WILX - HomePage - Headlines  The Fight for Hillcrest Village
By: Nick LaFave  The 70-year-old Hillcrest Village Apartments of
East Lansing are in jeopardy. The Mannausa family, who's owned
the buildings since the 1970's, wants to tear the historic
buildings down and rebuild high-rise condominiums.  To do so
they will need permission from the East Lansing City Council and
the Historic Preservation Board. But first, they need the East
Lansing Planning Board to approve a rezoning of the area.  The
new zoning requirements sought by the Mannausa family would
allow buildings to occupy 100 percent of the land space, as
opposed to the current 60 percent. It would also allow the
buildings to reach a maximum height of 120 feet. 85 feet taller
than the buildings currently stand.  For the most part,
residents in and around Hillcrest Village are opposed to the
idea. They do not want high rise condos in their residential
neighborhood. They say it would destroy the scenery and invite
too many college students to the area.