council Member Cost asked whether a strong wind could topple the building; Ron said the structure is sound but requires significant foundation and framing repairs and that the developer intends to return to council with a certificate request within months. The developers noted they have received a façade improvement grant and aim to submit materials to the state before an anticipated sunset of the statute at year‑end.
Why it matters The OPRA district would set the groundwork for a tax‑abatement application intended to make rehabilitation financially viable. Supporters said targeted uses and façade improvements help revitalize a long‑declining block; council members asked for clear timelines and proper permitting to ensure stabilization precedes any application.
Next steps The council placed the item on the evening’s agenda for a later vote; the development team signaled intent to return with formal materials for OPRA certification and an abatement request within months to meet state deadlines. Council members indicated they expect to review permits, structural reports and a complete application before any abatement is granted.
