I’ve learned it’s difficult and often fruitless to try to predict the news.
Lansing’s data center proposal, which was speeding toward a potentially contentious city council vote on Feb. 23, came to a sudden pause early Friday morning.
Company officials announced they were halting the plan to address a “procedural issue” and so the company could strengthen its agreements with the city. Mayor Andy Schor, who declined to discuss the issue with us, said in a statement that United Kingdom-based Deep Green is “working with us to amend our sale agreement and working with BWL to amend their contract to ensure that the promises made are written into the contracts.”
He added that the rezoning request Deep Green submitted for city parking lots it doesn’t own on the edge of downtown will be resubmitted “to satisfy a question raised by a councilmember.”
That question was raised by Ward 2 City Councilmember Deyanira Nevarez Martinez, who has only been on the city council for a matter of weeks. She wrote a letter to the administration asserting that Deep Green’s rezoning application was invalid because the company didn’t yet own the land, which is required under city ordinances.
It’s not clear how the proposal for the center, which was announced in November, got within a week of a vote by the City Council without someone in the city attorney’s office or the administration noticing there was a problem. Neither City Attorney Greg Venker, who we reached out to throughout the week, or Schor were willing to explain that to reporter Matt Mencarini.
Once that is all sorted out, it’s still unclear if the proposal will gain council support. It’s generally not supported by residents who have turned out to council meetings and other presentations, but roundly applauded by unions and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. Whether it can get five votes on the council remains to be seen.
In less political news, most of us enjoy eating out. That experience is still evolving from the upheaval the pandemic brought to restaurants, combined with cost pressures and other economic factors. The problem is real. In 2025, the state’s full-service restaurants had $25 billion in revenue, according to the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association. Other fast-food and to-go establishments had $31 billion.
Reporter Rachel Greco took a look at what local sit-down restaurants are doing to attract and retain diners, and found some interesting strategies. While our region has some experience-based dining options, from High Caliber Karting and Entertainment to Dave & Busters, some household names are getting into the entertainment game, whether it’s themed dinners or trivia nights or blindfolded dinners.
The story is on the cover of our Sunday edition, and I hope you take time to read how the restaurant industry is evolving.
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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Data center project pauses, and how dining is changing
Reporting by Al Wilson, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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