LANSING, Mich. — Residents believe the reputation of Logan Square continues to worsen, and as they distance themselves from the location, the city is now taking legal action.
“The first pleading was a general pleading that claims that Logan Square was a public nuisance,” said city of Lansing Attorney Smiertka.
That pleading lists all of the reasons why the city believes Logan Square is a problem, starting with crime.
According to the document, since 2020, Lansing Police Department officers responded to the location more than 550 times, which included incidents like shots fired, assaults and illegal gambling. But, the most recent incident was a mass shooting in July that injured five young victims.
“The party spilled out onto the parking lot, there were shots and eventually people got injured,” said Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.
The document then mentions Logan Square's presentation and exterior conditions, saying they’re an “ongoing threat to the general health, safety and welfare of the public."
Smiertka said he is now hoping the court will grant a “receiver” to step in.
“It's a manager to do those things that are necessary to prevent Logan Square from continuing to be a public nuisance,” Smiertka said. “It doesn’t change the ownership just put Logan Square under the control of the court.”
If everything goes in the city’s favor, the owners of Logan Square will be paying that receiver to manage the location. But before that happens, Smiertka said the owners do have the opportunity to prove they don’t need a receiver.
“They would have the opportunity to read what we submitted, then once they do that we will have our day in court,” Smiertka said.
We reached out the owners of Logan Square again for a response but have not heard anything back.
