The potential sale of a riverfront, city-owned property to Detroit-based real estate developers continues to be controversial among community members.
Last month, the Lansing Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the Lansing City Council put the issue on the ballot to be decided by voters.
But in a Wednesday night meeting, the Lansing Park Board voted in the opposite direction.
The land is currently owned by the city and leased to Detroit Rising which operates the Lansing Shuffle. The company pays the city $2,000 a month to lease the property but says that owning it would better ensure the Lansing Shuffle's long-term financial stability.
Per the lease, the developers are now able to ask the city to sell them the land after operating the Shuffle for two years.
Lansing Shuffle was created to better the community, said Jonathan Hartzell, one of the developers.
"I feel like we're doing a really good job at that. And I just say can we just honor the deal? We honored our side," he said. "We just asked that you guys honor your side."
Yace Hang, an owner of two restaurants inside Lansing Shuffle, also spoke in support of the sale.
He said he thinks Detroit Rising has improved the riverfront and supports the small businesses who operate inside the building.
"The Shuffle being there, everybody goes down there and they know it's safe," Hang said. "The park is amazing, the sand beach is amazing and the next best thing is the Shuffle being there."
Other community members against the sale expressed their concerns.
Lansing resident Shelia Contreras said she thinks public land should stay in public hands and that too much of it is already being privatized.
"I fully accept that your business is a wonderful place, but it's bigger than that."
Another Lansing resident, Loretta Stanaway, is concerned about the loss of "irreplaceable riverfront parkland" and said even if the developers have good intentions they could still fail the community.
"Whether they mean well, whether they've done well, whether they intend to do well, there's no thing that guarantees that well is what will be there," she said.
The City Council has until May 12 to decide whether or not to put the sale on the August ballot.
