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New development proposed for site once occupied by school attended by Malcolm X

The former Pleasant Grove Elementary school in Lansing was demolished in May. The building is known for being the school civil rights activist Malcolm X attended in 1931.
Courtesy of Ingham County
The former Pleasant Grove Elementary school in Lansing was demolished in May 2024.

A $9.6 million redevelopment project could soon transform the site of a former elementary school in southwest Lansing once attended by Malcolm X.

Developer Brent Forsberg presented his proposal to the Lansing City Council on Monday for the site of the now-demolished Pleasant Grove Elementary School.

“The first phase has 30 apartments going in, and then approximately 5,800 square feet of commercial,” Forsberg said.

He said the project would offer opportunities for small investors to get involved in funding the development.

“What we're working on is building a community capital model, so people that live in the community will be able to invest potentially as little as $50 into the project,” he said.

The developer is also seeking brownfield tax funding, totaling $3.8 million over 30 years. That funding would require approval from both the city and the state.

Forsberg added that the development would include a tribute to civil rights leader Malcolm X, who attended kindergarten at Pleasant Grove in 1931. Currently, the site contains no public recognition of his time there.

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